Solar Child: The Original Chapters

Solar Child

Chapter Fourteen

Written by Bakmah Genesis

      "Why now?  I'm not ready.  What if they find out?  What if.." Twilight stopped her rambling as Spike slapped her across the face.  "Thanks." she muttered.  Twilight sat down and looked out the window she was standing by.  Just a few seconds ago she was told to go to the town of Ponyville where they were supposedly having this years Sun Celebration.  Twilight of course went into paranoid state of mind as she ran through all the possible ways ponies could find out she was Celestia's daughter and that she was in face alive.

      "I just find it risky, Spike.  Why send me into the public after I've been 'dead' for eight years?  I think it's still too early."  The dragon picked up the recently discarded book and walked over to the table to set it down.  Once he did, he propped himself on the surface and sat facing his sister/mother figure.

      "Twilight, you've been locked away in the castle for eight years.  I think it's time you got out and your mom agrees.  Besides, there is probably no pony that can look at you and make the connection that Twilight Sparkle, personal student to Princess Celestia, is actually Princess Twilight Solar, the supposedly dead daughter of Celestia."  Spike hopped off the table and placed a claw on her shoulder.

      "All you have to do is go there, observe the preparations and make some friends.  And not worry about the return of your slightly evil aunt."  Twