Chapters Twilight and her friends readied their selves in her suite in Canterlot Castle, or maybe better said Rarity readied them. The fashionista nearly swooned when she realized that there would be an official coronation of her friend the princess Twilight Sparkle, to serve as a coming out to public life so to speak. The dress maker worked furiously to come up with five dresses for her friends that would fit such an occasion. She had already had a new dress of her own; subconsciously making it as she regained her cutie mark after that errant spell of Twilights rewrote their personal histories. “But, Twilight . . . NO! Princess Twilight, (she internally squeed) had set everything right,” She thought, “and I’m feeling quite renewed, with more ideas than ever.”
“You know Princess Twilight,” Rarity said as she used her magic to move needle and thread to a just the hem on her friends dress.
“Rarity, you don’t need to call me princess,” Twilight rebuffed. “I’m still the same old Twilight.
“As I look around the room and see the pictures of you and Princess Celestia I see them in a different context now,” the white unicorn continued trimming a hanging thread. “It’s nice to see you have such a close relationship with your mother.”
Twilight winced a little at the complement, knowing that she had, had a good relationship with her mother. But, since the revelations of Night Mare Night she wasn’t sure of that or anything anymore.
“I wish my relationship with my mother was half as close as the one with you and Princess Celestia have,” Rarity continued. “But, alas we have seriously differing opinions about things and that’s not changing anytime soon. “
“Yes, it’s sweet seeing you in all these photos,” Fluttershy said looking closely at the picture of the Princess Celestia sitting with her forelegs around a tiny lavender unicorn and the one with her, Shining Armor, Spike and the Princess. The pictures aren’t just memento’s they’re family pictures.”
“I mean yeah, come on we all thought the dozen pictures in your bedroom of you and the princess was part of some kinky inappropriate sex filled obsession with her,” Rainbow Dash said causing Fluttershy to hide behind her mane, Pinkie’s jaw to literally hit the floor, Rarity to gasp so hard she almost inhaled a needle floating in her magical telekinetic field, Applejack to just look dumb founded and Twilight shivering at the thought of her mother like that. “But, now I get it and their just pictures of your mom and that’s cool.”
“Hey, hey, hey Twilight? Since you’re the Princesses daughter does that mean you’re like a thousand years old?” Pinkie Pie said bouncing over to her.
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked, knowing that the five other ponies might have been feeling the same thing.
“Aye mean ly’n to us about your family like that? You’ve been a princess this whole time and you didn’t think you could trust us?” Applejack’s resentment filling her voice, “I mean we’d do anything for you, Twi, the librarian of Ponyville, our friend and you LIED to us.”
Twilight had been waiting for this, the conversation with the element of honesty churning in the back of her mind since the truth was revealed. “I never actually lied,” she said turning to her friend trying to hide the guilt in her eyes.
“How many times a day did you mention the princess? How many times have we seen you two together?” Applejack said. “Heck, we spent the whole of Hearths Warming Eve with you in the castle and you never once let on you were her daughter. You never once called her mother.”
“I never call her mother unless we are alone,” Twilight explained.
“And all that faithful student stuff she calls you,” Applejack cited.
“She is my teacher, and my mother, and the whole teacher student thing has been our way of showing affection, like nicknames, when we are in public,” Twilight tried to explain without getting upset.
“Hiding the truth is still lying Twi,” Applejack snorted. “An you know how I feel about lying.”
The others had been shocked into silence at the sudden outburst, each curious to here the answer to the questions that have been bugging them too.
“Applejack, girls your friendship means the world to me. How do you think things would have been if you had known? Do you think we’d have gone on the adventures we’ve had or you’d call me out when I’m being unreasonable if you’d known. Do you think you’d have forced me to eat 128 different apple confections when we first met? ,” Twilight explained her ears beginning go lay flat and her eyes beginning to moisten, “Things shouldn’t chance just because you know I’m a princess.”
Rarity seeing one friend angry and one friend on the verge of tears decided to be the voice of reason that AJ normally was.
“Applejack, do you think it would have been wise for all of Equestria, not to mention the world at large, to know that a young princess was living alone in the Ponyville library unguarded?” Rarity reasoned.
“I guess not,” Applejack stubbornly agreed.
“I would have missed out on you and your family and life in Ponyville if anyone had known,” Twilight reasoned.
“So, what was the real reason you came to Ponyville? If you don’t mind me asking, because it’s okay if you don’t want to answer?” Fluttershy asked.
“I was there to oversee the summer sun celebration,” Twilight said, “and was told by my mother to make friends. I’m the same socially awkward filly you’ve all know to grow and love, I just have a title.”
“Oh, and wings!” Pinkie added.
The look in Applejacks eyes began to tell the others she was beginning to understand. Applejack may not have been ready to completely forgive Twilight but was ready to begin to understand.
“Knock-knock-knock”
“Princess,” a deep voice called from the other side of the door.
“Come in,” Twilight called. “Oh, and Rarity I wasn’t completely unguarded.”
The oak door opened and a large reptile the size of a stallion, wearing the dress whites of an officer in the palace guard, walked in on all fours.
“You ready Twilight?” he said nodding to the ladies in the room.
“Yep, I think we’re just about there,” she said, “Thanks Spike.” Rarity turned to see a very handsome purple and green dragon then felt as though all the oxygen had been taken out of the room and everything went BLACK.
* * * *
Rarity began to stir awake within moments of her swooning, but the sensation around her was different than the one she was used too. She normally felt the cool soft cushions of her magically summoned fainting couch, but this wasn’t the case. The feeling surrounding her was warm and firm and moving? The white unicorn batted her long eyelashes as she began to wake only to see she was several feet off the ground and surrounded by a purple sequined blanket, “Wait, check that, it’s much too solid to be a blanket and who would commit such a sin against fashion to cover a blanket in sequins?” She turned her head to see Twilight and then the girls, jaws hanging open as she floated by them then turned to see her head to see what she now could tell was a mass of shiny green scales. “Whaa, whaaa?” she managed to say.
“Hello, fair Rarity,” a voice deep voice came from a face with a pair of emerald green eyes.
“Dragon!” her pony instincts shouted and she began to squirm.
“Yes, I am,” Spike said with a toothy smile not holding her firm and not letting her squirm free and fall from his arms to the floor.
“Down! Down!” she said and the drake obeyed her command and placed her down on Twilights bed.
“It’s okay Rarity. It’s only Spike,” Twilight said walking up next to the dragon at the foot of the bed.
“No, no, no, Spikey Wikey is a little guy, all be it with a huge heart but, he’s only a child,” Rarity said shaking her head attempting to put the pieces of her world back together.
“Well he is, how about I explain,” Twilight said taking a deep breath and looking around at all the confused ponies in the room.
“Spike has not only been my number one assistant in Ponyville, but he’s also been my body guard,” Twilight began. “Mother cast a spell on him to make him appear half his age, so we wouldn’t send Ponyville in to a panic when we landed to work on the summer sun celebration.”
“If Twilight had been in mortal danger the spell would have been automatically broken and I would have grown to the size I am now,” Spike added. “Let me tell you it was frustrating at times wondering what the spell actually considered life threatening.”
“I could have broken the spell myself at anytime,” she clarified.
“But, having the physical fortitude of an Alicorn means she’s made from pretty sturdy stuff,” Spike added with a chuckle.
“So, you really are Spikey Wikey?” Rarity asked again.
“Yes, fair lady Rarity I am?” he said with a bow. “Prince Warmheart Everfree as always, at your service.”
“Pa- pa- pa- prince?” Rarity asked wide eyed.
“Yes, do you think I’ve been calling him my little brother as a term of endearment all this time? He’s adopted of course, but he is officially a member of the royal family,” Twilight added.
“Yea, cousin Blueblood wasn’t too happy about that,” Spike said.
“Oh my Goddess! Oh my Goddess! I’ve been having a prince do manual labor for me,” Rarity exclaimed. “I’ve had his royal claws digging in the dirt on my behalf… please forgive me,” she leaps forward kissing his claws where they rested on the edge of the bed. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, don’t banish me, and think about Sweetie Belle, if not for me for her. She’d have to leave Ponyville and move to Trottingham with our parents.”
Spike chuckled then lowered his head to look in her eyes royal blue eyes, “I’m never happier, than when I’m helping you Lady Rarity,” the long corners of his scale covered muzzle turning up into a smile.
“Really?” she said in astonishment still trying to take in all that has happened.
“Yes, really,” he said.
“Ah, Twi? This is nice and all, with these two love birds, but don we git a crowning to git too?” Applejack interrupted the moment.
“Yeah, I guess we do,” Twilight said with a sheepish giggle. “And you owe me 5 bits,” Twilight smiled at her protector and adoptive brother.
“I know, I know, I should have never bet on Rare’s not fainting,” he said bumping his sister’s shoulder.
Author's Note
I have to say, getting the voices of the characters right is hard. But, I think I got them right. I also love the dynamic that will emerge between Spike and Rarity. The next few chapters will seem slightly slice of life, but hang on the last half of the story turns a little dark and adventurous. If you have corrections and edits please leave them in the comments. I know that my grammar is not the best and River can catch only so many. I also have to say almost a hundred views, WOW!
A Family Conversation and Coronation
“You must be so proud Auntie,” Princess Cadence her main bejeweled as the custom of her Chrystal Empire demanded of its monarch on formal occasions, said standing in a chamber just off the throne room with Celestia and Luna.
“I knew my little sister would take after our mother,” Shining Armor said as he adjusted the high color of his uniform.
“I am, I am, I just knew it was a matter of time before she broke the spell and would be seen for the alicorn she is,” Celestia said with pride.
“Spell, what spell, it was the completion of Starswirls spell that elevated her to alicorn,” Luna stated at the same time asking for clarification.
“Well, yes and no,” Celestia said trying to find a way to cover her slip up but knowing that Luna and Cadence would hound her until their now peaked curiosity was satisfied decided to come clean. The solar monarch sat on a pillow and tried to avoid the gaze of her two closest relatives and confessed. “Twilight has been an alicorn since the magical surge that triggered her cutie mark. I panicked, fearing for her safety and cast a very powerful spell that would hide her true nature.”
“Tia! You didn’t,” Luna said shocked and angered at the revelation.
“Mother!?”
“Auntie, how could you?” Cadence said with a more sympathetic tone.
“I did and I don’t regret it. She was far too young to have that kind of power,” Celestia tried to explain. “She would have been a target for foal napping.”
“Tia, she already was a target, Twilight is daughter of a diarchy of Equestria,” Luna countered. “You have robbed your own daughter years of self discovery.”
“I was just older than her,” Cadence said.
“Yes, but others had seen you after your transformation. I couldn’t hide it,” Celestia explained. “I had guards stationed near you 24-7 until you became an adult. Absolutely nothing happened around you without my knowing.”
The princess of love was shocked at this revelation about her own life. “Evvv- evvv-rething?” she got out and looked over at her husband.
“Yes, everything,” Celestia stated a sly smile directed at her niece who was turning more red than her normal pink color.
“I still don’t understand how you could do this to her,” Luna said. “Do you know how she must feel right now? She may seem happy on the outside but I guarantee she is in turmoil on the inside as she copes with new powers and the new responsibilities not to mention immortality. She was happy being the simple librarian of Ponyville.”
“Luna, I know my own daughter. She is strong. She will be fine and she was NEVER a simple librarian. She was a princess since the day she was born,” Celestia said her voice slight raised but never losing its calm tone.
Luna bit down on her own tongue to hold back revealing what else she knew about Twilights past, her true past. Cadence reached over and put a hoof on the midnight blue alicorns back exerting a calming effect and Luna began to relax. “Aunties, you can discuss the ethics of leaving Twilight in the dark later. We have to get out there stand on the stage and be the example of regal stability Equestria expects.
“Cadence you are the voice of calm and reason as always,” Celestia said her calm returning. “This is Twilights moment.”
The three alicorn princess of Equestria one beaming with pride, one with serene grace, and the third still boiling under a calm façade, walked out into the throne room awaiting the newest alicorn for her coronation.
A chorus of voices rung out singing the praises of the repeated savior of Equestria. The large doors of the throne room were magically guided opened followed by the entrance of the princess Twilight Sparkle. The beautiful sight of her best friend, Twilight, dressed in finery and regalia was simply enough to calm the princess of the night and let all her recent frustration drift away, at least for the moment.
Twilight stood outside the doors to the great hall and throne room a place as common to her as the average ponies living room, but she was so nervous she was about to be sick. The eyes of Equestria and the know world would be on her soon watching every step she took down the red carpet. She looked at the ponies around her as they finished their enchantments turning their coats identically white before cinching down saddles to their back to support long poles with banners emblazoned with her cutie mark. The platoon of guards, in their armor of celestial gold, stood on either side of her the opposite of the chorus frenzy of last minute preparation. The guard had no need for a unicorn to turn their coats from pink, yellow, or orange to white their armor was enchanted to do that the moment they put it on. The ceremony may have been put together in the rush of a week but Rarity had taken to it with gusto. Twilight thought the fashionista must have not slept at all with the planning and decorations not to mention the elegant dress she had sewn for her.”I need to do something extra special for her to thank her for all her hard work,” Twilight thought.
The lavender princess’s thoughts then began to float to the past, and something she did that truly changed her fate. She wasn’t thinking about banishing Night Mare Moon and returning Luna, but a simple heartfelt wish that was granted all those years ago.
The small purple unicorn grinned at the praise.
“I can’t wait for us to get back to Canterlot and for you to get to know Luna,” Celestia said. “You, Shining, Spike, it will be so nice to have our whole family under one roof.”
“I just happy that I didn’t disappoint you,” Twilight said stepping back from the embrace.
“Twilight you could never disappoint me,” Celestia said literally beaming.
“Good, because I don’t want to go back to Canterlot,” she said looking down at the floor.
“Why? May I ask?” Celestia said tilting her head and raising an eyebrow.
“I wish to.., to, stay her in Ponyville,” she got out. “I wish to have a chance to live a normal life. The ponies here treat me like a normal pony and I have friends. I’ve never had friends before.”
“But, Twilight you aren’t a normal pony. You are indeed a very special pony. You are my daughter. You are a princess,” Celestia tried to reason.
“But, I want to stay,” Twilight pleaded. “Please.”
“I’ll think about it,” Celestia said not certain she truly would.
“Thank you mother, that is all I ask,” she said.
“We should go see your friends,” Celestia said walking toward the door of the library. “I believe the pink one is planning a town wide party.”
“You can do this,” she said to herself. “You’ve been in this room a thousand times. You are in your home. You’ve always been a princess, this is nothing new, you’ve just got wings now. You’re also being presented to the world. It’s just like a cutesinera…. But with global repercussions and a lot more added responsibility.”
The world in front of her began to turn white and she was suddenly afraid she was going to faint when at the last second her vision came into focus and she realized that the white was the flank of one of the guards she had gotten uncomfortably close to. She slowed down her pace and settled back into the ranks as the thoughts of how that would have played out in the press if she had stumbled. A bouncing flash of pink in the distance caught her eye and it only took a second for her to realize that it was Pinkie Pie. The smile on the pink pony was from ear to ear she looked like she was going to explode into a pile of confetti she seemed so excited. Twilight then looked down the line at her friends and smiled at a group of ponies she didn’t know three years ago and now didn’t know what she would do without. She saw her brother standing off to the side, then Cadence somehow making the traditional bejeweled mane of Chrystal Empire royalty look good. Her mother’s coat always glowed a little with the energy of the sun but it was downright bright as the oldest alicorn Princess literally beamed with pride as she looked at her daughter. Twilight looked back and smiled at the mare who had raised her and loved her then put aside all the uncertainty about that relationship and smiled back with all the adoration she had for her. The midnight blue alicorn, she had at one time feared, the aunt she had grown up without, the princess she had saved, and had become her closest friend, stood next to her mother. A friend that had helped her discovers things about herself for better or for worse. She couldn’t help but look at Luna and think at the awkwardness that shrouded the beginning of their relationship several years ago on Nightmare Night.
Author's Note
I'm posting this one a few hours early. We have Baltimare Comic Con tomorrow. I hope you all are enjoying the story.
Looking at Memories on Nightmare Night
The Night of Nightmare Night
The revelry of the evening began to fade into the background as the citizens of Ponyville began to clean up from the Nightmare Night Festivities as well as an impromptu visit from royalty. A pair of ponies and a sleeping dragon enter the darkened Golden Oaks Library, with a slight glow of the horn of the smaller pony the lanterns along the walls begin to light casting a golden glow across the bookshelves of the reading room.
“I’m going to put Spike into his bed. You can wait for me in the kitchen if you want, its right through there,” Twilight suggested to the midnight blue alicorn.
“Are you sure he is alright?” Luna asked gesturing to the small purple dragon on Twilights back.
“He’s just in sugar shock,” she giggled. “He forgets his metabolism is adjusted for his magical age.”
“If you are sure,” Luna said.
“He’ll be fine. I just need to put him down and then make us some tea,” Twilight smiled.
The kettle came to a quick boil and Twilight used her magic to pour the water into the strainer to steep the tea.
“I want to thank you again fair niece, you have helped thee-me to a just to this new age,” Luna said her voice sounding odd to own ears at the new quieter decibel level.
“I am glad to help you Luna,” Twilight said sitting down at the table. “or would you prefer Aunt Luna? Or Auntie, that is what Cadence calls Mother.”
“We, I, think,” she paused. “I think I would prefer Luna, dear niece.”
“In that case, call me Twilight, niece seems a bit formal,” Twilight said as she poured the tea.
“That would be agreeable, Twilight,” Luna said with a smile.
“I will admit that I was shocked to find that you were my Aunt,” Twilight said.
“You mean Tia never talked about me,” Luna asked disappointed.
“No, she did. She just said you had to go away. When I pressed her for more she would look so sad I just didn’t have the heart to press further,” Twilight said.
“Oh, I did not know,” Luna answered looking down at the steam rising from her cup.
“I meant that I was shocked to find out that you were Nightmare Moon,” Twilight said now finding her cup equally as interesting. “Mother just said you had to go away.”
“I guess Tia was right,” Luna started then paused. “In a way I did go away, I was locked away in the corner of my own mind when the Nightmare took hold. But, you knew that, or at least you found that out when you freed me.”
“I guess, yeah, I mean as the power of the elements flowed through me I could feel Nightmare being washed away, but, I sensed something else, something of harmony. So, I latched onto it,” Twilight explained. “I just had no idea it was you, or a pony for that matter. I just knew it was something good and pure.”
“Thank you, de-Twilight,” Luna said. “I will admit being equally shocked finding out about you and your brother. I mean Tia was determined to not have another foal after the Blue Blood incident.”
“I didn’t know that,” she answered.
“She must have loved you’re father very much to have him sire two foals,” Luna smiled and Twilight squirmed not wanting of her father “Siring” anyone.
“I know she loved him,” Twilight said the sound of melancholy in her voice. “I really didn’t get to know him that well. He died when I was a foal.”
“Tia told me,” Luna said remembering the photo of Celestia, Night Lite, and the two foals. “He disappeared on a diplomatic mission to the griffins.”
“Shiney told me that we nearly went to war because of it,” Twilight remembered her eyes beginning to tear up. “Mother was so sad. I remember it being the coldest winter in nearly a 1000 years.”
“Tia showed me some pictures of your youth,” Luna said. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t there to comfort you. I’m sorry that I missed your foalhood. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help Tia through that time, I am sorry for so many things.”
“We’ll would you like to see it,” Twilight said looking up with a growing smile. “I know a spell.”
“See what?” Luna asked.
“My foalhood,” Twilight answered.
“I wasn’t talking time travel,” Twilight said her mood improving. “I was learning this spell that would let you see my memories.”
“Y-you would do that?” Luna said surprised. “Y-you would let me share you memories?”
“Yes, of course, It might even help you adjust to the modern times,” Twilight said excited by the idea. “Besides, you’ll get to see me as a filly.”
“If you don’t truly mind,” Luna asked. “I think seeing your family together would help.”
“Luna,” Twilight looked straight into the alicorns eyes. “You are my family.”
“Thank you,” Luna said with a weak smile.
“I have to say that was a pleasant memory,” Luna mused. “But, could we not look at something of your earlier childhood.”
Twilight ran off down an aisle of memories and that was defiantly longer and grander that the space afforded in the real Golden Oaks Library. So, Luna let her eyes wander the shelves reading titles like, 10th birthday, getting sick in court, she paused and pulled down a copy of Hearths Warming Eve then let the pictures tell the story of a young filly filled with the excitement of getting a new doll as her brother and mother sat by a roaring fire. Luna replaced the ideal memory then began to wander along the shelve continuing to read the titles of the book before her then stopped, a new title catching her eye, Princess Twilight Alicorn of the Stars, the shelve it was sitting on was appropriately designated as FICTION. The current alicorn of the stars continued her trek through her nieces mental library, until stopping at a big metal gate with a large sign hanging across it simply reading RESTRICTED. Luna more out of curiosity reached out her hoof to push at the gate and was suddenly repulsed by a violent surge of magic.
“That would be most agreeable. I have truly enjoyed our time together,” Luna said before walking to the library door, exiting spreading her wings and leaping into the air. As Luna flew towards Canterlot she smiled at the memories that Twilight has shared with her, though was concerned with the memory that collapsed the spell, knowing burying memories was never a good idea, but was content to know the family she returned to was one filled with love.
Author's Note
The story originally was a Twi/Luna ship, but the relationship wasn't going to fit the story. I found this chapter and a couple others still worked. I
Discord Raising Questions
Discord Raising Questions
“What does that mean?” she asked and Luna simply pointed down the dark unorganized aisle.
Twilight looked once more at the sign on the side of the book case, it had no words on it simply a symbol, the simple outline of the Discord. She looked at the shelves the books looked as though they were just tossed on the shelves some were on their sides, some on the floor, some placed spine toward the wall. She need to “bring order to chaos,” she told herself. She lit her horn and began to remove the books on the shelf nearest to her by using her magic and placing them correctly on the shelf. She worked slowly, methodicly and quietly as if she was afraid of waking the god from slumber. The books bore titles like, statue in the garden, chochlate rain, mean Fluttershy, lying Applejack, Disloyal Dash, Covetis Rarity, Party Pooping Pinky. She winced each time she picked up one of the books a flood of bad memories coursing through her as long as her or her magic touched them. She tried to focus on the task at hand, organize the library. She glanced at Luna from time to time to gain reassurance that she wasn’t alone. She breathed a sigh of relief as she looked at the final book on the shelf and reached out with her magic to turn it around and place it correctly on the shelf. She froze as if she had put her hoof through a storm cloud and the lightening was electrocuting her. Twilight tried to move as the memory filled her conscious mind her eyes widening in horror.
“Twilight!” she could hear Luna scream as she stood there unable to move. The alicorns of dreams charged forward in to the aisle. She was suddenly out of breath as she was struck in the side by a book, but she shook it off and continued toward Twilight, but was struck again. The books in the discord section were flying off the shelf, literally, flapping their covers like birds and dive bombing the alicorn.
“Twilight! Focus! You need to Focus!” Luna shouted as she continued to fight her way to Twilight.
The lavender unicorn was overwhelmed as the memory continued to eat away at her conscious thought until she found herself walking down one of the soapy streets of Discords Ponyville. But, she wasn’t her, she was watching herself the color faded from her mane and coat disheartened because of her failure to solve the chaos gods riddle. She had survived the longest holding onto her hope and optimism in the face of Discords challenges as they worked their way through the maze. “It’s all my fault. I just wasn’t powerful enough. I should have been able to stop him. I lost all my friends. I-I-I failed,” she told herself until simply stopping and slumping down in a patch of cotton candy and looking at her muddy reflection in puddle made of chocolate milk.
“You really shouldn’t look so glum, chum,” the taunting voice of the draconesque called from behind her. “Chaos rules, the world is now filled with the fun of random acts of randomness.”
“I don’t care,” she said as tears dripped down her muzzle diluting the chocolate puddle.
“You don’t care,” he smiled towering over her, before reaching down to scoop up the unicorn and squeeze her in a hug and dancing around. “You don’t care! How wonderful! Not caring is exactly the mindset you need to embrace chaos.”
He held her at arms length and smiled, “You don’t mind if I gloat do you?” he said before turning her to face himself on a stage accepting an award with roses being tossed at his feet.
The pony handling of her body and the unbearable sound of the gloating god of discord in her ears had pushed her past the point of not caring and to the beginnings of anger. She sent a charge through her body that shocked the gods claws and causing him to yelp and drop her in surprise. The landing had been soft as she ended up in a bush of marshmallows.
“You really shouldn’t have done that, that hurt,” he said sucking his thumb.
“What are you going to do? You already won,” she said a twinge of anger building in her tone.
“I know, its grand isn’t it?” he said with a toothy grin.
“Now, I understand why mother turned you to stone,” Twilight muttered.
“Mother did you say?” he leaned in to her with a listening horn next to his ear.
“Yes,” she said.
Author's Note
I giving you a double dose this week. I'm on vacation, in a internet free zone, until the first week of October.
Unraveling Twilight
The world of had for the most part turned back to normal after the element bearers successfully battled Discord the god of Chaos and sealed him in stone with the magic of harmony the ponies and other inhabitants of Equestria moved on as if they had just had a strange dream, that is except for the element bearers themselves. The saviors of the land knew it wasn’t just a dream it was a nightmare one that continued to haunt them some more than others.
Twilight concentrated hard summoning her magic and hurling a binding spell at the draconesque but once again the god of chaos slipped through her hold.
“Oh, Twilight, did you really think that would work,” Discord said.
“When I get a hold of you,” she shouted then fired another concentrated bolt of magic blasting a mirror on the wall into pieces.
“Why didn’t you say you wanted a hug?” he said wrapping his long body around hers and begin to squeeze. She pushed with her hooves and squirmed attempting to break his hold and couldn’t. “I’ve got you Twilight.”
“Noooo!” she said creating a bubble of magic around her blasting Discord against the wall.
“Twilight you don’t want to do this,” he said as her mane and tail began to ripple from an unseen wind.
“You. Will. Not. Hurt. Anypony. Ever. Again,” she said as she charged her horn the waves of magic cascading off her the books and lamps in the library being tossed around by the unseen ethereal force.
“I would never hurt anypony Twilight,” Discord said fear obviously in his voice as she sent a blast of energy towards him knocking a hole in the side of the library as he barely escaped.
She searched the room in a panic having lost sight of the chaos god, she couldn’t let him escape. “I will find you,” she said in a singsong voice.
The faintest sound of something scratching was coming from somewhere in the room caused her ears to swivel homing in on the sound. She quickly teleported to the opposite side of the desk to find Discord cowering under it and began to fill herself with power.
* * * *
The princess of the night knocked over her canvas as she jumped off the balcony and spread her wings as she and flapped them with urgency to clear the city and before closing her wings like a falcon and dropping from the sky. Luna felt the wind rush through her coat and feathers as she tore through the air, she needed to move faster and tucked in her legs wrapped her magic around her creating a sleek cone like the tip of an arrow. The trip from Canterlot to Ponyville by the average pegsus took about two and a half hours, Rainbow dash one hour forty five minutes, an alicorns even less, but that still wasn’t fast enough. A boom, echoed across the fields of equestria as an alicorns pushed past the sound barrier. She knew she still wasn’t moving fast enough. She squinted her eyes and looked into the distance waiting for the town to come into view then searched for the large tree that housed the library. She began to change her magic, the ballistic shield surrounding her taking on new properties then in a flash the dark streak across the blue sky vanished.
Luna gasped as she reappeared in the reading room of the library, the distance of the teleport and not realizing she hadn’t taken a breath since she plunged off her balcony. “Spike!” she called. “Twilight?”
The library was in complete disarray, books in piles at the base of broken bookshelves, scorch marks from magical blasts on the walls. She was suddenly knocked to the side as frying pan gave her a glancing blow. The alicorns walked cautiously toward the kitchen focusing on the rustling and a voice.
“I know you’re in here,” a strange singsong version of Twilights voice called. “You won’t escape.”
Luna froze at the sight before her, Twilight’s eyes almost completely red, her mane and tale flowing wildly with raw magic. “Oh dear, Twilight?” she said.
“Twilight?” Luna said trying to get her attention but the deranged unicorn just continued her search.
“It’s only a matter of time, Discord,” she said before firing several random bolts of magic into the cabinets.
“TWILIGHT SPARKLE!!” the royal Canterlot voice obliterating all other sounds called from the night princess.
Twilight turned to face the midnight blue alicorn and cocked her head to one side.
“Luna?” she questioned not really knowing what she was seeing.
“Yes, Twilight, I am here to help you,” Luna said.
“Good, Its Discord, he’s broken free. I have him cornered. I think he’s under the sink,” she said.
“Discord is still in stone. I saw him in the garden this morning,” Luna reasoned.
“No, he’s here. He’s playing games with me, but I’be got him on the run,” she said.
“Twilight, where is Spike?” Luna asked.
“Who?” she asked.
“You’re brother, the dragon,” Luna said feeling very worried.
“The only dragon here is a draconesque,” she said narrowing her eyes.
“Twilight why don’t you come over here and I will help you find him,” Luna said doing her best to impersonate her sister calming voice, “I think I saw him in the reading room.”
Twilight looked back at the cabinet unsure what to do.
“This way, we don’t want him to get away,” Luna said. “He could sneak up behind us and place a spell on us would we?”
Twilight was uncertain at first, not wanting to take her eyes off the cabinet, but the small part of her rational mind that was left told her, this was Luna, her aunt and friend, she helped lock Discord away the first time.
The unicorn turned an began to walk out of the kitchen, when before she could react a pair of scaly arms wrapped around her. “Hold her still,” Luna shouted.
“No, no, you’re working with him. You’re not my aunt. Your Nightma…” was all Twilight got out before drifting into unconsciousness.
Luna Comes Out
“The city and palace are…,” Luna searched for a word.
“big?” Twilight suggested.
“Yes, big, and busy. I feel as though there is very little time to be with one’s own thoughts,” Luna explained.
“I know. I think that is one of the reasons I spent so much time in the library,” Twilight sympathized.
“I think it would be worse if the guards and the nobles were still not scared of me,” Luna lamented.
“We’ll that is at least positive in my opinion,” Twilight said. “The nobles still force their son’s at me in hopes that I take a liking to one.”
“Ah, I know, Tia said as much,” Luna remembered. “She said you dating a noble stallion was a lost cause.”
“Mother said I was a lost cause?” Twilight said in shock at her mother’s opinion of her. “Does she think I’m not pretty enough, or smart enough, or…”
“No, not exactly,” Luna shot back.
“She said you were more like myself,” Luna said slightly uncomfortable with the subject.
“She’s worried I’ll try to take over the kingdom?” Twilight said without thinking. “Oh! I mean… ah…”
Luna squirmed in her seat uncomfortably, “I know Tia has had you read the histories of the noble families,” she lead. “and why your cousin Blue Blood is considered a Prince?”
“Yes, because two thousand years ago, mother had one of his ancestors as a lover and they had a foal,” Twilight said, not sounding nearly as uncomfortable as Luna. “He keeps telling me we need to unify the blood line, ick!”
“Have you ever wondered why I have no descendants?” Luna questioned.
“I just imagined it was because you were unlucky, or careful,” she guessed.
Luna could feel and uncomfortable flush filling her face. She was sure that if her coat wasn’t so dark that she would have appeared pink. She just hadn’t imagined having this conversation with her niece.
“The companions that I’ve chosen…” she paused trying to avoid the taboo. “The companions I have chosen in the past … would have never been able to give me a foal.”
“Oh? I’m so sorry,” Twilight said reaching her hoof across the table and placing it on Luna’s. “Though with how the Blue Blood branch turned out, I count you lucky.”
“The prince’s ancestor wasn’t that bad. He was quite the gentle colt,” Luna defended her sisters choice in mates.
“I think that is kind of hard to believe,” Twilight said. “besides the thought of Blue Blood is repugnant.”
“That is a good way of putting it. My choices were considered repugnant,” Luna spoke up.
“Oh? That’s okay,” Twilight said smiling at her aunt trying to ease the anxiety. “Some of my best friends are fillyfoolers. Ponyville even has a few married couples.”
“That is quite interesting,” Luna said. “The practice of loving the same gender in my time was considered very taboo.”
“I know some ponies are still very conservative but, mother has been telling ponies that you love, who you love, for years,” she said. “She always told me it was because a good friend of hers was often troubled and had to hide her feelings.”
“Tia, said that?” Luna asked.
“Yes, she even removed all the old laws that were against it,” Twilight added.
“I’m guessing that made you happy,” Luna insinuated.
“Oh, yes, I never thought there should be laws about who you can love,” Twilight added.
“Tia, was right,” she said “I should talk to you about this and that you’d understand better than others.”
“I guess you’re right,” Twilight said before draining her cup. “When we sat down for tea I didn’t think this is the discussion we’d be having.”
“Neither did I,” Luna said.
“What was it we were talking about before we got side tracked?” Twilight said lifting up the tea pot in her telekinetic grip to pour a second cup. “Oh right, I asked you how you were liking Canterlot. You said it was crowded. The nobles were scared of you. My having to repeatedly turn down Blue Blood, and then how mother said I’d never end up with a stallion, then you explaining . . .Oh! . . .oh! . . . ohhhh!” The realization finally dawning on her why Luna decided to confide in her. “Mother thinks, I’m… she said I was…not that it’s a…”
“So you’re not a?” Luna said shocked and embarrassed.
“I’m not, not that I know, I mean, I’ve never even,” she tried to explain.
“..kissed a mare.” Luna suggested.
“..a mare, or a stallion,” Twilight admitted in shock.
“Really?” Luna said in surprise.
“I’ve just never been interested,” she said embarrassed. “I’ve always just been happy with my books, and my studies.”
“I am surprised,” Luna said. “I knew before making it out of my fillyhood. I think it was some of that confusion and isolation that created a space for the nightmare to grow.”
“I’m sorry.” Twilight said.
“It is all in the past now,” Luna spoke softly.
“and you don’t have to hide anymore,” she added with encouragement. “But for any of us, discretion is probably best.”
“So the world hasn’t changed too much,” Luna chuckled.
Author's Note
I know, I know, for some reason we have not yet gotten to the bottom of yet most of Brony-kind has decided that Luna is gay. I don't mind this at all. I actually love how the community seems not to care about the relevance of gender when it comes to love. I mean love is love. As, for the story its self this part simply shows the bond developing between Twilight and Luna and is a fun way to poke fun at the dumbest smart pony we love, Twilight.
Twilight paused at the large double doors to the throne room, she had never hesitated to enter it before, it was just another room in her house, but there she stood caught in a moment of indecision. She could swear that there was a competition between her heart and her mind to see who could race the fastest. The night court was over and there would be a few hours before her mother opened the doors to day court and her mother was most likely already in there going over a few last details with her secretary. She wanted to talk with Celestia; she needed to talk to Celestia. The conflicting memories she had unlocked, were causing her to question everything about her life. She did the magical forensic work. The greatest spell in the history of spells had her ethereal hoof print on it. Her mother, no Celestia cast spells that altered reality and destiny across Equestria. The worst part was that the spell meant she belonged somewhere else, to someone else. The young alicorn princess needed to know why. Why was she in effect magically foal napped?
Twilight stood silently as the guards left and the doors of the throne room sealed leaving her and her mother alone.
“So, my dear daughter, what is it you needed to talk to me about,” Celestia asked sitting back down on the cushion of her throne. The word daughter grated her for some reason. “Have you been feeling well? You haven’t had another episode have you? I’m your mother you can always talk to me.”
“No, no, I’ve been okay. The nightmares have been,” she paused trying to find a way to soften the truth, “less frequent.”
“But, you’re not are you?” Twilight said.
“What makes you say that?” Celestia said in confusion.
“My mother,” she replied.
“Whatever do you mean?” Celestia said her confusion growing.
“I know. I know what you did,” she said. “You foal napped me.”
“I don’t know where you got that idea but you are my daughter,” Celestia questioned her tone a little more stern than she intended.
“Discord,” Twilight said plainly.
“You should know by now that you shouldn’t take what he says at face value,” the princess said with a dismissive gesture of the hoof. “He is probably just messing with your head.”
“No, he’s right,” she said trying to be clinical and forcing her torrent of building emotions down. “I’ve been doing some research. I’ve come to the conclusion that we’re not related.”
“You’re being rediclous Twilight. I carried you for 11 months,” Celesita countered with all the proof she thought she needed.
“Unicorns have a familiar aura the same thing goes for alicorns,” she continued. “Ours don’t match at all and that goes without saying the obvious we don’t even look alike. Shiney sure, stick some wings on him and he’s defiantly your child. His aura doesn’t quite match but, that be because he’s a stallion and not an alicorn.”
“Twilight you’re spouting nonsense,” Celestia said trying to understand where this argument was coming from.
“Of course you’re my daughter,” she said softening her tone and draping one of her soft feathery wings over Twilight.
“I’m not. I have memories, memories of another life, memories of parents that loved me, parents you took me from,” she said her anger building and shaking off Celestia’s wing and stepping away to turn and face her.
“I’m telling you, you are my daughter. You are my foal. I loved your father and he gave me you,” Celestia pleaded, knowing what could happen when Twilight began to spiral. “It must be Discord playing a trick on you. He must have planted a suggestion in your mind.”
“No, it wasn’t Discord!” she shouted back.
“These are memories, you or someone locked away in my mind,” Twilight argued her temper beginning to flare. “What did you do to my parents? Why did you take me away from them? Were you just so desperate for a daughter you thought you’d just steal one and use your magic to cover your tracks.”
“I did no such thing,” Celestia said confused her voice betraying her breaking heart. “You are my daughter.”
“I am NOT. YOUR. DAUGHTER!” Twilight shouted and the solar princess, the soverign of Equestria, the steward of the sun, shrank back as though she had been stabbed in the heart. “Admit it! Admit to me what you’ve done! Tell me where they are? What did you do to them?”
Smoke began to build around the young alicorn, her mane began to float and wave in a wind that wasn’t there as she began to slowly rage shift.
“I didn’t do anything, please believe me,” Celestia begged as the tears began to flow. “You, you are mine. I . . . I . . I love you.”
“You never loved me,” Twilight said. “What kind of parent would send their child away to fight monsters for them?”
A flash of light and the tell tale pop! sound of a teleport erupted between the two alicorns revealing a third, “What is going on here? The guards were near panic and afraid to even enter the room,” Luna questioned in her strongest non-royal Canterlot voice.
“I don’t know? Twilight is convinced of some conspiracy that has me foal napping her and raising her as my own,” Celestia said perplexed and sadden.
“You, know it’s true Luna,” Twilight accused. “You saw it.”
“Luna, tell me you don’t believe this,” Celestia said in disbelief to her sister.
Luna knew she needed to calm the situation, since a fight between two alicorns could level several city block. The darker alicorn took a deep breath and looked at her sister, “I have been helping Twilight deal with what we once thought were nightmares. She had a lot of post traumatic stress from her dealings with Discord, and the other trials she has had to confront in your name. We went into her mind and found some,” she paused choosing her words carefully, “inconsistencies. She has two distinctly separate memories of her early foalhood, one involving you and the other involving a unicorn mare.”
“Proof you foal napped me,” Twilight spat.
“I DID. NOT. FOALNAP. YOU!” Celestia roared.
“Sister!” Luna admonished.
The solar princess took a deep breath, “So sister, you believe this?”
“I’m am not sure what to believe,” Luna said.
“What? You’ve seen the memories. How could it be anything else?” Twilight turned to Luna.
“I don’t know what is wrong with you Twilight but I am sure we will figure it out,” Celestia said. “I love you.”
“There is nothing wrong with me,” Twilight argued. “I know what you’re thinking, pour little Twilight can’t handle stress, the poor princess with the fragile pschyie.”
“Twilight, ponies know that’s not true,” Luna said trying to calm her niece.
“Sure, and you’re only happy for it,” Twilight said now feeling threatened from both elder alicorns. “I bet your glad that ponies think somepony else is the one who is unstable now.”
“Twilight you need to calm down,” Celestia pleaded. “We will get to the bottom of this. We can summon the best doctors, and spell casters, we can summon Discord we will get you the help you need.”
Luna momentarily shrank back at the stinging comment.
The young princess hung her head, to some it might have meant she was surrounding, but she was thinking. She felt the slightly tingly feeling of magic reaching out to her. The spell was familiar, it was a binding spell. She summoned her own magic and in a flash she teleported out of the grasp of Celestia’s spell.
“Twilight, stop please,” Celestia pleaded and reached out with a second spell.
“Twi-“ was all Luna got out before the young princess teleported again to an outside balcony and leapt into the air.
A second flash of light came from behind Luna the white alicorn teleporting away leaving only the stain of tears on the marble floor where she had stood.
Luna knocked on the golden doors of her sister’s apartment but didn’t wait to be asked inside.
The sun princess didn’t answer; the only sound was the sound of a shakily inhaled breath, coming from the darkness. The alicorn of the night, had given her sister sometime alone as she dealt with the immediate concerns of court saying something had come up and she had to fill in for her sister for a few hours. The nobles, grumbled and many of them chose to reschedule leaving her the chance to close court early to check on her sister.
“Tia?” she said coming upon her sister lying on her bed the photos spread hap hazard across the bed and a small rag doll in her forelegs.
Luna had never seen her sister so emotionally distraught before, in the thousands of years they have lived, the older alicorn had always been the steadfast rock of pony kind. The dark alicorn climbed up in bed and spread her wing over the slightly larger alicorn. “What did I do wrong?” Celestia asked.
“You did nothing wrong as far as I can tell,” Luna said trying to comfort her sister.
“I must have done something to bring this out in her?” Celestia blamed herself. “Did I push her too hard?”
“No,” Luna said.
“She is right. I sent her out to fight my battles in the name of lessons,” she hung her head. “I am a terrible mother.”
“You are not a terrible mother,” Luna said. “You have been a good mother, raising two amazing ponies.”
“Then why? Why does she want this other life? Why does is she convinced that I stole her,” she asked in between sobs.
“I have grown to know my niece very well over the last several years and we have grown close. I would say she is, after you, my best friend,” Luna said. “She is also deeply troubled. She spoke the truth she had two very different sets of memories of her foalhood.”
“But, I didn’t do this,” Celestia looked at her sister, tears streaming down her face. “I carried her for 11 months and nursed her and changed her. I am her mother.”
“I do not know,” Luna said indeed not having any answers. “But, when Twilight calms down we can talk this out.”
“She can’t stand me Lulu,” Celestia said looking at a picture of her and foal twilight. “What makes you think she will come back?”
“I am sure her friends will calm her down,” Luna said. “Besides, it doesn’t matter how long she is gone she is family and will always return where she is loved.”
Author's Note
I'm sorry for the late post. I've had a lot of work getting in the way of posting on Saturday this week. I have just a tease for next week as Luna begins a search for her missing niece, she comes across a scene similar to one of my favorite fim writers Dlazerous. I hope you enjoy and remember comments always welcome.
The Search
The lunar alicorn looked back at her sister and gave her a nod before stepping off her balcony and gliding off to Ponyville with the promise that she bring Twilight back. Celestia hadn’t left her room in over two days and due to her emotional state had cancel court until further notice. Luna agreed with the choice sensing the state of the solar goddess’ mane alone would be enough to incite panic in the nobles. The darker alicorn had already taken over stewardship of the sun the last two days and was sure that if the nobles found that tidbit out she would be once again be accused of trying to usurping her sisters power, though if she took a slice of cake from her sister she would accused of a coup. The kitchen staff, namely Frosted Flourish the pastry chef, knew something was wrong with the princess by the tenfold increase in cake requests.
The dark princess always smiled as Ponyville came in to view, she had, after Nightmare Night, always felt welcome. She often mused if she didn’t have her royal duties she would move to the small hamlet. “I could live in the library with Twilight,” she thought. “I’m sure the idea of two princesses living together in the small out of the way village would cause some gossip. We’ll maybe in another life or timeline.”
She set down in front of the town library and with almost instinctual magic unlocked the door and strode in.
“I am going to check with her other friends. I will tell you if we find her,” Luna said. “No, how about a superdelicious cupcake.”
The Lunar princess only turned a couple of heads as she trotted through town, the residences having grown accustom to royal visits over the last decade. She began to trot out of town and down a country road until she was surrounded by the smell of apples, taking to the air she surveyed the neatly organized rows of apple trees covering hundreds of acres. The chances of spotting a single pony through the canopy of leaves were slim, but Luna knew she didn’t have to spot the pony. She could see in the distance movement in the leaves as a tree shook violently, and made it her destination. The dark princess glided down through a space in the trees and landed softly on the earth in front of an orange colored pony her eyes closed as she hummed a tune, and began to tense her muscles to buck and apple tree in to giving up its fruit.
“Excuse me Applejack?” Luna spoke up, startling the earth pony causing her to miss the tree entirely and sending her staggering to the side.
“What the-,” she began angerly before seeing the alicorn in front of her. “I mean Princess what are you doing here.”
“I am sorry to interrupt your work but you haven’t seen Twilight Sparkle recently,” she asked.
“I can’t say that I have,” Applejack said. “Is she alright? Its been a couple of day since last time seeing her.”
“No, she is fine. I just was looking for her was all,” Luna lied, and that was a mistake.
“Now Princess, I can tell when a pony is lying. I can even tell when an alicorn is lying,” Applejack said bluntly.
“I suppose that being the element of honesty makes you uniquely attune to what constitutes the truth,” Luna said.
“Well in a way it does. But, I’ve been able to tell a fib as long as I could remember,” Applejack answered.
“I guess it makes it very hard for your foals to sneak one by you,” Luna said.
“Well, Arlet and Autum are a little young to be fibbing to much at this point, but Apple Bloom, she was a handful,” Applejack smiled thinking about her twins.
“I remember,” Luna said. “And how is Apple Bloom?”
“Well, she’s…” Applejack stopped. “You’re trying to change the subject Princess. Is Twilight alright?”
“I should have know better than to try to hid it from you. You see Twilight and Tia had a rather heated discussion and Twilight stormed out of the palace and flew off,” Luna admitted.
“Well Twi and Celestia fighting. That doesn’t seem normal,” Applejack said taking a seat on the grass.
“It isn’t. I haven’t seen them argue ever. I don’t think they even fought when she was a teenage,” she admitted. “We haven’t heard from her in three days.”
“Well that really doesn’t sound like Twi. She probably just needs sometime to calm down,” Applejack said.
“I know but it doesn’t mean Celestia and myself aren’t worried,” Luna said taking a seat herself.
“Maybe she went to see Cadence?” Applejack offered.
“Princess Luna how nice it is to see you,” Fluttershy said as she stood to offer a slight bow.
“Lady Fluttershy, it is nice to see you. You never need bow as I’ve told you. . .CRACK BOOOOOOOM!!!!...” the explosion sending Luna ducking and looking behind her.
“What was that?” Luna asked.
“Rainbow Dash, she’s only a loud to practice over the Everfree. The mayor told her if she shattered anymore windows at the town hall she would be arrested for vandalism,” Fluttershy explained.
“A prudent decision,” Luna said now making out the cyan streak in the sky. “She does know that she out ranks the mayor doesn’t she, being a in the guard as a member of the Wonderbolts and a knight of the realm?”
“I’m sure she does. I think she just want to be considerate,” Fluttershy said waving to the now slowing pegasus coming in for a landing.
“Hey Princess, you come here for a preview of the latest stunts to get into the show,” Dash asked.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but I came here looking for Twilight,” Luna answered hoping that they wouldn’t question her as Applejack did.
“Na, I have’t see Twi for a week. I just figure she is doing some princessy thing or researching or other egghead stuff,” Rainbow Dash answered.
“I’m sorry Luna, I haven’t seen Twilight either, is there something that is wrong?” Fluttershy asked.
“No not really,” Luna said. “She said she needed some time to think and left the palace three days ago and we haven’t heard from her.”
“I’m sure she’s all right. She awesome, not as awesome as me, but she’s awesome and can take care of herself,” Dash reassured her.
“Are you sure there is nothing wrong?” Fluttershy asked, and it was hard for Luna not to just tell the truth as she looked into those blue eyes that could make a dragon give up its hoard.
“No, nothing big. If you see her will you tell her to contact me or Celestia? Her mother is worried,” Luna tried to dismiss.
“Sure, if we see the princess, well tell the princess, where the princess is, unless the princess tells us to tell you Princess,” Dash said having fun with the statement.
“Thank you,” she bunched up her hind legs and prepared to jump, “One more thing. Have you seen Spike? He’s not at the library.”
“I’d imagine he is at Rarity’s,” Fluttershy answered.
“Yeah, he’s been helping her with a new spell she learned,” Dash said with a chuckle.
“Thank you both,” Luna said before taking flight to town once more.
“Helping Rarity with a spell? Rainbow Dash that wasn’t very nice to lie to the princess,” Fluttershy scolded in her soft wispy voice.
“Yeah Fluttershy he is helping her with a spell of sorts,” Dash answered showing the devious grin she gets when planning a great prank. “I just wish we could be there to see Luna’s face when she finds out which spell.”
* * * *
Luna landed by the brook just outside of downtown Ponyville and a short trot away from Carousel boutique. She stopped at the shop door tilted her head curious at the CLOSED sign hanging in the door window. “Why would the she close the boutique this early in the day?” she thought and turned to go back to the library and wait for Spike to show up.
-Crash, Bang! Roar!!!!-
The sound of a struggle emanated from the other side of the shop door. “Rarity!” Luna shouted before she turned on her heals and charged her horn and blasted the lock open. The show room of the boutique was dark as night all the shades pulled shut as if to hide whatever was going on inside, instinctually she cast a spell lighting every lamp in the room. She looked around the room for Rarity and the signs of an intruder, yet everything was in order, all the ponykins were in place with dresses in various states of completion causing her to second guess what she had heard from the street.
“Stay back you foul beast!” Rarity’s voice came from above.
Roar!!!
“You stay back! You will never take my virtue!” she said again.
Roar!!
“Help me! Is there anypony to help me?” Rarity’s voice echoed down the stairs.
-Crash- Scream-
Luna charged up the steps to the apartment above the shop her horn charged with a stun spell, but if what she thought was befalling the element of generosity it would take restraint to only stun the attacker.
“Unhand her curr!” Luna shouted firing the bolt into the purple back of the attacker.
“Ow! What the. . .” a deep voice said as an arm reach to the point of magical contact and rolled to the side to revel a white pony, in what appeared to be a Princess Platinum costume from Hearths Warming Eve, or a character in one of the Dlazerous novels the princess had hidden in her nightstand, sprawled out on the bed in unbecoming position.
“Luna!” Rarity shouted as she quickly rolled off the bed to a more modest position.
“Rarity! Are you unharmed? Get behind me while I take care of this . . . dragon?” Luna paused getting a better look at the large scaly creature writhing on the floor.
“Auntie?” the now familiar voice questioned.
“Spike?!” Luna said in surprise looking at the dragon and the white unicorn who was looking more pink from the blush forming under her coat. “What is going on here?”
“Well Auntie,” Spike began.
“Wait! Spike your grown! Twilight is in danger. I thoughT she was just hiding to calm down but now…” Luna said on the verge of panic. “Why did you not contact the palace?”
“Twilight is fine, or at least I think she is?” Spike said trying to calm his aunt.
“But the spell?” Luna said.
“Yes, the spell, maybe I can explain,” Rarity said stepping forward as she levitated her Princess Platinum of and on to the bed before standing next to Spike. “I kind of figured out how to lift the spell like you did at Twilights coronation.”
“But why?” Luna asked looking at both of them and tilting her head.
“Ah, um,” the couple hesitated.
The scene the alicorn walked in on now catching up to her and her own blush beginning to burn through her dark coat.
“I, ah, my apologies, I thought you were about to be ravaged by a beast, I was mistaken,” the Princess.
“Well you weren’t that far off…” Rarity said with a sly smile causing the princess to blush further.
“Alright then, I am happy, I guess you’re dreams were not just dreams after all nephew,” Luna said stuttering for a way to get out gracefully. “If you hear from your sister please let me know immediately.”
“Yes, ma’ma,” Spike said before uttering another word the princess disappeared in the flash and pop of a teleport.
The dragon and unicorn turned to look at each other and began to giggle as they wrapped each other in their forelegs and arms respectively. “Well, that was about as awkward as the time she walked on a dream of mine.”
“A dream?” Rarity said “What kind of dream?”
“A rather intimate one,” he said.
“Was I involved?” she asked.
“You?” he said. “What makes you think that? I’m sure it was another white unicorn with the most beautiful flank I’ve ever seen.”
“You are a flatterer my prince,” she said before kissing him.
“Its only the honest truth,” he said.
“Oh, really, should I get Applejack to be sure?” she said as he kissed her neck.
“Applejack here?” he said with a wicked smile. “That’s another dream entirely.”
The lovers chuckle and fall back on to the bed to continue what they had started.
Author's Note
I want to thank Dlazerous for the permission to use that fun little scene between Spike and Rarity. I hope you check out his work. I've read Luna the Matchmaker 3 times and Hope and Shadows 3 times and his other works multiple times. He is a master of fimfiction.
Runaway Princess
Twilight jerked her head up and her wings back trying to come to a stop in the middle of the air as she thrust her for hooves out in front of her to stop her momentum from slamming her into the side of the mountain. The young purple princess distracted by the argument replaying in her head. She had never in her life had a fight with her mother. “Fight, what a terrible word to describe the argument. But, that’s what it was,” she winced at the thoughts. The thoughts distracting her left her to fly by instinct alone. She wasn’t a very great flyer; she was certainly more Fluttershy than Rainbow Dash. The wings of an alicorn being larger than average pegasi let her glide more easily, like a kestrel bird and that helped her save energy. She desperately tried to think past the chaos in her mind, the images that disturbed her of her mother, of Celestia, the sight of the regal alicorn so wounded, the hurt in her eyes when she shouted back at her the most poisonous thing she could think of “You are not my mother!” The way she just teleported to one of the palace walls then jumped into the air to get away. Her instinct wanted to take her back to Ponyville, but as her logical mind fought for control of her emotions, she realized that was the first place her mother would look. The guard station would no doubt be alerted to her elopement from the palace and would be ready to meet her and “encourage” her to return to the place. She knew the guard couldn’t force her to return. She was one of the most powerful magic users in equestrian even before she ascended to alicornhood. But, she didn’t want to fight or hurt any pony so she needed another option. She couldn’t go back. She couldn’t face the princess so soon after what was said, she may have been an expert in friendship, but the relationship between mothers and their daughters and reality altering spells was a whole different field of study, “At least I could consider myself a pioneer of a new field,” she chuckled through the still flowing tears.
The next refuge she thought of was the castle in the Everfree; it had always been one of her favorite places. She often enjoyed getting lost in the ruins, not that it happened much anymore since she had frequented it the shell of a castle a lot being so close to Ponyville. But, no, that would be the second place the guard would look. She went to through the list of her friends and knew each of them would let her stay with them no questions asked, and if the guard came would defend her even if it meant assaulting the guard. She didn’t want them to get into trouble. The problem was between her and Celestia. The next logical list she went through was places farther away Vanhoover, Trottingham, Baltimare, Manehatten, “That’s it!” she said to herself aloud. Manehatten, Rarity had an apartment there, for her extended business trips, she definitely wouldn’t mind if she crashed there for a while.
But, Manehatten was more than three days away at her top speed, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to do that and couldn’t fly that far even at a casual speed. She just didn’t have that kind of endurance even as an alicorn. She could try to make it half way.
“I, I, don’t know,” Golden Leaf said as they sat in the shadows of one of the castle parapets.
“She left the castle without guards and is emotional,” Rose Quartz said. “We could have our chance to grab her.”
“Yes, because a emotional rage filled alicorn is who we want to take on now,” Golden replied to her partner.
“It’s our job. It’s what we were sent to do,” Rose Quartz argued.
“Well I just don’t think going after her now is the smartest idea? Even if you think it’s the best chance we’ve got,” she said.
“She must have teleported at some point. I just don’t see her. I bet she went back to Ponyville,” Rose Quartz said continuing to scan the sky.
“We should head back and see if she show’s up,” Golden Leaf said just before they both leaped into the air and soaring through the shadows of Canterlot out of view of the guard.
The hours fly by and so did she, the towns, and small cities and countryside passing by underneath. Twilight was exhausted. She had used some spells to help her stay awake and fly for the last 37 hours but she was at her limit and needed to stop soon or fall out of the sky. She looked below for a quiet place to stop; she hoped for a small town or a farm a place to small or out of the way for a garrison of guard to be stationed. As Luna’s moon began to climb in the air she began counting the below her as the twinkling lights of the towns began to blend with the starts of the night sky at the horizon. The light of a campfire caught her eye below and she began to glide a slow circle down for a closer inspection. A campfire would be perfect. She would be miles away from anywhere and would most likely be welcomed at the by the traveler being a princess and she would be well on her way before the traveler meet anypony else the next morning to tell them about their royal encounter.
Twilight set down just outside of the fire light sticking to the shadows to assess the situation. A large wagon sat its wheels chalked to keep it from rolling away. The lone pony seemed to be sleeping under a blanket near the warm fire. The young princess stepped into the light and cleared her throat in hopes to awaking the slumber pony, who looked more and more like a lump under the blanket.
“Excuse me?” Twilight said almost sounding like her butter colored friend. “Excuse me? But, would you mind if I shared your campfire?”
The pony didn’t respond. She stepped closer trying not to frighten the sleeping pony and reached out her hoof to tap the camper on what she assumed was the shoulder. Her hoof connected to the blanket as she noticed the blanket was rising or falling with the ponies breath, with only concern in Twilights mind she pulled back the blanket with her telekinesis. A stuffed pony of straw was all she found. She looked around the campfire quickly to see if there was somepony spying on her in the distance.
“ROOOOAR!!!!!!” filled the air and the ears of the princess and she jerked to full attention. “A trap!,” she thought and began to charge her horn.
She looked out across the plane and saw nothing, but grass blowing in the wind and the stars in the sky. But something was wrong. The stars, were off? Twilight had spent her life looking at the stars and plotting their movements and she knew her direction and the stars weren’t right. The stars seemed to be moving. The stars seemed to be moving closer. A second deafening ROOOAR! Filled the night air as the stars began to take shape, a slight glow of starlight mapping out a shape, the shape of an Ursa Minor the alicorn was shocked.
Twilight’s muscles tensed and she braced herself against the ground and fired a quick magic bolt at the snarling starbeast. The bolt was enough power to stun a manticore but just passed right through the towering monster as it lumbered closer. She had done it before as a unicorn so why not know, she wrapped the beast in her magic and began to shrink it around the creature planning on levitating it and flinging it as far into the sky as possible in hope it would get stuck there. Twilights eyes widened in shock as the telekinetic spell shrank right through the ursa as if nothing was there. The logic switch in her brain than clicked, and she sent a dispersing spell into the air, and the ursa vanished. “It was an illusion,” she said to herself, puzzled at the elaborate ruse. The feeling of a magical grip wrap around her and begin to lift her off the ground brought her back to the present. She could feel the spell, it was strong, it might have been a struggle for an average unicorn to shake but she did it with little more than a mental shrug. Twilight dropped to the ground and turned to face her attacker.
“You!” Twilight shouted.
“You!” the unicorn shouted.
“Ah, no, its just, I was, I was,” Twilight tried to explain, “I just saw the fire and thought?”
“You would wreak havoc one Trixies life once again,” the unicorn said.
“I just needed a place…” Twilight started.
“Go back to your castle and your friends Twilight Sparkle,” Trixie said plopping down beside the fire. “Go back to your perfect life.”
“I…I..can’t,” Twilight said before collapsing to the ground and beginning to sob.
”And why would that be?” Trixie asked.
“I used to think I belonged in Canterlot… but I had a fight with my mother,” she said.
“Well you are a grown mare and you are an alicorn and you live in Ponyville. Why don’t you just go home?” Trixie reasoned confused by the emotional state of the young princess
“I couldn’t she’s send someone to bring me back to Canterlot,” Twilight said looking at Trixie through her tears.
“Your mother can not drag you back home besides, I’d imagine, being Princess you could just tell Princess Celestia and your mother would back off,” Trixie said feeling twilight was sounding like a child.
“But, my mother is the princess,” Twilight said sobbing even harder out of frustration.
“Oh?” Really, the princess?” Trixie asked.
Twilight just nodded her head.
“The Princess of the Sun, Celestia the immortal alicorn that brings forth the dawn each, the ruler of Equestria is your mother?” she asked again still sure she was missing something.
The princess wiped her tears with the back of her foreleg and nodded again.
“Could I perhaps stay with you tonight? I just can’t fly anymore,” Twilight asked sheepishly.
“Fine,” Trixie said using her magic to unlock the steps to the inside of her wagon.
“Thank you,” Twilight said following her up the steps to see a small mattress, surrounded by props, books, food and other supplies. She no longer considered Trixie an enemy and thought they might be close to being friends. She was sure that the close surroundings would be a definite test of the budding friendship. Twilight rolled onto her side leaving space between her and the show mare as each of them faced the sides of the wagon.
“Trixie?” she managed to say. “Why?”
“Why what Twilight Sparkle?” she replied.
“Why take me in?” she asked.
“Because, Trixie knows too well how difficult family can be,” the showmare said with a sigh hoping that would be the end of the conversation.
“Thank you,” was all Twilight said not wanting to pry any farther and just hoping Luna would help keep her dreams peaceful.
“Trixie has one more thing to say to you. You may share Trixie’s bed roll, but just a warning, the Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t cuddle,” the showmare said before turning on her side away from Twilight and trying to return to sleep.
Twilight awoke from her exhausted slumber and smiled the feeling the warmth of a hoof wrapped around her neck and the muzzle of a sleeping mare. The blue unicorn seemed to have nestled her way under one of Twilights wings. “the Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t cuddle,yeah right,” she thought to herself. The sun began to rise over the horizon and the memories of yesterday began to flood back into her mind and the tears began to flow again.
“Trixie would appreciate it if you didn’t attempt to drown her,” the unicorn said rolling out from under the alicorns wing. “Would you like some breakfast?”
Twilight nodded her head and attempted to stop her tears, “Yes, thank you.”
“Let us sit by the fire then,” the showmare said tripping the switch lowering the staircase.
The unicorn levitated two bowls and a bag of oats and poured two bowls. She handed off the bowls and then levitated two juice boxes out of her carriage.
“Where were you headed before you decided to land and set off Trixie’s alarms like a brigand?” the mare asked before taking a sip from her juice box.
“I was flying to Manehatten. I figured that I could hide there until I figure out what I do next,” Twilight said.
“Trixie has always had success in Manehatten, she will acompony you,” she said. “You may even ride in Trixies wagon if you’d like.”
“But, why?” Twilight asked, shocked at the offer.
“Lets just say Trixie understands,” she said.
“Thank you,” Twilight said.
“You’re welcome,” Trixie mumbled. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has learned a lot about caring for others thanks to Twilight Sparkle.”
Trixie’s wagon slowly rolled down the road powered by its magical motor its two passengers sitting on the on the bench watching the road ahead. The great and generous Trixie and loaned the runaway princess one of her cloaks to cover her wings, knowing that two unicorns riding through a small town would go largely unnoticed an alicorn princess would certainly draw unwanted attention. The two also sat in silence that is until the blue unicorn gave voice to her pestering thoughts, “Twilight Sparkle, why didn’t you tell Trixie you were the daughter of an alicorn when we meet?... I mean if Trixie had know she wouldn’t have challenged you,” she said with a clear sound of annoyance in her voice.
“I didn’t want to draw attention to myself,” Twilight explained. “I’ve never been comfortable in the spot light, like some ponies.”
“Yes, I understand your inference, Trixie has always had a gift for the gaining the attention of others and thrived in it,” she answered in her typical hauty tone.
“But, why would you have stopped?” Twilight asked.
“The Great and Powerful Trixie maybe great and powerful but even she knows her limits and for this self trained unicorn the daughter of the sun princess is out of her weight class,” Trixie reluctantly admitted.
“What does weight have to do with it? Do you think I’m fat? Size has nothing to do with the amount of power a unicorn can wield,” Twilight defended.
Trixie chuckled at the innocent foolishness her rival displayed and found it quite indearing, “Twilight, the expression means Trixie was out matched,” she explained.
“Oh,” Twilight said. “Are you really self taught?”
“Trixie is the daughter of two earth ponies,” she explained. “We don’t know how Trixie ended up with a horn.”
“Well maybe your parents have a relative that is a unicorn. My friends the cakes are both earth ponies and their twins are a unicorn and a pegasi,” Twilight explained.
“Well, we still do not know?” Trixie answered.
“You at least went to magic kindergarten, right?” Twilight said.
“No, Trixie lived too far from Canterlot and her parents didn’t think it important,” Trixie replied with a tinge of sadness in her voice, “though that didn’t stop Trixie from developing her magic.”
“Well that truly is remarkable with the spells you’ve been able to master,” Twilight complemented.
Author's Note
I'm sorry for the late post or in some cases just a heading. The fim site was acting up and dumping out before I could complete the post. I hope you like the beginning of my Twixie romance. I like them as a couple though this originally started out as a Twiluna ship as the story went on it just didn't work. I hope Twiluna forgives me and the Twixie enjoy.
The Twixie Show
“No Twilight you must be subtle,” Trixie said as she corrected the alicorn for the third time. “You must redirect the audience’s attention without them realizing it for the trick to work.
Twilight stood on Trixies stage in the middle of a field and began to gesture with her hoof to the left while referring to an anecdote as she pressed her back hoof on a panel in the floor activating a mechanism that let loose some fog.
“Why don’t you just magic the fog?” Twilight asked.
“Trixie finds the mystery is lost when the audience can see the glow of your horn,” she explained.
“Oh, you’re trying to create magic, without it obviously creating magic,” Twilight understood.
“Yes, Trixie knows the audience wants more than a unicorn moving things about. The audience wants something to puzzle and amaze them,” Trixie explained. “Trixie wants them to talk about her show to everypony. She wants them to pique the curiosity of their friend and return again and again to try to understand how Trixie does such amazing and wonderful feats.”
“And the more times they see you, the more bits in your jar,” Twilight said.
“Yes, Trixie has to eat,” the show mare said. “And now that Trixie has another mouth to feed, she needs twice as many bits.”
“I’m sorry Trixie. I promise to pay you back when we get to Manehatten,” Twilight apologized.
“I belive you,” Trixie said beginning to fold up her stage. “Besides, the great and generous Trixie understands being on her own.”
“We should reach the next town by nightfall,” Twilight said now looking at a map.
“Trixie would then suggest you adopt a more inconspicuous look,” She said levitating a cloak out of the back of the wagon.
“Trixie?” Twilight asked as they sat on the bench of the wagon as it rolled along.
“Yes, Twilight?” the showmare asked, still trying to get used to not being constantly alone.
“Why? Why didn’t you come back to Ponyville?” she asked.
“Trixie did not feel she was welcomed,” Trixie said hanging her head the sunlight giving a iridescent glow to her white mane.
“Ofcourse you are welcomed? You are always welcomed. I would always be happy to see you,” the princess said.
“Trixie has traveled much and can tell when she has to steer clear of a town,” she said. “The ponies of Ponyville still are not happy with Trixie’s behavior with the Alicorn Amulet.”
“They’ll get over it,” Twilight said. “I’lll tell them to get over it.”
“That is kind of you Princess, but changing ponies minds is not always that easy,” she said.
“I really did enjoy those few days you stayed with Spike and I at the library as you recovered from the effects of the amulet,” the princess said.
“Trixie did as well,” she said.
“Why didn’t you write?” Twilight said a little disappointment in her voice.
“Trixie was busy,” she said curtly.
“Oh?” Twilight said. “I would have written you but it was hard figure out where you would be.”
“That is the life of a traveling showmare,” Trixie said matter of factly leaving Twilight silent, thinking about how she would handle the isolation of always moving by herself. She had never felt alone before, the thought of actually being alone had never really occurred to her.
The two travel town to town over the next couple of weeks. The two mares finding that despite Twilights awkwardness on stage she became the Great and Powerful Trixie’s assistant Starlight whose skill at engineering was a great help in creating new and exciting magicless tricks.
“I know,” Golden Leaf replied. “I didn’t even see her horn glow.”
“She also has a flare for the dramatic, just like you know who,” Rose Quartz replied.
“You just can’t teach presence,” Golden Leaf said genuinely impressed with the pale blue showmare.
“We should probably set something up for later when they leave town,” she said.
“Yeah, I’ll try and contact our associates,” Golden Leaf said turning from the stage.
“After all this waiting, I’m ready to be done with this,” Rose Quartz said as she followed her comrade out of the crowd before splitting up.
Dearest Twilight,
How is Ponyville? How is the library? How is your little dragon friend? I have been well. The road had treated the new Great and Powerful Trixie well. I am working on a new show and it has been received well by the ponies of Trottingham. The illusions that Trixie is casting have the crowd asking for more, as they should.
Trixie is happy for the acclaim of her fans but her mind keeps drifting back my time at the library. Trixie, I, miss that time. I miss the time we spent together. I miss talking magic with you. I miss your excited personality. I miss the tender nature of your heart and how it can forgive a horrible mare like me. Trixie misses the way the dust of the library sparkles around you as you clean the shelves. You are very adorable; I’ve never seen somepony so excited about cleaning and re-shelving books.
Twilight didn’t know what to say as she noticed the unsent scroll was one of many with her name at the top, “Why wouldn’t she tell me?” the princess thought. “I really enjoyed our time together too. She was funny and made me laugh. Her eccentricity made my quirks look normal. She despite her gruffness had a kind heart. She buried that heart behind layers of barriers, but it was there. I could see it in her eyes.”
“Twilight? I got the fire lit,” Trixie’s voice called from outside the wagon.
“Yes, I’m coming,” she said reshelving all the scrolls and carrying the rod out of the wagon.
“That would be lovely,” Twilight smiled back.
“Where would you like to eat?” Trixie offered.
“I don’t know. You should choose,” Twilight said.
“How about that place,” Trixie said pointing her hoof towards a corner café.
“I don’t know it kind of looks expensive,” Twilight hesitated.
“You are a princess and you will pay Trixie back,” the showmare said as she began to trot over to the quiet restaurant.
The two mares were seated at a table near the back of the restaurant, the excuse given that they didn’t have a reservation, but neither Twilight nor Trixie minded, both happy for a main course that didn’t come out of a can. The conversation was casual, with only the occasional awkward silence. Twilight began to realize that there was far more to the beautiful and eccentric showmare than she thought. She couldn’t help but feel think without her own, mothers influence her own story could have turned out very similar. The though made her sad, simply think of Celestia would bring on a sense of melancholy, something her companion sensed immediately.
“Twi-Starlight,” she said reaching her hoof across the table to cover the other mares. “Why don’t we go get a drink at the tavern before returning to the wagon?”
“Sure, that sounds nice,” she smiled back meekly, she had begun to notice that for all the self centeredness arrogance Trixie could show, she was actually quite sensitive and despite her earlier statement about not cuddling she often found her snuggle up against her during the night especially when she knew Twilight had been crying in her sleep. “Trixie must be as lonely as I am,” she thought.
A crash and bang and the sound of shattering glass were heard from the quiet street outside the tavern. The next sound were the sounds of some raised voices, shouting “Liar!” “Cheat!” and “Trixie Duck!”
“I saw that,” the enraged stallion said staring daggers at Twilight. “You’re in on it.”
“I am not!” Twilight shouted, but her adamant statement didn’t stop the poor loser who then began to charge at her. She hopped off her stool and with no time to raise a shield she grabbed her former stool with her telekinis and clobbered him over the head. The clobbering only stunned him to Twilights surprise, so she ran, knocking over tables and causing an even larger commotion as she raced for the door, with now more angry ponies following them.
“Tweet! Tweet!” A whistle sounded.
“The Guard!” Trixie said standing in the middle of the street a bag of bits held in her aura. “Run?”
“Run,” Twilight said.
The mares raced side by side down the narrow streets of the town turning corners keeping a head of the guard making their way out of town and into the countryside where the wagon was parked. Twilight didn’t know when but at some point began to laugh and giggle as they ran.
“It’s a good thing we parked the wagon out here after the show,” Twilight said as they slowed to a quick trot.
“Yes,” Trixies said getting her breath.
“So, you’ve had this experience before,” Twilight said using her magic to clear the branches hiding the wagon away.
“Trixie has had many experiences,” the pale mare said deadpan. “And Trixie saves bits by not having to pay for parking in the forest.”
Twilight couldn’t keep her laughter contained anymore. She had never had so much fun running for her life before. “The look on that stallions face when you showed your cards was priceless,” the princess giggled as Trixie used a spell to unlock the wagon and drop the steps to climb inside.
“Trixie understood he would not like losing, but didn’t think it would he would go as far as to accuse me of cheating. I would never cheat. It is not Trixie’s fault she is skilled at cards and he was inept.”” Trixie said letting Twilight climb up the steps in before her. “Even as a yellow mare that flank still looks hot,” Trixie said as she began to follow her guest. “Trixie you must stop thinking like that or her mother will banish you to the moon… but then again.”
Trixie climbed up the stairs after the mare and slid onto the small mattress next to her in the close confines of the wagons living space.
“I think we will be there in another day?” she said.
“Do you think when we get there Trixie would like to take a long bath,” Trixie said. “A long soak in a tub is an indulgence Trixie doesn’t get often living on the road. Trixie could also use a massage, I think the bits I just won should cover one.”
“Here,” Twilight said getting to her knees and placing her hooves on her companions back.
“Princess Twilight, you do not have to do this, I was just musing about an indulgence,” Trixie said trying to resist.
“You have done so much for me,” Twilight said rubbing her hooves in circles trying to loosen the showmares muscles. “I’m not nearly as skillful as Aloe and Lotus at the Ponyville spa but could help you relieve some of your tension.”
“Wow! That felt gooood,” Rose Quartz said from her hiding place in the woods.
“I know, I could get used to that,” Golden Leaf said bumping her flank against her partners.
“Are you sure we couldn’t wait a little longer,” Rose said. “I’d love to experience that again.”
“The others are here. I can feel them out in the woods,” Golden Leaf said looking into the darkness. “Besides, I don’t think we could if we wanted too.”
“Drones?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Golden replied.
“I hate drones,” Rose Quartz said with a snear.
“Hey, we were both drones once,” Golden reminded.
“Yeah, but we were chosen by the queen and given the ability to think by ourselves,” she said. “You look in a drones eyes and their just blank. I never want to go back to that.”
“I guess I’m ready,” Rose Quartz said dejected.
“Okay,” her partner sighed. “On my order, hard and fast.”
“I think that’s what Trixie just said,” Rose said.
“You’ve hanging around with ponies to long,” Golden Leaf said with a smirk before going serious with one word, “GO!”
Author's Note
Well here you go everypony the Twixie ship. I will admit its not my favorite ship but it works for this work. I hope you didn't think the development of the relationship was to fast. I tried to make it seem like time was going by but its hard sometimes. I'd really like to know what you think of Twilight's characterization. Remember you comments are always welcome.
Assault and Capture
The confines of traveling showmares wagon felt cozier than in the past for the two ponies inside. A pale blue unicorn mare sighed as she slept under the cover of a lavender wing her lovers head draped across her neck. The young alicorn princess smiled in her sleep feeling at peace after weeks of internal turmoil.
A deafening roar startled the two awake, causing Twilight to crack her head on the low ceiling, and emitting a “yelp!”.
“The ursa alarm!” Trixie shouted sliding over to the side of the wagon and pushing a sliding panel aside to peer out into the dark.
“Is it the guard?” Twilight said in a panic.
“What are you worried about? You will be taken back to be pampered in the palace. Trixie is the one that is going be doing a one mare show on the moon,” Trixie said squinting to get a better look at the ponies.
“If not the Guard then who?” she Twilight said.
“Trixie doesn’t know. It appears to be two pegasi,” she said. “They must have sent it off by accident.”
Twilight leaned over to look through the window on her side of the bed, and gasped! “Trixie, we need to get out of here!” she said in a panic as she began to charge her horn for a fast teleport.
The wagon was rocked as if the illusionary ursa had swatted it with its starry paw, which was impossible since the ursa was merely a projection of light. The unicorn and alicorn screamed as they felt wagon tip and then tumble onto its side.
“Twilight whats happening?” Trixie said trying to get to her hooves.
“Changelings,” she said causing Trixie’s eyes to go wide.
Twilight focused again and tried the teleport spell a second time before the wagon was rolled again causing her to lose focus again.
“They must be after me,” Twilight said. “I’m sorry.”
She could hear the sound of the insectoide creatures hacking at the carriage trying to break their way inside. Twilight knew it wouldn’t be long until they made it inside.
“It will be too hard to fight them from in here,” Twilight said. “We need to have some open space.”
“Understood, they will realize they’ve attacked the wrong mare,” Trixie said charging her horn.
“No, you need to run. I can hold them off,” Twilight said.
“I can help,” Trixie said not wanting to leave Twilight.
“No, I have a chance,” Twilight responded.”They probably want to capture me.”
“You’re right, Trixie was being foolish,” she responded then levitated Twilights crystal pendant to her neck and chanted a spell. “They want you.” In a flash Trixie’s illusion took hold and she became the alicorn princess and charged out of the wagon. Twilght sat back stunned watching her lover run into the woods followed closely by a dozen black changelings. Her heart sank as she saw flashes light from blue and green spells then a loud cry in the darkness.
The princess bolted out of the wagon to rush to Trixie’s aid. She almost immediately felt the shock of a bolt of magic, then a second, then a third as she struggled to head towards where she last saw Trixie. She pushed forward fuelled my adrenalin and her rage before coming face to face with two pegasi mares blocking her way. The mares looked familiar, she had seen them around Ponyville, one was a jeweler she thought. The color of their coats began to fade and the hard black exoskeleton began to be reveled.
The light before Twilights eyes turned green, she felt a electric shock seize her muscles and she collapsed, her last thought was of Trixie before she blacked out.
Author's Note
Well the crap is starting to hit the fan and the pace is picking up. What will happen to our favorite princess? What of her fillyfriend? And what is up with the Changelings? I can't wait to post next weeks chapter. Again, any comments are welcome.
Alert
“So, Spike and Rarity, huh?” said Apple Bloom as she pushed her red bangs out of her face plopping down next to her friend on the playground.
“Yeah,” the small alabaster unicorn said dejected and kicking the ground with her hoof.
“How’d ya fin out?” Apple Bloom asked. “Did your Sis’ tell ya?”
“No…” the white unicorn said hanging her head and letting her mane cover her face. “I came home early the other day and found them.”
“We’ll Spike is always helping Rarity,” Apple Bloom reasoned. “You sure it wasn’t just a misunderstanding?”
“Oh, yeah,” Sweetie said trying to focus on an ant dragging a leaf across the ground. “I kind of found them, you know…”
“Oh?” she said.
“I thought he could only grow big if Twilight was in danger?” Apple Bloom asked.
“I think Rarity figured out how to unlock it,” she said trying to forget what she saw.
“What did they say?” Apple Bloom asked.
“They don’t know that I saw them,” she said.
“Well, you did kinda know that he had the hots for your sister,” said an orange colored filly with short a magenta mane sitting on the ground next to her friend.
“Scootaloo!” Apple Bloom scolded.
“Well it’s the truth,” Scootaloo said defending herself.
“But, she was just leading him on. She had never had any intention to actually dating him. I mean Spike is older than us but not by much,” Sweetie Belle said not looking at either of her friend.
“Well, he’s five years older than us,” Apple Bloom reasoned.
“Yeah, but Rarity is five years older than him,” Sweetie Belle tried to reason. “It’s not supposed to be this way. He’s supposed to pine over Rarity as we build a friendship based on me kind of helping him get her only in the end for Spike to realize that I’m the mare for him.”
“I think you’ve been reading too many of your sisters’ romance novels,” Scootaloo said.
“I know,” Sweetie Belle said not feeling any better.
“Do you want go to the lake and go swimming? Pip and the guys are going be there?” Scootaloo suggested. “It might get your mind off it.”
“You could date any could you want.” Apple Bloom said.
“Yeah, you’re a knock out, who wouldn’t want to date you, heck, I’d date ya,” Scootaloo said with an awkward chuckle.
“Right…” Apple Bloom said raising at Scoots eager description of their unicorn friend.
“I don’t know,” she said not really feeling like doing anything, except wallowing in whatever ponies wallow in.
“How about we go to Sugar Cube corner? I’m sure Pinkie will have some cupcakes to cheer you up?” Apple Bloom said placing a hoof on Sweetie Belle’s shoulder and smiling. “It’ll be just like when we were little.”
“Maybe,” the sad teen unicorn said show a weak smile back to her friends.
The three fillies got to their hooves and began to cut through the playground on their way to get a treat. Sweetie Belle still stared at the ground as they walked not really wanting to look at anything.
“You know Sweetie Belle,” Scootaloo began. “I don’t think Spike is worth getting upset over.”
“What do you mean?” Sweetie asked.
“Well, he’s kinda immature and scrawny, he eats rocks and burps a lot, he’s covered in scales,” Scootaloo said trying to cheer up her unicorn friend. “and besides, he’s a dragon.”
Sweetie Belle stopped in her tracks. “He’s not scrawny, he’s under a spell that keeps him small and he eats gems not rocks because he needs minerals he can’t get from pony food. He burps because the Princesses of Equestria trust him with their mail. His scales shimmer in the sunlight and when your up against them they feel smooth and warm. He not just a dragon, he a prince with an important job to protect a princess,” she said her voice getting louder and cracking as she stomped her hooves at her pegasus friend. “and he’s perfect.”
“Okay,” Apple Bloom stepped in between the two. “Simmer down Sweetie, Scoots was just trying to make you feel better, right Scoots?”
“Yeah,” Scootaloo said. “I’m just doing what a good filly friend is supposed to do remind you that you can do better than the colt that broke your heart.”
Sweetie sniffed and rubbed a tear from her eye.
“We love you Sweetie,” Apple Bloom said. “We don’t like to see you hurt.”
“I know,” Sweetie said looking at the ground ashamed at how she had reacted. “You’re the best friends a filly could ask for.”
The three friends wrapped their forelegs around each other in a hug giggled as Sweetie sniffed a couple of more times.
“Hey guys,” a familiar voice said from outside their huddle.
If Sweetie Belles blood could have turned hot and cold at the same time it would have as she broke the hug to see the small version of the purple and green dragon walking up to them. He wasn’t as small as he was when he first came to Ponyville but was still smaller than most ponies when the spell held his size in check.
The weeks went by and Celestia’s melancholy due to her daughter’s absence seemed to settle in to her personality. She was no longer the monarch who melodic laughter filled the halls of the palace as who’s infinite patients could be counted on to hear whatever worries were brought to court. She was a monarch who seemed to only be going through the motions. The sun still tracked across the sky each day bringing warmth and light to the world but it hadn’t seemed as bright to the carful observer, and they were right, as the orb reflected the mood of the solar princess. So, she sat on her throne holding court resigned that her daughter would eventually surface and come home.
“Your majesty are you listening to me?” the white unicorn noble said standing in the throne room.
“Yes, Blue Blood, you were saying,” Celestia said not attempting to hide her disinterest.
“As I was saying,” he said standing a little bit straighter. “If you would only grant me authority over the guard I would find and drag our cousin back here to be punished for her foolishness.”
“Really?” the princess said not entertaining the thought at all.
“Yes, you’re soft hoof with the guard has made them week and inefficient,” he said.
“So you would like to take command of my guard?” she questioned. “Because you think I’m too weak.”
“Yes,” he said. “They need a strong hoof to lead them.”
“So you think I’m unfit to command,” she asked sitting up a little straighter. “That seems like the grounds for a coup?”
Poof! A burst of green smoke appeared near Celestia and a scroll appeard and she took it in her telekinisis.
“Yes, I mean… no… I mean.. you are always our princess… I just thought that you…” he stammered as the princess’s eyes grew wide in shock.
“GUARD! GUARD!” Celestia shouted in the royal canterlot voice causing her nephew to cower waiting for the palace guard to toss him in a dungeon. “LUNA! LUNA! I NEED YOU!!!”
“Auntie, I wouldn’t…” he started afraid of the alarmed princess.
“GET OUT!!!!” she yelled and he turned and ran without asking for an explanation passing dozens of guards rushing into the throne room.
“Tia!” Luna shouted as she flashed into existence from a teleport. “What is wrong sister?”
Celestia didn’t answer just sat collapsed to her haunches the golden glow of her horn holding up the scroll.
The Co-ruler took the scrolled read it and gasped.
“Princess?” the Guard Captain asked. “What does it say? What is wrong? Are we under attack?”
“It is from Prince Warmheart. It simply says seal broken. Twilight- mortal danger,” Luna said looking over at her sister who was just sitting silently staring at the empty cushion and small desk her daughter had spend hours at watching her as she held court.
Author's Note
Well the pace is gonna pick up a bit now. I hope everypony is enjoying this one. I may take another crack at the whole thing after its been up an out there for a while. I've got some other pony projects on the burner, so well see.
Alarm!
The alabaster alicorn lay buried in the sheets of her bed, a place she had not left for several days, with the exception of walking to her balcony to raise and set the sun. Her ethereal mane was plain and dull hanging limply sticking to her neck, she just hadn’t cared enough to take care of herself, something that was also evident by all the uneaten meals she kept sending back with the servants. It had been weeks since Spike had raised the alarm that Twilight was in mortal danger and the solar princess was blaming herself for her daughter’s peril. The guard outside her door had been strict instructions not to let anyone disturb her. The decision was not only because Celestia didn’t want to see anyone, but the sight of the solar diarch in such a depressed state could send the ponies in to a state of panic. The rumors the Luna had staged a coup had already spread through the nobility. A tale of her jelousy of the new princess and banishing her to Tartrus, then overpowering an unsuspecting Celestia to take sole rule had almost spun out of control a couple of times. The rumor was dispelled by none other than Prince Blue Blood who testified to the other nobles that the princess had indeed run off and the solar ruler was just occupied with the search. A deed he did partially because of his fear of Luna and the more he made Twilight look like a spoiled undeserving filly the better he felt.
“Step aside!” Luna called as she galloped to the door to the princess chamber.
“But, the princess…” a guard started then thought twice about earning the ire of the dark princess.
Luna snorted as she entered the stuffy room, a the stale foul smell not normally associated with the “example of pony perfection” that ruled Equestria.
“Sister! Sister! You must wake, wake now!” Luna said as she dashed into the room towards the blanket covered lump.
“Miss Lulumoon,” a guard pony said as he approached the door of her cell. She raised her head off the hard pillow as she watch a set of keys in the unicorns aura unlock the door. “You are free to go.”
Trixie stood and walked to the door stopping at the threshold as the guard then removed the inhibitor from around her horn. The pale blue mare didn’t say a word just raised her head and walked down the hallway toward the front of the station. A large white rump nearly blocked the exit, as she saw a pony laying prostrate on the floor, she then noticed a second and a third guard doing the same. It didn’t take long for her to understand why a dark alicorn stood in the front of the room with a stern look on her face her mane of stars and galaxies rippling in an unseen wind. Trixie tried not to be intimidated pausing in front of her ruler and bowing before looking over at the shaking pile of white fur in silver armor inches away. She recognized it at the lout that had tossed her in the cell and drew back her hoof to kick him, “I think our friend Twilight would not approve,” Luna said giving Trixie pause. She placed her hoof back on the floor.
“You are right princess. Twilight wouldn’t approve,” she smiled and nodded her head then sent a quick buck to his barrel. “But, fortunately is also full of forgiveness.”
Luna did not do well hiding her smirk as she watched the unicorn move around her and out of the door before following her out.
“Trixie would like to thank her majestiy for freeing her,” the humbled showmare said bowing her head in respect.
“We are happy to know you have information on our dear niece,” Luna said. “You are required to come to Canterlot where we will talk with Celestia of what you have witnessed.”
“Yes your majesty,” Trixie said.
“Luna, call me Luna,” she said.
“Yes, Luna,” Trixie said.
“Besides, you will be riding on my back, I think Luna is more fitting for something so intimate.
“Your back?” Trixie said tilting her head.
The thought of flying was terrifying to Trixie, ponies that didn’t have wings should remain on the ground was a heartfelt belief she’d had since she was a filly. She was surprised how comfortable she felt nestled between the wings of the flying princess. A feeling of familiarity flowed around her like the breeze. She still wasn’t thrilled with flying, it was the alicorn she clung to that made her feel safe. She just imagined it was her connection with Twilight that made her feel that way.
Author's Note
Well like I said things are speeding up here. I hope you are enjoying. My comment policy is as always, please do. I can't correct my mistakes or bask in your praise if you don't tell me what you think is right and wrong.
Trixie’s Plea
“You have to help me,” she said nearing hysterics. “My friend. Princess Twilight. Changelings.”
The stallion just stood there looking down at the mare.
“Well isn’t this my lucky day,” he said his horn lighting and before Trixie could react a pair of leg irons clamped around her forelegs.
“What are you doing?” she shouted. “I told you the Princess is in trouble. You have to help me.”
“Sure,” he said before levitating a ring around her horn nullifying her magic.
“Why are you doing this?” she pleaded tears beginning to fall in frustration. “The princess is in trouble.”
“The only pony in trouble here is you,” the stallion said. “You’re under arrest for cheating, and theft.”
“What?” she said struggling to get free, but then her heart sank as she realized who the guard was. The stallion with the bad temper who lost at cards last night.
Trixie struggled against her leg irons as the stallion began to drag her away her plea’s falling on deaf ears. She felt helpless as the restrictor placed on her horn suppressed her magic. A feeling of desperation overwhelmed her as she continued to summon as much magic as she could from her internal well, the restrictor only prevented her horn from focusing it. She could feel the surge of power push against the dam blocking her horn and the magic flowing into her hooves and out her eyes. Trixie could feel the power building she would break the ring around her horn and be free any moment. A second guard entered the room from behind her and raised a club in his telekentic grip and suddenly for Trixie the world went dark.
The pale blue unicorn opened her eyes and she was surrounded by the close quarters of her wagon. She was on her bed covered by the patchwork quilt and sighed relieved that it had all been a dream. Trixie rolled on her side and looked at the spot where she expected her marefriend to be and found it vacant. The spot was warm, she couldn’t have been gone long, so the unicorn crawled out from under the quilt and down the steps of the wagon in search of her lover.
“Twilight?” she called looking around at the campfire burning low as a cool mist covered the ground.
“Over here!” Twilight said and the mare followed the sound to the edge of the forest and a purple unicorn mare looking down at something in the mist.
“Twilight, What are you looking at? Come back to bed,” she said but the mare didn’t answer just continued to look at the mist pooling on the ground.
“What are you looking at?” Trixie asked. “Did you find something?”
Twilight didn’t answer. Trixie looked closer at the swirling mist as it began to disapate, a chill began to crawl up her spine, as a fimlar pale blue foreleg came into view. A breeze from no where pushed across the mist, and she gasped as her own bloody body was revealed laying motionless on the forest floor.
“Twilight? What’s the meaning of this?” she said turning away from the gruesome sight before screaming at the black insectoid pony that had replaced her marefriend.
The changeling lunged for her and she jumped to the side and began to back up. She looked around for Twilight but only seeing more changelings emerging from the mist. “What did you do to Twilight?” Trixie shouted but received no answers.
She didn’t know when she started running but she was galloping through the forest glancing back at the half dozen changelings closing in on her. Trixie had gathered her magic as Twilight had taught her and constructed a teleportation spell around her. She had tried several times before to use it but it never seemed to work, but, this time she needed it to work if she was going to live. A flash of light filled her vision and she crashed into something sending her spawling on to the soft grassy ground. As she opened her eyes the sun was shining brightly over head, she shook the dizziness from her head and looked around trying to get a better grasp on where she was. “I say there are you okay young lady?” a tall brown stallion asked as he adjusted his asque top hat and tie.
“I was being chased,” she said.
“By who?” he asked.
“Changelings,” she replied.
“Changelings! My word,” he said looking around him.
“Yes, they kidnapped my friend,” she said looking around wearly only to see a park on a beautiful sunny day with a picnic set out on a knoll.
“You don’t have to worry about running now,” he said.
“That’s good. I need to tell the princesses. Is there a guard post near by?” she asked.
“Why don’t you sit down and let have you with tea?” he said motioning at the red picnic basket.
“No, thank you. I must be going,” Trixie said looking for the nearest building noticing that there were none.
“I must insist. You will go great with the tea,” he said his words growing hollow and tinny.
“Excuse me?” she said turning back to the stallion in the top hat only to stare in horror as his fur began to peal off revealing the hard dark husk of the a drone.
Trixie began to run immediately and charged her horn again with no destination in mind and vanished.
Trixie charge through the large wooden doors down the red carpeted aisle past pews packed with posh ponies. She runs up to the groom and bride standing at the altar, if only because it was the high ground, and begins to shout at the audience. “Changelings! Its and invasion! Some help!” she pleaded.
She noticed and was terrified as she looked out at the audience, the audience of changelings. The spell for a quick paniced teleport once again began to take shape, but was disrupted as she was knocked to the ground by the bride and groom both preparing to sink their fangs into her body.
A crash of thunder filled the hall as lightening bold flashed from the ceiling burning into the red carpet sending a shockwave vanishing all in the room but Trixie and a pair of black legs standing before her. The pale blue unicorn just sighed realizing that this was it, she would die and never rescue Twilight.
“WHAT IS IT THOU THINKIST THOU ARE DOING!” a voice boomed over Trixie.
The unicorn quaked as she looked up to see the imposing princess of the night standing over her.
“I. . .I. . . was being chased by Changeling… no one would help me… they kept coming and coming. I kept teleporting… but each place they followed me… you have to believe me,” she pleaded tears of frustration flowing freely down her muzzle.
“There were no changelings following you,” Luna said looking down her muzzle.
“What do you mean? There were changelings! You saw them,” Trixie argued.
“There were no changelings because you are a sleep,” Luna explained calmly.
“A sleep? How? what?” she said confused.
“I do not know how you have accomplished it but you have been dragging your night mare across the equestrian dreamscape, turning may pleasant pony dreams into night mares as you went,” Luna explained. “Would you mind explaining how and why you are tampering with my relm?”
“I don’t know,” Trixie said in shock of what she heard. “But, you say I’m a sleep.”
“Yes,” Luna nodded.
“Then there is still time to save her,” Trixie said wiping the tears from her muzzle. “You have to wake me up. I need to save my.. Twilight.”
“Twilight? As in the Princess Twilight Sparkle?” Luna asked concern in her voice.
“Yes, we were sleeping and were attacked by changeling and they knocked me out and the last thing I saw was them carrying her away. I couldn’t stop them,” she sobbed. “I tried to go to the guard but they wouldn’t listen, hit me and tossed me in a cell.”
“Where are you?” Luna asked.
“We were in a village about a days trot from Manehatten,” Trixie explained. “I think it’s called Ferrierway? We have to save her. Please believe me.”
“You report of your treatment is truly vexing. I will free you an we will save my niece,” Luna said. “What is your name young mare?”
“Trixie,” she said. “Please find her, please.”
“Do not worry. We will be along shortly and will retrieve you and we can continue our search,” Luna said as she began to light her horn.
Trixie batted her eye lashes and began to stir, her head pounding too much for her to still be in the dreamscape. Her focus rested on the large stallion sitting at a desk outside of the cell and all she could thing was “you pissed off the wrong alicorn.”
Author's Note
I'm sorry for the delay. The holiday along with being sick has really hampered my ability to stay on task. I hope you've enjoyed so far. I see 8 thumbs down at the moment. If you don't like the story for some reason or another post a comment and it will be taken under advisement. If you like it give it a big'ol thumbs up.
A Cloud of Dust and Furry
A Cloud of Dust and Furry
The setting sun was shaded on the horizon made hazy by a cloud of dust kicked up by 400 hooves. An army was marching over the Equestrian Boarders, it had been 400 years since the last time a foreign army, other than the Changelings, had crossed into the peaceful land. The Equestrian National Guard looked in awe out of their spy glasses at what looked like a second sunrise. The polished sliver armor of the ponies was not merely the source of the radiance but the ponies themselves.
“Sir!” the unicorn sentry standing the top of the tower called down the hatch. “Sir! Sir!”
“Yes, private, What is it?” the gruff old stallion said climbing up the last of steps to the parapet.
“I think we are being invaded?”the young teal guardsmen said his ears twitching with nervousness.
“Let me see that,” the Sergeant said taking the privates binoculars in his own telekinetic aura and focusing it on the blinding wall of light.
“Should I send out the alarm?” the private asked.
“You need to contact Princess Celestia immediately,” the Sergeant ordered.
“I should tell her that we’re under attack,” the nervous enlistee unicorn asked levitating a quill and parchment.
“No,” he said focusing on the banner fluttering above the unexpected guests.
“But, what?” the private asked in confusion.
“Tell her to set out the china, her son is coming for a visit,” the sergeant said as he got a closer look at the iridescent purple flag a white snow flake stamped in the middle heralding the army of the Crystal Empire.
“Mother!” Shining Armor called as he burst through the doors of the throne room. “Mother!”
The members of the startled court turned seeing the prince and bowed making way for the large white unicorn, dressed in his name sake, march up to the throne.
“Shining Armor, it is good to see you home,” Luna smiled, he paused and bowed. “I am sorry to say the Day Court as well as Night Court will be in recess as we have urgent business to discuss.”
The princess rose, the court again bowed, and then in a flash of blue light she and her nephew vanished only to reappear just outside Celestia’s apartments. Luna pushed the doors open with her magic and Shining rushed inside to see the weak depressed mare lying on her bed, bolt up and rush over to him.
“Shinning, I’m so happy to see you,” she said wrapping her forelegs and wings around him and holding her nephew close and trying unsuccessfully to prevent the tears from flowing.
“I am here mother,” he said hugging her back and running his hoof along her mane. “We will find Twily. We will get her back.”
“How is Cadence?” she asked.
“She is beside herself with worry for Twily,” he said releasing his embrace. “She sends her love. She would have come herself but…”
“What is it?” Celestia asked wiping her tears.
“I feel guilty about the timing but, she pregnant. You’re going to be a grandmother,” he said feeling guilty about his smile.
“You have no need to feel guilty. I think that is wonderful news,” Celestia said. “I only have one reservation. I don’t think we are going to call me grandmother.”
The solar monarch released her son and composed herself once more putting on the calm demeanor she was expected to wear in court.
“Crossing the border in full armor with 99 ponies under your command, your entrance was rather dramatic,” she said, “I firmly believe that you got that flair from my side of the family.”
“Do we have any leads on Twily?” he asked.
“Yes, we have. You aren’t going to like this but Chrysalis has her,” she said.
“I promise when we find her I’m going to squash that bug,” he anger obvious in his tone.
“Luna has spoken to Twilight on the dreamscape,” his mother explained. “You sister is alive. She said she was in the hive, somewhere in the desert. We have agents in the region now trying to find it’s location.”
“Do you have faith they’ll find her soon,” he asked.
“Yes, I have one particular in the field, with great skill and motivation. Her mission it to infiltrate the hive and find your sisters exact location,” Luna smiled.
“Shall I take the Guard?” he asked.
“You still hold the rank of Captain despite being the commander of a foreign force and you are a prince of this Equestria,” Celestia looked at Luna for agreement then acquiesced. “Shining you have to promise to contact me and your aunt before you go charging in.”
“Yes mother,” he agreed.
“One more thing,” she mentioned and he stopped his turn. “Stop through Ponyville and get your brother. He can keep us is contact and I know he must feel helpless sitting in that town.”
“Yes ma’ma,” he said saluting the monarch and his mother before trotting out the door to gather his forces.
Trixie hid behind a stack of bolder watching the changelings in the distance. She had spent days traveling in the desert communities looking for signs of changelings. The creatures were particularly hard to track fortunately she had found some help.
“So you sure that’s them sugar cube,” Applejack asked wiping the sweat from her brow. The three had been following several as they pulled a wagon across the hard packed earth of the desert.
“When you are getting your flank kicked by somepony you tend to remember their face?” she said rubbing one of the spots where her bruises had almost healed.
“What do ya reckon is in that wagon? Or don’t I wana know,” Applejack asked.
“No, no, we have to keep following them and remain out of sight,” Trixie said.
“That’s why we left Pinkie, Rarity and Fluttershy at home remember?” Applejack said.
“Yeah, they aren’t Pinkie isn’t exactly inconspicuous and Fluttershy isn’t really a fighter,” Dash agreed. “I just wish we could do something more than hide.”
“I know,” Applejack said peering around the rock to spot the two pegsus, “I’d like nothing more than to lasso those two and though I can’t believe I’m saying this but, Trixie is right.”
“So, you were with Twi, when they jumped her,” Rainbow asked. “The princess said you got pretty beat up trying to help her escape.”
“It was nothing Trixie, I wouldn’t do for another pony,” Trixie said averting eye contact with Rainbow.
“So, what were you to doing anyway?” Rainbow pressed.
“Sleeping, in my wagon,” Trixie said. “We were headed to Manehatten.”
“She has wings… she could have made it to Manehatten from Ponyville in a couple of days. It would take a week walking,” Rainbow reasoned.
“We, uh,” Trixie said trying to come up with what to say only in dodging Rainbow’s gaze locking eyes with Applejack, who as the element of honesty had an uncanny way of understanding immediately what was going on.
“You and Twi were jus enjoyin each other company,” Applejack interjected.
“Yes, Trixie and Twilight found comfort in our circumstance and decided to travel together to keep each other company,” Trixie recovered.
“Right,” Applejack agreed and Rainbow backed off.
“Trixie thinks she saw a water hole over there,” the unicorn said and crept out from behind the rocks for a moment to herself.
“Ow! What was that for?” Rainbow flinched as a hoof connected to the back of her head.
“They were traveling together,” Applejack said.
“Yeah, that what she said they were traveling together,” Rainbow confirmed, “What do you think she was lying?”
“No, Twi and Trixie were traveling to Manehatten together,” Applejack said.
“Oooooh,” the cyan mare said realizing what was going on, “Ohhhh? So the Great and Powerful Trixie and Twilight?”
“Yes, Sugarcube,” Applejack said.
“Well stranger things have happened,” Rainbow said not sounding impressed, “Fluttershy is kind of cozy with Discord.”
“You got that right darling,” the yellow mare said following the disguised changelings and the wagon they pulled. “We better keep moving we don’t want to lose our only real lead.”
Author's Note
Well, we finally get a few more members of the cast involved. I know some of you would like to see some Appledash, but sorry, its just not part of this story. As always, comment welcome, since comments are the only way a story can get better.
The Queen
Twilight opened her eyes to only find darkness surrounding her. She had tried to stay conscious in hopes on figuring out where she was but at some point in the night looking up at Luna’s moon she passed out from exhaustion.
“Hello?” she meekly called into the darkness.
“Quiet,” a familiar voice whispered. “We’re going to get you out of here.”
“Cadence?” Twilight said placing the familiar voice. “How did you find me?”
“This way,” the voice said as the manicals fell away from Twilights hooves and she cautiously began to walkout of the crate following the sound of her sister-in-laws voice. “We’ve kept close tabs on the Queen movement since the wedding.”
“Is shining here?” Twilight asked as she moved closer to the alicorn silhouette.
“No, I haven’t seen him since the wedding,” she said.
“What?” Twilight said confused.
“Though I really wish he’d visit. He really knew how to treat a lady if you know what I mean,” Cadences voice said as its tone took on a more sinister sound.
I green glow began to illuminate the pink face revealing a face she’d know since a child by the eyes of a villain. “Chryslis!”
“My dear, little Twillight,” she smiled.
“Let me go!” Twilight said as she struggled against the manicals that had magically wrapped around her legs and held her tightly in place.
“Why would I do that?” she said. “It’s almost dinner time.”
The queens horn began to glow and pull at the princess aura, Twilight could feel the something burn with cold from the pit of her heart, the intense pain causing her eyes to tear. She tried to fight it, but it was like pulling taffy as her aura stretched away from her.
“I am going to get used to this,” Crysalis cooed in delight as if she had just finished a decadent desert. “I mean the love, friendship, and mixed in with all that magic, you are maybe the tastiest creature ever.”
Twilight wanted to respond, but it seemed her will was drained away too. She had barley the energy to breath let alone stand and challenge her captor.
“I don’t want to gloat, but I will,” the black queen chuckled to herself. “With the power, I can drink from you, not only will I be able to feed my children, but I can become more powerful than Celestia. We will be able to leave this barren land and make our home in the heart of Equestria. Nothing to say, princess Sparkle? Well I do. I think I like seconds, besides you should always clean you plate.”
The stabbing pain was like an icicle driven into her heart as she was helpless to fight against her this time. She closed her tearing eyes and let go.
Twilight was surrounded by a white ethereal light, it reminded her of the plain she stood on during asention. She was relaxed. She felt at peace.
“AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!” Twilight screamed and gasped and coughed every fiber of her being feelling like it was being pressed into a bed of nails, Twilight looked around the room panicked only to see, Crysalis with a startled look on her face.
“Well that is interesting,” the queen said with a smile of delight that frighten the purple princess even more that she was already, “Very interesting.”
“Wha…wha…what’s so interesting,” Twilight spat out.
“You. You are intresting,” the queen said leaning closer.
“Why?”
“Why? Well you are truly an alicorn immortal,” Crysalis said, matter of fact. “You are like a cornucopia of emotion and magical energy. I can drink you until you die and you’ll just come back. I’ll feed on you and become the most powerful being in Equestria. Oh this is going to be perfect.” She sang the last few words.
The young princess couldn’t even sob due to the exhaustion and pain from the feeding all she could do was lay there on the cold stone floor and let the tears slip from her eyes.
The sun gently floated in the window creeping across Twilights eyes rousing her from a groggy sleep. “Very funny mother,” she thought as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. “I can’t believe that dream, that nightmare.”
She walked over to the bathroom and turned on the faucet and used her telekinisis to splash water on her face. “Crysalis!” Twilight gasped jumped back and turned horn charged with a defensive spell, as the dark queen appeared in the mirror behind her. She ran in to the bedroom wondering how the queen could have moved so fast.
“Twilight! Where are you?” a faint echo of voice called.
The lavender mare turned her head and twitched her ears focusing in on the quietest sound. She had to concentrate to block out the sound of her own heart pounding in her ears.
“Twilight! Where are you?” the voice called again, stronger this time, coming from down the steps.
The mare cautiously crept down the stair case of her library, the defensive spell still cycled in her horn. A dark pony form popped into existence and she threw up a shield, and a second later the form was gone. She tried to get a better look but the image was like looking through blurry glass. “Come out Crysalis! I know you’re down her,” she shouted trying to summon he bravery.
“Twilight?” the voice said again as if a whisper in her ear causing her to turn in a panicked circle.
Out of the corner of her eye she could see a ripple in the air, and decided to charge an offiencive spell, figuring that the queen was camofloge in herself, like a camelion. She fired as the dark form began to take shape, but the bolt of magic only exploded books on the shelf.
“Twilight? Where are you?” the voice said again, stronger this time.
“Isn’t that the question I should be asking you?” she said her voice dripping with sarcasam.
“No, dear niece, you are the one who is missing,” Luna’s voice now clear as day said as her dark form manifested behind the frightened and panting princess.
“Luna!” she said.
“Twilight,” the dark princess said wrapping her niece up in her forelegs.
“What’s going on?” Twilight said.
“You are in a dream,” Luna explained. “It took me a while to find you. Do you know where you are? Do you remember?”
If she hadn’t looked ragged before the memory of her true state began to take hold. “I’m with Crysalis. She holding me. She’s fee-fee-fee-“ she could finish the sentence and Luna could only nuzzle her again and stroke her mane.
“Do you know where you are?” she asked.
“I’m in there hive, underground I think,” she said. “We must have traveled at least a week. I think were in the desert somewhere?”
“Well that will help narrow our search,” Luna said looking down at the young alicorn.
“Luna, when I was taken,” Twilight began and paused, “I was with somepony. A very special somepony.”
“Yes,” Luna said.
“She gave her life trying to help me escape,” she said tears beginning to fall. “I need you to send somepony to find her and . . . it just isn’t right that she just lay in the open like that.”
“You need not worry,” Luna said a smile tugging at the corner of her muzzle. “You’re marefriend survived. She is in Canterlot.”
“Really?” Twilight said her eyes wide and a grin on her face. “Trixie is alive! Tell her . . .”
“I will tell her. I can feel you starting to wake,” Luna said knowing time was short. “The whole kingdom is searching for you. We will find you. Keep hope.”
Twilight opened her eyes to the stark, dark stone floor and braced herself for what was to come, but this time knowing that there would be an end, there would be a rescue.
Author's Note
Well, I know she's everyone's favorite baddy Queen Crysalis is back. I did search and search for a cannon spelling of Crysalis but could find one. It was like the Cadance and Cadence thing. So, I just tried to keep it consistent. I know she's become the favorite, like the klingon's in star trek. But, shes the bad guy and she's going to do bad things. I always like comments so keep them coming.
Faust
The pain was gone again and Twilight found herself, standing, if one could call it that, on the astral plane, feeling peaceful and restored. She knew that what standing in this place between dimensions meant, she had died again, extremely painfully as Chrysalis drained her of her life and power. She had lost track of how many times it had happened but had come to look forward to these moments of death. The plane was simply and expanse of white nothingness stretching out into infinity a least each time in the past. She was standing in a green field this time, the warmth of her mother’s sun on her face. A very familiar, very large tree stood in the distance, the Library, her Library. She galloped excitedly towards the open door. “I must be dreaming. She must not have killed me that time. She must have,” she told herself.
“Luna?” she called looking around the reading room of the library, “Trixie?”
“I’m sorry Twilight they cannot travel to the astral plane,” a soothing motherly voice said from the kitchen. “Why don’t you come in here and join me for some tea.”
Twilight cautiously walked towards her kitchen afraid of what she might find. “The skeletal pony of death could be there waiting to take me into the afterlife for good this time,” she thought.
But, instead of a pony of nightmares, a white alicorn with a fiery red mane sat at the table pouring two cups of tea. Twilight recognized the alicorn from the picture hanging in her aunt’s room, Faust.
“Queen Faust?” Twilight said before being taken into a hug. “What are you doing here? And Where is here?”
“I know what’s happening to you Twilight and I wish I could help you, but I cannot intervene on the mortal plane,” the alicorn said. “So, I created this place for you to be comfortable and thought it would be a good place to get to know my granddaughter,” the alicorn said smiling down on the lavender mare.
“What? I’m not your granddaughter,” Twilight said.
“Well, you are and you aren’t,” she said taking her seat. “Why don’t you sit down and have your tea. I think it’s getting cold.”
Twilight sat and contemplated contradicting the most powerful alicorn in the universe, the one who created everything, but figured what else could happen to her she was already dead.
“You majesty,” Twilight began sitting in a chair that felt as familiar as her own. “I know that Celestia tampered with my memories, that she stole my life and did who knows what to my actual parents.”
“I see,” the alicorn said then took a sip of tea, “and how did you come to this conclusion.”
“Discord said some things,” she began.
“Well, he’s been a pain in my flank since the beginning, and I mean the beginning,” the white alicorn said with exasperation, “Why would you put faith in what a trickster like him says?”
“Because Luna helped me confirm it,” Twilight said, “We went in to my mind and found all these memories of another life.”
“I see,” Faust said. “Well you are right and you are wrong.”
“What?” Twilight asked. “Everything I’ve discovered says Celestia took me from my family and brainwashed me into being her daughter. Well come to think of it her tool. I think of all the times she sent me out in to danger to protect the kingdom and all the times I went because it was my noble responsibility as her daughter. I fought all her battles for her when she couldn’t or should I say wouldn’t. I’m like I said not a princess just the pawn of a selfish mare.”
“I would never call my daughter selfish, weak at times, yes, but not selfish,” Faust calmly defended. “I think it would be best if you were shown a different Celestia than the one you are used to, Celestia that breaks my heart.”
The oak walls of the library began to fade and slowly disappear as Twilight found herself standing in an open field. She smiled as she watched a pair of squirrels chase each other from tree to tree. It seemed that one of them had an acorn and wasn’t willing to share. The one with the nut darted two and fro avoiding the other until...
-Boooom!-
Twilight and the squirrel jumped at the sound of the explosion. The woodland creature was too startled to do anything more than dig a hole and bury the seed before running off to look for cover.
“I always wondered how that got planted there.” Faust said stepping up next to Twilight.
“What was that?” Twilight asked looking around for the source of the explosion.
“Celestia,” the red mane alicorn said.
“Celestia?” Twilight asked, “Where are we?”
“I think the more appropriate question is when we are,” Faust said in a tone Twilight had heard countless times from Celestia.
“Okay, when are we?” Twilight corrected her question.
“We are in Ponyville or what will be Ponyville in several centuries. See there, see Canterlot in the distance, or should I say what will be Canterlot,” Faust pointed with her wing. “We are by your counting the first day of the Celestial Monarchy.”
“You mean the first day of Nightmare Moons banishment,” Twilight put into perspective.
“Or for my daughter the first day of her own nightmare,” Faust added her own thought.
“So she decided on the first day of her sister’s banishment that she starts construction of a new capital,” Twilight said in disbelief.
“No, she is grieving,” she said looking at the destruction in the distance. “The only thing she can beat and pound in frustration with all her might as a normal pony would a pillow is a mountain.”
Twilight stood silent. She had never seen Celestia loose her temper, ever, and here she was carving away half a mountain in anger.
“She hid herself away up there on that peak to be alone and grieve the loss of Luna, it was the highest place she could find, the closest place to her sister. Her solitude lasted about 50 years before ponies decided the princess had not chosen to get away but had picked out a new capital and had terraced mountain for construction,” Faust chuckled at the assumption of the ponies.
The sky filled with another flash of brilliant light and Twilight squinted and shielded her eyes. She opened her eyes to find herself surrounded by ponies all looking toward the same direction. The brilliant white marble of Canterlot seemed to radiate its own light even with the stars still filling the night sky. A wooden stage had been erected a unicorn in a circular ruffled collar stepped forward.
“One hundred years ago a great menace threatened the land of Equestria, a tyrant that wished to drive shroud the land in complete and eternal darkness. A nightmare had taken hold of Equestria and taken hold of many of its ponies. The night turned neighbor against neighbor for as the world cooled so did our hearts. The terror spread through the land as the plagues visited the good ponies, without the light and warmth of the sun the plants began to die and we began to starve, the sickness began to spread through the weakened heard, the pegasi became too weak to fly and the weather became wild, for a fortnight we hid in our homes and prayed for the sun to return and destroy the nightmare. Yes, we prayed my ponies, we prayed to the goddess of light and harmony to deliver us. We watched the sky light up as the battle raged and our princess, the Great Goddess, the sun incarnate, destroyed the foul creature and bid the sun to raise again warming our hearts and restoring harmony. So, to commemorate our deliverance and the victory over that nightmare I give you her Royal Highness Princess Celestia,” the pony finished and stepped to the side of the stage as a thunderous applause of hooves shook the ground.
Twilight stood in awe as the Princess took the stage. Celestia looked proud and powerful and ageless. The princess wordlessly closed her eyes and began to float her wings spread and as she rose into the air so did the sun, spreading the dawn over Equestria. The ponies in the crowd ooohed and ahhd as the warmth of the light spread over them.
Celestia said nothing as she descended to the stage and quietly walked off back into the castle as the crowd went wild.
“Was that the…” Twilight began.
“The first summer sun celebration, yes it was,” Faust said.
“That was amazing,” Twilight smiled.
“Yes, it was amazing she did It at all,” Faust commented.
“Really,” she said.
“Let me show you,” Faust said the crowd began to fade and the walls of a castle chamber began to appear around her. She recognized the royal quarters, and the large heaving white lump on the bed as Celestia.
“The show was excellent your majesty,” a blue manned pony said. “We have done well creating this new cult.”
“I don’t want a new cult,” she spat.
“Oh, yes you do. Do you want the ponies of Equestria to remember what really happened? Do you want them to realize an alicorn can go mad,” he said. “How long would it be before they came for you if they learned it was your sister? If they learned that you didn’t actually destroy her but simply banished her. They would riot if they knew it wasn’t this Nightmare Moon, but Luna.”
“Do not speak her name,” Celestia said getting to her hooves and glaring at the robed pony.
“Oh, I won’t as long as you keep doing what you are doing,” he said. “We noble unicorns will continue to gain power by controlling the cult and will remain at the top of the pony pecking order.”
“Get out,” she said. “Get OUT!”
“Very well your majesty,” he said trotting out the door, not caring one bit for the distressed princess.
Celestia tears streaming down her face looked over a small portrait sitting on her dresser. “I’m sorry Luna,” she said. “I took no joy in that. The only way to save you is to hide the truth, to hide you.”
Twilight couldn’t help but cry as she watched the broken alicorn weep on the cold stone floor.
“She dissolved the cult about 100 years later,” Faust added as the image faded.
“What is this supposed to do?” Twilight asked through her tears.
“It is to help you understand,” Faust said, “Understand your existence.”
The scenes began to change rapidly, the only subject matter was Celestia, she was unchanging as an immortal is, but her mood, Twilight could sense her mood through it all as they traveled through time. She was lonely; she was completely and utterly alone. She saw glimpses of her with some of her students but none that truly involved any affection. She spent every night alone. She spent every day alone yet surrounded by courtiers. The great perfect Celestia was bone crushingly depressed and somehow through Faust’s magic Twilight could feel every agonizing moment.
Celestia stood in the throne room as a mare and stallion stood before her. The couple had the nervous look of common ponies that had never been in the throne room before, none the less in front of the princess. The couple lay prostrate on the carpet, and Celestia was annoyed for this reason, Twilight could still feel her. But, the monarch’s mood changed rapidly as she noticed the bundle nestled in the mare’s saddle bag. The happiness that Twilight felt wash over her was infectous, causing her to grin and feel giddy. She watched the golden aura of the solar princess surround the swaddled colt and lifted him in front of her. The mare’s eyes widened with fear, that is until she noticed the smile on the princess face as she nuzzled the foal. “Who might this be?” Celestia cooed.
“Li-li-light Dancer, your highness,” the stallion spoke up.
“Now, Light Dancer, what have you come to ask your princess?” the imposing alicorn asked sitting back on her haunches as the foal giggled.
“We’ve come to ask for your blessing to be placed on our foal,” the stallion asked standing from his prostration and pressing against his mate’s side giving her some comfort.
The princess didn’t really do anything special, her blessing was more ritual than magic, she merely made her horn glow brighter than normal and touched it to the foals head. She smiled back at the parents who were beaming with pride and relief as she levitated Light Dancer back to the forelegs of the earth pony mother.
“Thank you, your majesty,” the mare said.
“I hope you and your family have a happy long life,” the princess said standing and stepping back up to the throne.
“We wish for you and your family to as well,” the stallion said, not realizing the common considerate words, began to wash away the princess joy.
The calm cool façade of the princess returned as politely nodded dismissing the couple and awaited the next petitioner.
Author's Note
I for one think what Twilight is going through is kind of awful. The idea of dying again and again and again just as a for of torture is just messed up, so leave it to Cryssie to do just that. I think that Ba'al did that to Col. O'neil in Stargate once. I also am a big fan of the Faust Trope. I love the concept of the creator of the series being the fictional mother character of ponies. The rescue attempt will be happening soon and you get brownie points if after reading it you can tell me what inspired the scene.
Trixie closed her eyes as Luna had shown her and began blocking out all other distractions. She was effectively putting herself in a trance. She had never entered the dreamscape intentionally and had only rushed rudimentarily instruction before heading out in search of the changelings. She began to feel the world slipping away from her as she focused on one pony, Twilight. The dry desert she lay on began to grow blades of grass transforming into a rolling meadow. She looked around her taking a deep breath and getting to her hooves. The last time she truly dreamt she had been chased by changelings, but there seemed to be none in site. She looked to the left and right of the endless horizon until noticing a tree she swore wasn’t there seconds ago. The tree grew larger as she approached, much faster than her getting closer, she had only walked a distance of ten paces before the tree went from a tiny dot to the full sized library.
The door opened without Trixie’s touch or magic and she walked across the threshold. She smiled, if there was anyone who dreamed about libraries it would be Twilight. “Faust? Luna? Is that you?” she heard Twilight call from the kitchen.
Before she could speak the princess strode into the room a tea service held in her magic. “I was hoping for some company today,” the lavender mare said before looking up and dropping the tray to the floor. In two big flaps of her wing she launched herself across the room and tackled Trixie, she said nothing just showered the mare with kisses and tears of happiness. Trixie wrapped her forelegs around the princess and pulled her tight the same tears streaming form her.
“I thought they killed you,” Twilight said. “You were so brave. When Luna told me you were alive I almost didn’t believe her. Where is she? I want to thank her for letting me see you.”
Twilight slowly backed up allowing her marefriend to climb back to her hooves and looking for her aunt.
“She’s not here she’s helping ready a rescue when we find you,” Trixie said. “I got here on my own.”
“You learned how to travel into other ponies dreams,” Twilight said astonished. “I’m an alicorn and can’t even do that.”
“I didn’t know I could either until I stumbled into a few one night and Luna found me,” Trixie said. “This it the first time I did it intentionally.”
“That’s amazing! I told you that I could feel a lot of raw power in you,” Twilight said.
“I am Great and Powerful am I not,” Trixie chuckled. “Twilight are you all right?”
“Oh I’m fine. When I’m awake I with Chrysalis and when I’m a sleep I’m here,” Twilight said nonchalantly. “Do you like it it’s a gift from my Grandmother?”
“It’s very nice,” Trixie said concerned with her response. “But from what Princess Luna said you were being tortured.”
“Oh, I am, its just when I’m here I don’t have to think about it,” Twilight said.“So, if Luna isn’t here and this is a dream and there is no Spike to worry about… how about we snuggle up on the couch.”
“Twilight, we need to talk,” Trixie said trying not to be destracted by the princess nuzzling her and rubbing up against her flank.
“We don’t,” she said slapping Trixie on her cutie mark causing her to yelp.
“Twilight, we need to talk. I’m with Applejack and Rainbow Dash in the desert and we’ve tracked the changelings to their hive,” Trixie explained, “We need to see where you are so we can find you.”
“I’m in what could be call the throne room,” she said.
“I need to see it if I’m going to sneak in there and get to you before they have time to move you,” Trixie explained.
“You don’t,” Twilight said looking away. “You don’t need to see it. It’s a big room dark, filled with changelings.”
“Twilight, what are you hiding?” she asked.
“Nothing, really,” the princess avoided her lovers eyes. “I don’t want you to see me like this.”
“You need to show me,” she said.
“I’m sorry, I’m just in so much pain there,” Twilight said. “and here, there isn’t any.”
“You have to be strong,” Trixie said lifting Twilights chin. “It’s only a matter of hours until we get you.”
The library began to fade and a world of dark hard stone came into existence. The walls were honeycombed with tunnels and ledges each with pairs of green eyes looking out from the dark. Trixies skin began to crawl as she took in the surroundings. Her attention shifted from the changelings to the sound of a weak cough.
“Twilight!” Trixie cried and dropped to the floor she reached out to wrap the pony in her forelegs hesitated. The princess looked sickly and emaciated as if all the life had been drained out of her, which it had repeatedly.
“You see,” Twilight said her voice sounding equally as weak as her body. “I didn’t want you to know.”
Trixie couldn’t help but cry looking at what the changelings had done to her beautiful marefriend. “Don’t you worry, we are coming for you, you’re brother, AJ, Rainbow, Spike, Rarity, half the Equestrian guard, Luna, and one really pissed off sun goddess. We’ll be here soon.”
“Should we wake her?” Rainbow said looking over at the pale blue mare whimpering in her sleep.
“No,” Applejack said. “If we wake her we break her bond with Twi and we need her to describe where she is.”
“But she seems so sad,” Rainbow said honestly feeling bad for Trixie.
“I know it seems wrong not to wake somepony up from a nightmare but she has to do it,” Applejack said as the two continued their watch over the sleeping mare.
“When do we have to meet Spike and Rarity?” she asked.
“We’ll meet them in the morning. He’ll send up a puff of smoke to let us know where they are,” Applejack explained.
“I just hope this crazy plan works,” Rainbow said looking out at the large hill protruding from the arid plane watching the countless numbers of black specks fly in and out of the entrance.
Author's Note
We are winding up to the final confrontation with Queen Crissy. Who do you think will be the one to take on the big bad of this story? I hope you are enjoying and as always comments are welcome.
Getting in the Door
The dawn broke and Trixie, Applejack and Rainbow Dash carefully walked along the dry river bed toward the large puff of smoke they had seen earlier from their camp.
“I really don’t like this,” Rainbow said flying only a few feet from the ground. “What if it’s a trap?”
“If it’s a trap we have a traitor among us cause I dun told Spike long puff, three short puffs, three long puffs, then three more long puffs, and a long, short, long combo,” AppleJack said referring to the single they saw in the early morning.
“What’s that?” Trixie asked, “It sound very complicated.”
“Horse Code,” AJ answered.
“Whats it mean?” Rainbow asked.
“Book,” AJ chuckled.
“I think, I hear something,” Trixie said freezing in place.
The three mares got closer together and braced for a trap and collectively sighed in relief as they came face to face with a dragon and a white unicorn in a fashionable cape.
“Oh, Applejack there you are darling. We were starting to wonder if you had been captured,” Rarity said.
“Nope, Sugarcube, that’s your job,” Applejack replied.
“Rainbow Dash, Trixie,” she aknowlaged.
“Well, we all know the plan so, we might as well get to it,” Spike said before muttering something to himself…
“I hope you’re not waiting for a kiss, cause I don’t swing that way,” Rainbow said.
“You’re really missing something then,” Trixie shot back then levitated a pendant out of her saddle bag and placed it on her neck, closed her eyes and activated a spell. The illusion took hold and and the showmare disappeared replaced by the black insectoid shape of a changeling.
“Spike, Rarity, good luck,” Rainbow Dash said. “We’ll go join up with Shining and the princesses and wait for your single.”
“Thanks,” Rarity said, “But, I don’t think well need much when we unleash a dragon in the hive.”
“You becareful anyway,” AJ said.
“Since my legs are shorter you mind if I ride you,” Spike asked looking up at Rarity.
“Darling, you can ride me anytime,” she said giving him a wink.
Trixie rolled her eyes at the couple and lead the way out of the riverbed and toward the changeling hive. Spike stroked Rarity’s mane as the disguised Trixie escorted closer to the hive. The dragon could tell despite her outward confidence that she was getting more and more nervous as they got closer.
“I know you are a fashionista but did you really have to accessorize for a rescue mission?” Trixie said, her voice coming from the changeling body a slight bit disconcerting for her companions.
“The cloak is to keep my fine alabaster coat from burning in this sun and the necklace was a gift from princess’ Luna and Celestia, as symbol of my position as ‘Ambassador to the Changeling Court’,” she said glancing down at the medallion of a golden sun with and inlay of a silver crescent moon.
“You know they just made that position up,” Spike said.
“It doesn’t matter. Princess Celestia named me as Ambassador in the message to Chrysalis and that carries the weight of law,” Rarity protested.
“Well, I’m not calling you ambassador,” Spike grumbled.
“You get grumpy when you shrink down,” Rarity shot back.
“How about I call you, sexy flank?” he said scratching his claw against her cutie mark.
“How about you two get a room,” Trixie said.
“Only if we could,” Rarity said with a quick shudder.
The four stopped at the main gate, a large bolder that could be rolled in front of the entrance, where they were confronted by a half dozen of the pony like bugs. “I am Rarity, Ambassador from the court of Canterlot to see Queen Chrysalis on a matter of great importance,” the white unicorn said in a haughty tone.
The half dozen changelings gave way and “escorted” the three down the dark tunnel. Spike had amazing night vision, from being a dragon and a great memory from years as working as his sisters assistant, both becoming very valuable as he made a mental map of their path to the queen. The narrow passage way branched off in a multitude of directions creating quite a challenge. He took the added step of etching a crude map in to one of the scales on his arm, he knew this was not a place he wanted to get lost.
The narrow cavern opened into the grand throne room of the changeling queen. Spike and Rarity did their best not to react to the skin crawling presence of so many changelings all looking down at them from the hundreds of honeycombs in the walls.
“So…Ambassador is it?” a voice said in the darkness behind the daias. “I don’t recall ever exchanging Ambassadors with Celesita.”
“A situation that the Princess wishes to rectify,” Rarity said burying all her fear.
“You don’t have a need to be nervous yet,” the queen said stepping in to the light and taking her seat.
“You’re majesty,” Rarity said bowing as spike hopped off her back to do the same.
“A dragon? Well it’s been a while since I’ve seen one that small,” the queen said leaning down to get a better look.
“He is my secretary,” Rarity said.
“Oh, I’m sure he is,” Chrysalis said. “and so much more I’d imagine. I can just feel the lust pouring of the both of you. I’d say he’s a little young don’t you think?”
“I, uh,” Rarity attempted to speak.
“Ooooh not that I mind,” Chrysalis said smiling. “We changelings are more open minded than ponies.”
“I, um, have a petition from her majesty Princess Celestia,” Rarity said floating a scroll from her saddle bag. “Her majesty request the release of the Princess Twilight Sparkle, in exchange she is willing to receive a official ambassador from your court and negotiate (Rarity again buried her feeling of disgust) feeding rights.”
“And why would I do that?” Chrysalis said sauntering down from her throne. “The power of one alicorn can keep me and my hive strong for generations.” The green glow of the queens horn called down a beam of white light from somewhere above to illuminate the captured princess.
Rarity caught her breath in shock at the thin pile of flesh bones and feathers shackled to the floor laid motionless, she placed her hoof on Spikes shoulder, knowing it was his instinct to charge to his sisters aid, the hoof reminded him as much as it hurt, that they had a plan and had to wait. “Oh! That is an interesting taste, rage and sorrow with a hint of love,” the queen said. “I really wish you could feel the world like I do. The emotion you both are emitting is almost tangible.
“I must insist you let the Princess go,” Rarity shouted, unable to control herself.
“I must do nothing, Ambassador, I will however consider Celestia petition,” the queen said as two changelings came up alongside the unicorn and dragon and began herding them toward a honeycomb set into the wall. As soon as they crossed the threshold a wall of green crystal formed blocking the two in the small room.
A changeling stood in the back of the cavern and longingly looked to the spot where the princess lay. She also prayed to Faust that her emotions didn’t give her away. Trixie just had to bide her time until the throne room was empty and they could put their plan in action.
The throne room was deserted for single changeling in the shadows. She crept across the grand hall pausing in front of the “room” holding Rarity and Spike and knocking three times before moving on. Twilight looked up from the cold floor at the changeling standing over her. “What do you want?” she said barely above a whisper. “I don’t think the queen would approve if you feed from me.”
The changeling just stood above her and tilted her head, “You just hang on we are going to get you out of here,” the changeling said in a gravelly voice as she knelt down and nuzzling her.
“Why? Why would you free me? Who are you?” Twilight asked trying not to let hope back into her heart.
“Someone who loves you,” the changeling said leaning in and kissing the princess and letting the illusion fade.
“Trixie?” Twilight said with the biggest smile she could muster.
The sound of something scratching echoed through the chamber, “Those claws of yours are quite versatile,” Rarity said as she followed the dragon through the hole he had cut in the crystal door of their cell.
“Spike, Rarity?” Twilight said her weak state breaking the dragons heart as he rushed over to her side.
“I’m sorry Twilight. I was supposed to protect you,” he said.
“What do you think we are a bunch of vampoinies? Scared by the symols of power,” the queen said.
Author's Note
I really enjoyed the little scenes between Spike and Rarity. I hope to have time to explore their dynamic in the future. I will give kudos to anyone who noticed my homage to a famous film as the two get in the door of the changling hive.
Confrontation with Chrysalis
Confrontation with Chrysalis
Confrontation with Chrysalis
“How dare you take her,” Celestia’s voice barely above a whisper as her ethereal mane begins flutter back and forth more rapidly.
“You should have learned you lesson before,” Celestia said her eyes narrow.
“I did, princess,” she spat the royal title. “After that spell of love repelled me and my children to the far reaches of the world I learned, why try to drain an entire city of ponies power, when one, one Alicorn, could provide me and my army of children with more than enough.”
“Cadence and Shining Armors spell was based in love so it didn’t harm you,” Celestia said not taking her eyes of the black queen or her army of children pouring into the cavernous chamber surrounding them, “You should have taken that as a warning.”
“Ha! I beat you before in your own castle with just the power siphoned off that dumb stallion,” she gestured to Shining as he stood over his sister. “No, I not only have my power but all the power of your precious student princess. Her magic runs through me and from me in to my children, and do you know what the best thing is? Your majesty,” Crysalis mocked. “I found out that when you drain an immortal alicorn of their power they die, just like everything else” she said like a simple matter of fact “and wasn’t I surprised that a day later she revived, and thus allowing me to repeat the process all over again.”
The princess finally looked away from the insectoid pony to Twilight, despite the hoards of changelings, still being batted away by Shining and Luna as they guarded Trixie as she attempted to break Twilights bonds, all Celestia saw was an emaciated, tourtured, pony…her pony, her daughter.
Luna’s eyes widened as she watched Celestias mane begin to flap like it was in the winds of a hurricane, “Captain protect your sister,” she ordered her voice worried and filled with anguish as unconsciously flared her wings taking a protective stance in front of her niece and nephew.
“But…,” Shining started to ask.
“You’re shield, NOW!” Luna ordered watching the calm collected paragon of peace Princess Celesita was pushed to the emotional edge and the rage of the goddess begin to crack all the mental barriers of calm she had erected over the millennia to keep herself in check.
Luna closed her eyes and used a modified dream spell to reach out to the mind of each of the solar and lunar guards still in the fight in the narrow passages of the mountain hive saying only one word “RUN!” and without question they obeyed fleeing to the surface.
A violet bubble projected by Shining Armor began to encompass the four ponies. Shining looked out through the shield at his mother, the mare who protected him, took care of him who was the most compassionate pony he’s ever known and he was scared. Luna could see Celestia’s tears begin to evaporate as soon as they left her eyes the air around her sisters body begin to waver like the summer heat off a stone.
Luna knew what was going to happen, though it had never happened in the many thousands of years before, Celestia was breaking.
“Sister don’t,” she pleaded into Celestia’s mind.
“I understand you now and understand how helpless you were to stop the nightmare. I’m sorry,” Celestia thought back to her.
“After drinking you student dry, I can only imagine the power of having the magic of three alicorn’s to feast upon,” the queen said her children poised to pounce as the circle around the family began to close.
“You. Will. Not. Harm. Them,” Celestia said and brought her hoof down with such power it shattered the cavern floor beneath it.
“And how will you stop me,” Crysalis said her sharp crooked horn glowing a bright green ready for battle.
“I am Princess Celestia Goddess of the Sun incarnate, Sovereign of Equestria,” she says her gentle voice gone replaced with something cold and foreign before dropping to nearly a whisper “and you have kidnapped and tortured my daughter.”
Crysalis watch in shock as she noticed the white alicorns eyes become slits and the pastel rainbow of her ethereal mane burst into flame. The stone floor melted and shattered with each hoof fall as she strode towards the hive queen, the magical energy of the sun flooding into the enraged goddess.
“Shining, Trixie,” Luna said pulling the awestruck ponies gaze away from the scene before him. “Don’t watch.”
Luna added her magic to Shinings own reinforcing his shield and tinting the bubble an opaque black. The two could feel the magic and heat bombarding the bubble from the outside stressing their combined magic. Celestia’s worst fear for Luna had always been that she would slip back into the Nightmare, but Luna’s fear was her sister would become one. The shield bubble shook and began to surge as it pushed back against the power outside, streams of light began to burn against Shining Armors coat and he grunted in pain as cracks appeared in the protective shell. Trixie could feel her coat burning as she through her body around Twilight shielding her from the heated beams. Luna and Shining poured all their combined magic into their defense, until suddenly they felt nothing.
The cavern was black. The only light visible coming from the red glowing of supper heated rocks on the walls and floor. The air was choked with the ash of a thousand incinerated changelings. The enchanted chains around Twilight unlocked signifying the source of the magic was gone.
“No, I don’t have the strength left,” Luna said. “It took nearly all my reserves to hold back Tia.”
“Mother?” Twilight asked again a weak tear dripping from her eye.
“I..I…I don’t know,” Luna said standing and trying to recognize the path out.
“I won’t go, I won’t go without her,” Twilight said weakly trying to slide of her brothers back.
“We need to get you out of here. Mother can take care of herself,” Shining said.
“Twilight listen to you brother,” Trixie said trying to lift her lover to her brothers back.
“No,” Twilight protested pushing against the magical bonds holding her to his back.
“If she fights me, I won’t be able to hold her. I don’t have enough strength,” he said.
Luna sighed, and closed her eyes, reaching out mentally in search of her sister, desperately afraid of what she might find, afraid she might not find Celesita, but the Tyrant Sun that had taken her place and wreaked devastation upon the changeling hive. She could sense the three minds next to her then Luna’s eyes shot open as she felt the familiar push back of a fourth mind. She looked about the dark room settling on a pile of ash. She near galloped over to the pile sliding to a stop thrusting her wings out creating a gust of wind moving enough ash to see a golden sun.
“Tia!” Luna screamed using her wings to push more of the dust from the collapsed princess. Her sisters face uncovered the night alicorn bends down and begins to nuzzle the race and neck of her sister.
“Mother!” Shining said, rushing over to the white alicorn, looking gray with the ash mixed in her coat. Twilight slides off his back next to the elder alicorn her movement aided by a surge of adrenalin and her natural recuperative powers beginning to come back to life.
“Mother?” Twilight says pushing herself through the ash on her knees next to Celestia’s side. “Mother. Wake up. Please wake up.”
“I’m sorry Tia,” Luna said willing the spark she sensed in her sister to grow.
“Mother, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Twilight pleaded Shining Armor gently brushing his hoof through her mane. “I didn’t mean it. You are the only mother I’ve ever needed. I love you.”
“She is there, I can feel her,” Luna said.
“What about…?” Shining started.
“No, I do not know how but the power she let loose is gone,” Luna explained.
“Shining leave you sister here and go get the guard. We need to get her out of here into the sun,” Luna ordered.
Shining Armor without another word left the three mares in the dark and began to rush out the cavern, only pausing a moment as he passed the desiccated husk of the hive queen and giving it a little kick sending it crumbling to a pile of indistinguishable ash.
Author's Note
The image of a barely restrained Celestia is what really triggered this story in my head. I had the anger originally focused at Twilight and Luna. As you see that isn’t the direction I went in the end. I still like the idea of Celestia, the calm and collected princess of the sun, being so angry that she loses control. I kind of even think she had some control here, that her power could be even more distructive. I might explain that later. I hope you’ve enjoyed only little it left to go.
Epilogue
Twilight thrashed back and forth feeling something holding her down in the dark. “The nightmare isn’t over, is it,” she thought and began to cry.
“Twilight! You are going to be late,” Luna said from doorway.
“Right,” Twilight said crossing in front of the bridal party and up the steps to stand next to Spike where her mother and Luna awaited standing in front of their thrones.
“You ready,” she nudged the dragon who only shook his head. “Your part is easy you just have to stand there.”
A trumpet sounded and the attendees stood and awaited the grand golden door to open and reveal the bride. The unicorn mare was dressed in chic white wedding dress of flowing silk a long train trailing behind her. A tiara befitting a princess perched on her head sparkled in light. She caught her breath as she looked down the aisle and saw her mate. A grin and giddiness befitting a filly began to take over her as she fought every urge not to race to the altar. It was at that moment Twilight looked at the love of her life sitting in the front row and dreamed for a moment about their future. A song began to fill the air with beauty and calmness as Sweetie Belle’s aria carried its literal magic across the hundreds of gathered ponies and up lifted their hearts. The last notes were sung as Lady Rarity stepped up on the altar and hugged her sister and let her take her place as the mare of honor.
Spike sat back on his haunches and held out his claws to hold his loves hooves smiling as with as much awe as the first time he saw her as she decorated the Ponyville Town Hall for the Summer Sun Celebration. His aunt and his mother stepped forward and began to speak. The two immortal alicorns talked about love and friendship, about seeing many happy couples in their long lives but only once or twice in a generation a couple whose love was almost tangible. Celestia spoke of the mothers love for a son whom she chosen to be her son despite the difference in appearance. The dragon and the unicorn didn’t need vows, they had said those words a thousand times with each I love you. Celestia and Luna raised two crowns tied with a ribbon in their telekinetic fields and lowered them on the couples heads.
“Ladies and Gentlecolts,” Luna said projecting her voice over the audience. “We may now present for the first time…”
Celestia finishes “Prince Warmheart Everfree and Princess Rarity of Equestria.”
The sound of hooves on the stone floor was louder than thunder in the Everfree as the couple kissed for the first time as wife and husband, a kiss that left all in its presence unicorn, pegesus, earth pony and alicorn yearning for love as deep and profound.
Twilight stood on a balcony overlooking the reception watching the guests dance the night way. She looked back to think of all the events of the last year that had brought her to this time and place. The princess came to terms with the less than root her life had taken to her destiny absorbing all she learned from Faust and recognize it as truth and accept that her mother was her mother, by magic or blood. She had also decided that no one needed to know what she had learned. She felt that such a revelation would cause more harm than good. Her life was going great, her brother was marrying one of her best friends, the kingdom was safe, the changelings were no longer a threat, and she had a marefriend. The title of marefriend didn’t seem as signifigant as it needed to be considering their feelings for one another and she was planning on rectifying it soon. But, not tonight she was resolved to do it in the morning after they had left on their honey moon. It was her brothers night. The brother that lived several years of his life as a lie just to keep her safe, Spike deserved to be the main character of his own wedding as she would hope to soon be the main character of her own.
Twilight smiled as a pair of warm forelegs wrapped around her and a nibble was taken of her ear. “What are you thinking about up here all alone?” Trixie asked feeling the same completeness as her lover did in the embrace.
“Tomorrow,” Twilight said. “I’m just thinking about tomorrow and all the tomorrow’s after that that I get to spend with you.”
Author's Note
Well that's it. I wanted to write a pony epic, though it came up short in my opinion, the journey was fun getting there. I hope everyone else enjoyed this story. I have a few idea's on a sequel, though knowing my imagination it could evolve in to a new story in a new universe all together. If you are interested in seeing a sequel, let me know. If you have ideas for a sequel let me know I'm always willing to hear ideas. So, for now thanks everyone for reading.
Prologue: Year 1008 CM (Celestial Monarchy)
“Twilight Sparkle you have excelled at the written portion of the exam,” the grey unicorn said from a seat in the back of the lecture hall, at Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, causing the lavender unicorn filly’s smile to beam. “You now have two minutes to complete the practical application portion of the test.”
Twilight looked around the lecture hall, and for a brief moment imagined sitting in one of the seats listening to a lecture on the anthropomorphic spell, she even let the image of her dressed in the black gown of a professor lecturing to her own students. The thought left her feeling giddy. She knew her destiny was to study magic. She just knew that her cutie mark would be magical too. She might get a wand or an enchanted scroll something that truly expressed her love for magical study.
“Your time begins now,” the grey unicorn stated taking a stopwatch in his magical aura and clicking it sending the gears in motion and eliciting a “tick-tick-tick-tick-tick”
Twilight closed her eyes and focused her magical energy to her horn just as her mother had taught her. The magenta aura began slowly focus around her and extend out to the egg. She could feel the shell and its own unique and magical aura beneath. She felt the egg move, “I’m doing it” she thought to herself, and then her magic slipped and faded. She opened her eyes and stared at the egg, then focused again, and nothing. The fear of disappointing her mother crept into her mind. “tick-tick-tick-tick-tick” She tried to push the thought aside. She looked at the egg again and tried another angel in to help reset her thoughts. “WHY IS THIS NOT WORKING!” a part of her mind screamed in frustration. “Okay, Twilight, you can do this. “tick-tick-tick” You were born to do magic, you’re a unicorn. “tick-tick-tick” You brother does magic. Your mom does magic, your mom is amazing at magic. You are just like her. You can do this. “Tick-tick-tick” You just need to focus. You just need to take a step back,” her inner monologue reasoned. Twilight could feel the judges watching her, (and appropriately judging) her as she continued to focus her magical energy, “All right you magic is a reservoir you just need to let it gently flow over the dam to your horn, from potential magic to present magic,” she explained to herself. “tick-tick-tick” Her frustration grew as the magic pushed against the wall of the dam but wouldn’t crest. The sweat from her brow began to flow into her eyes, another distraction, she couldn’t afford.
The panic was building and her mind knew that she needed to calm down or the magic wouldn’t come, but it only became worse. The thoughts of her family’s disappointment over whelmed her; the salty feeling in her eyes was no longer sweat but, the sting of tears. “tick-tick-tick” She was good at keeping time and knew hers was almost up, and with a sigh, plopped onto her hunches and looked back up at the judges, “I’m sorry I wasted your time,” she said resigned with the fact that she wasn’t going to get it. “I knew it, mother was right, I’m still too young.”
The head judge said nothing just looking at his stop watch and just as he was about to acknowledge the filly, with his mechanical words, “Time is up” the building shook. He didn’t know what was up or down, he only caught a glimpse of a blinding white light in front of him where the filly had been standing, and was now floating. He tried to focus his own magic, and contain the unicorns surge, he had been a teacher for twenty years and was used to young magic users having uncontrolled outburst of power, but he could feel, his power was far from enough to contain it. He reached out to the other test proctors and tried to combine his energies with theirs to beat back the radiating power.
A second shock shook the building as the dragons egg exploded and the room filled with a purple and green goliath now breaking through the ceiling. He forgot his focus for a moment too, as he thought of his children and his grand foals, thinking that morning was the last time he was going to have kissed his wife goodbye. “I wonder if they will name a classroom after me,” he mused.
The scared filly looked up at the regal Alicorn and began to nervously sob afraid of punishment for the destruction of the classroom and the embarrassment of her family. The white Alicorn looked down at Twilight Sparkle and to the filly’s surprise the eyes of her monarch were not filled with anger, only concern, comfort and a hint of pride and the small lavender Alicorn before her.
Twilight took a deep breath reassured by the protective aura of the princess and said with sincerity from the bottom of her hooves, “I’m sorry.”
Author's Note
I know, I'm a writer, but I'm bad at grammar. I've had a lot of help from River Ann Trails in the editing department. I'll try and keep up with any corrections the readers suggest. The story is going to have a little bit of everything, and takes place after MMC and ignores canon after that.
The Unveiling of a Secret
PANIC rushed through the minds of five friends simultaneously as the magic they wielded came alive and began pouring untold amount of energy into the star shaped element of magic, and their friend Twilight Sparkle.
“What did we dooo?” Pinkie asked rushing to the spot where Twilight Sparkle stood.
“Ah, jus don know?” Applejack said a tear welling up in her eye out of frustration.
“I think we vaporized her,” Rainbow cried.
“WHAT?!” Spike shouted in shock. “What did you do to Twilight?”
“I don’t know,” Rainbow cried defensively. “Do you? You’ve been around more spell casting than me.”
“I don’t know. We need the princess?” Spike said the small dragon beginning to panic over the well being over his adoptive sister. “We need here now! The train will take hours. What if we don’t have that long? Rainbow you need to fly to Canterlot as fast as you can and get help.”
Rainbow crouched ready to take off. “Hold on there partner,” Applejack said placing a calming hoof on Rainbow Dashes shoulder.
“But?” Dash said with a confused look.
“Spike, you should send a letter with that fire thing you do,” Applejacks calming voice of reason said referring to the ability of the dragon to burn a message and it be instantly sent to Princess Celestia where ever she happened to be.”
“Right!” Spike said running over to a desk to grab a quill and right down a hurried message. “TWILIGHT! INSINERATED! MAGIC! HELP! “ before he sent it away in a puff of green fire and smoke.
“Fluttershy, are you okay dear?” Rarity said helping the butter colored pegsus of the ground after her fainting spell. Fluttershy’s only response was a squeak that sounded like, Twilight’s gone, and then broke down into tears.
“I don’t think she’s gone,” Rarity said closing her eyes and channeling magic through her horn to feel the auras surrounding her, and not feeling the dissipated feeling of someone who’s past on, but simply a void.
“Ah don think she’s gone either,” said Applejack looking at the mark on the floor. “I’d just know it in my bones, if she was gone.”
“Then what happened to her?” Pinkie asked her mane beginning to go limp. “We were so happy. We were back to normal.”
“I don’t know dear. But, I know she’s not, not, um… gone. She’s just not here,” Rarity said stroking Fluttershy’s pink mane trying to comfort her.
“Hey, you’re right Rare,” Rainbow said. “The elements project magic, right?”
“Yes dear, the powerful innate magic in all of us, the magic strengthened by our bond of friendship,” Rarity explained.
“Well, Then Twilight is fine. She is the element of magic, she is the strongest magic user in Equestria, other than the princesses,” Rainbow sounding like her confident old self again and beginning to hover with her wings instead of walking.
“Well, did she teleport?” Fluttershy asked finally regaining control of her emotions.
“I’m not sure, dear,” Rarity said shaking her head. She just didn’t know. “I’m a unicorn and can tell some things, by sensing the magical auras surrounding ponies but, I’m not a magic user likeTwilight. I just don’t have the skill. I can tell you though, that Twilight has an aura around her as bright as Celestia’s sun and I’ve never seen somepony’s aura that strong so if that had been… dispersed. I could sense it.” The white unicorn said doing everything she could to avoid saying anything related to the word death.
“Hey everybody what’s that?” Pinkie said pointing her hoof towards the window.
“I think they incinerated her,” Golden Leaf said with a shocked and confused look.
“We’ve been watching her and her friends for months. I don’t think they’d up and kill her,” Rose Quartz said brushing her dark red mane from her eyes. “But, if they did the queen won’t be happy.”
“Twilight Sparkle would be dead. How would that not make her happy?” she said.
“She wants to be the one to do it,” Rose Quartz said. “She wants Celestia to know it was her too.”
“Well, then what do you think happened?” Golden Leaf said trying to get a better look.
“A teleport?” Rose Quartz reasoned. “I hope she isn’t dead because the Queen will take it out on us.”
“And beside, I’m not ready to leave Ponyville just yet,” Golden Leaf said turning her head back to the quiet streets of the town.
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Rose Quartz said. “I haven’t felt so alive and full since we got this assignment.”
“Hide!” Golden Leaf said.
The two pegasi scrambled out of the bush away from the window and up into the branches of the tree. The two ponies didn’t move from the cover of the branches as the sky filled with light and the ponies from inside of the library came bursting through the door onto the streets.
The six occupants of the Library rushed to the window to see a new star in the sky casting a purple light across the sky. They exited the library staring at the star in the sky as it seemed to grow closer and closer the brilliant purple light taking pushing away the dark of night in Ponyville.
The light began to fade as the friends eyes began to adjust to the diming light. A wave of relief washed over each of the ponies, for standing in the middle of founders square, was their Twilight Sparkle or so they thought. At the mention of their friends name she looked up at them and smiled unconsciously flaring her newly acquired wings to the shock of her friends.
The group of friends rushed around the transformed Twilight Sparkle commenting about her new found ability to fly and that she now appears to be an alicorn.
“You look like a princess,” gushed Fluttershy.
“That’s because she is a princess . . . ” Celestia the Princess and ruler of Equestria managed to say before being interrupted by Pinkie Pie who pulled out of Pinkie knows where a glass of water and felt the need to do an obligatory spit-take.
“Ooooh,” group said as they took in the information.
“You’re a princess?” Rarity exclaimed, “One of my best friends is a Princess!!!!” her inner voice squee’d.
“I knew you were special Twilight, I just didn’t realize how much,” said Applejack feeling a since of pride.
“Hey, hey, hey hold on a second? How?” Rainbow Dash said waving her hooves to get Twilights attention just before the third, great shock of the evening was uttered.
“I am so proud of you my daughter,” Celestia said to the astonishment of all.
The world seemed to stop around the ponies in the square as they tried to understand what they had just heard. The only movement was that of Applejack slapping a third glass out of Pinkies hoof before getting a third shower in as many minutes.
“I love you mother,” Twilight smiled up at the regal white alicorn and jumped into a hug wrapping her hooves around her willing to ignore the deceptions of the past rest even if only for the moment.
“Horsefeather!” Rose Quartz exclaimed under her breath as the two hid in a nearby bush. “She’s a freaking Princess, a freaking alicorn for that matter.”
“How in Equestria are we going to overpower an alicorn and take her to the back to the Queen?” Golden Leaf said in shock and dismay.
“I think we need to contact the Queen and until then we need to bide our time and wait for her to be alone,” Rose Quartz said.
“We’re going to have to wait for her to leave Ponyville, alone,” she said to her compatriot.
“I guess we get our wish and get to stay here a little longer,” Rose said as she sunk down onto her haunches realizing that they couldn’t do much more tonight with Celestia standing right there in the middle of Ponyville.
“What!?” Golden Leaf said quickly covering her mouth with her hooves.
“Did she just say what I think she said?” Rose Quartz’s eyes growing large.
“I think Twilight just called Celestia Mom,” Golden Leaf said.
“We defiantly need to inform our Queen now,” Rose Quartz said realizing their mission to kidnap and deliver Twilight Sparkle to their queen for execution.
Author's Note
Yep, a little Momlestia in this story. I love that dynamic. Oh, and bonus points if you get where the names Rose Quartz and Golden Leaf were inspired from.
Twilight in Transit
Twilight began to smile as she felt the gentle roll of the wagon beneath her, “I must have slept in” she thought, “I better get up before Trixie starts accusing me of being a pampered princess.”
The princess began to stretch then felt something pulling against her legs and cut into the tender skin of her fetlocks. The pain brought back the memories of the attack, panic began to fill her as looked around her. She instinctually cast an illumination spell, but nothing happened, she could feel something cold pressing against tender spot where her horn met her head, a suppressing ring she thought. She was and alicorn, she should be able to break it, she focused hard. Twilight screamed in pain as the magical surge cascaded back in to her body. The princess squinted her eyes trying to make out more of her surroundings but could see nothing in the dim light just a few slants of her mother’s sun penetrating the cracks in the wood. “Let me out!” she called. “Let me out!” suddenly realizing how stuffy it was in the box.
The sound of hoof falls around the box cause her to look up to suddenly be blinded by the light flooding in from the hatch that was just slid open. “You be quiet now. We wouldn’t want to have to gag you,” said one of the Pegasus she had seen the other night.
Twilight struggled against her chains trying snap at the disguised changeling. “HeEEEEELP!” she screamed, until silenced by the pain of her horn being flicked by the changelings hoof.
“I will gag you. If you think it’s hot and hard to breath now just imaging with a rag stuffed in your mouth,” she said.
“Where are you taking me?” Twilight asked.
“To our queen of course,” the changeling replied.
“But,” Twilight began but was cut off by another flick of the horn.
“I’ll make you a deal. You stay quiet and we’ll leave the hatch open,” she said.
Twilight thought for a moment and looked up at her mother’s sun taking comfort in the orb then nodded in agreement. The hours or she thought hours, passed slowly as her prison rolled along a bumpy road. She on several occasions tried to strain against her bindings in order to take a bearing of the sun. Her hopes were to figure out where she was by the suns relative position to the horizon. When sunset came she hoped to time try the same with the moon.
Trixie was in awe at imperial grandeur surrounding her, the impossibly high arched ceilings (to cater to the Pegasus) the gilded furnishings, the red carpets, the ornate tapestries, and it was also . . . completely intimidating. The showmare had spent most of her life on the road with only the sky above her or the close quarters of her wagon making her feel save and snug. The palace was big as the sky but gave her no comfort just the simple feeling she did not belong.
“It…it…is a nervous habit your majesty,” she said still prone on the floor.
“I recall from my daughters letters,” Celestia said stepping out from behind the desk.
“You may get up Trixie,” Celestia said leaning down to look the mare in the eyes. “The doctor sent me a report on your injuries. You appear to have been, burned with magic, beaten, and bitten two dozen times by changelings.”
“Yes, your majesty,” Trixie said.
“You told Princess Luna that you received these injuries trying to protect my daughter from the Chrysalis’ agents,” Celestia said.
“Yes,” she said looking down at the stone floor the emotions she had thoughts of failure and sadness she attempted to keep buried began to boil to the surface as the first of the tears began to flow. “I tried. I failed. Trixie failed to protect the most important pony in her life and now she is gone. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry princess, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she pleaded not knowing what else to say, she didn’t know if she could say anything else as sobs began to rack her body.
She suddenly felt something warm and feathery wrapping around her and the feel of forelegs pulling her close. Trixie inhaled the diarchs scent, she smelled like Twilight and she began to calm her sobs, that was at least until she felt the drip of a tear trickle on to her shoulder, the tears of a princess and mother missing her daughter and the two mares began to cry together and after a moment
“Trixie has apologized to Princess Luna and has explained that it has never happened before,” Trixie nervously apologized her sovereign and more so the mother of her marefriend.
“I am not upset,” Celestia said her calming voice soothing the nervous mare, “I’m a just impressed. I can’t even travel the dreamscape without Luna’s guidance.”
“Trixie, I have a few more questions,” Celestia asked. “Would you like some tea?”
The princess then produced a pot of tea with magic and poured two cups, not waiting for Trixie to answer.
“Yes, I will do anything to help Twilight,” Trixie responded.
“You don’t have to worry Luna and the Guard is working on a plan as we speak. The questions I have are about you,” Celestia said then taking a sip of tea.
“What would you like to know your majesty?” Trixie said squirming on her chair.
“Well Trixie the letters from Twilight that mention you spin a rather interesting tale,” the princess said making the mare even more uncomfortable. “She never mentioned how ever that you two were shall we say, involved.”
“Oh,” Trixie beginning to flush. “It has been a recent development. We have spent the last several weeks together.”
“Well, then we really should get to know each other better if you are my daughters marefriend,” Celestia said.
Trixie couldn’t help the smile growing across her face as the for the first time she was called someone’s marefriend, and not just that Twilights marefriend.
“Is it just Trixie or do you have a second name,” Celestia asked. “I have to say very little documentation on you exists, with the exception of dozens of outstanding parking tickets. We don’t even have school records.”
Trixie tried to hide under her white mane.
“I don’t really care about that if my daughter sees something in you I trust her. She is an amazing judge of character,” Celestia chuckled.
“Lulumoon, your majesty, Trixie Lulumoon,” she stated. “I was schooled at home.”
“Your parents taught you?” Celestia asked.
“The couple that raised me taught me what they could,” Trixie said. “I was a foundling. They were kind but simple ponies.”
“Would you mind if I tried a spell on you?” Celestia asked her curiosity peaked.
“You are the princess, how could Trixie refuse,” she chuckled awkwardly before furrowing her brow as a pinch came from the top of her head.
The golden aura of the solar princess held one of the fine white hairs from Trixies’ mane. The showmare looked on as her name appeared in floating letters of light at the end followed by two further down, Night Gazer and Star Light, then several more as they worked their way down to the root.
“The names below yours are your parents,” Celestia said. “If you would like we could try to find them.”
Trixie didn’t answer unsure if she wanted to know them or what happened to them.
“The names at the root are what are of interest to me,” Celestia said. “Moon Lux and Luna.”
“Who, was that?” Trixie finally spoke up after being absorbed in reading the names of the ponies she descended from. “Did you say Luna? As in Princess Luna?”
“Yes, I wasn’t aware my sister had any descendants and I’m pretty sure she doesn’t think she does either,” Celestia said. “But, Moon Lux happened at a difficult time for Luna.”
“What do you mean?” she asked her world upheavaling.
“Well, Moon Lux was a priestess of the Lunar cult and was in love with my sister. I was pretty sure the two were having a secret affair. But, each time I asked Luna would avoid it. But, Luna wasn’t herself a thousand years ago.”
“You mean Nightmare Moon,” Trixie interjected.
“Yes, the two parts of her mind were warring with each other. She would have whole days of missing time, most likely when the Nightmare took over,” Celestia said still feeling the pain and regret that she didn’t notice.
“So, you think that Moon Lux was my ancestor mother and that would mean that … Nightmare Moon is my ancestor father?” Trixie tried to understand.
“In a way yes,” Celestia asked.
“Moon Lux and the Princess is well a princess. How is that possible,” Trixie said more confused.
“Well, there are spells that can help two mares conceive. It just takes very powerful magic,” Celestia explained. “After I…” she trailed off..”After the nightmare Moon Lux and most of the cult disappeared. I imagine she kept the pregnancy secret fearing reprisals for being a priestess in the cult.”
“So this is the reason I can walk through dreams,” Trixie reasoned aloud.
“Yes,” Celestia said taking a second sip of tea and dismissing the heritage spell. “You have alicorn blood in you.”
“So, that means I’m related to Luna,” she continued to reason and her eyes began to widen in shock, “That means that I’m related to you and Twilight.”
“Don’t worry my dear. You are so distantly related it doesn’t matter,” Celestia laughed dispelling the mares fear. “I’m actually surprised that any of my sisters talents made it to you this far down the line.”
A sudden puff of smoke appeared above the princess and she took the materialized scroll in her aura and began to read. “We should get going. It appears a plan has been formulated and you are part of it. Besides I can’t wait to call Luna Grandma,” the white alicorn said with a smirk.
Rose Quartz and Golden Leaf aren't dead
Golden Leaf and Rose Quartz aren’t Dead
“Oh, this looks bad?” Golden Leaf said as they paused on a overlook with their wagon above the hive.
“I guess we got lucky,” Golden Leaf said.
“Yeah and you wanted to get out of the supply run,” Rose Quartz said.
“Hey, I knew that princess would be bad luck,” Golden Leaf shrugged.
“I’d say so,” Rose Quartz said observing the commotion around the hive.
“Should we help?” Golden Leaf said his heart not quite in the idea.
“I think we should get out of here before they spot us,” Rose Quartz said as he began to turn the wagon around.
“So, where should we go?” Golden Leaf said.
“I don’t know,” Rose Quartz said. “Manehatten?”
“I always thought you’d be good at acting,” Golden Leaf said.
“Why thank you,” Rose said as they two disguised changelings began to trot away from the assault.
Author's Note
So, in case you didn't get my Shakesphere reference, Rose Quartz and Golden Leaf aka Rosencrantz and Guildenstern from Hamlet, were my great homage to the bard. We're almost done here so hang on we have some Alicorn unleashed coming up.
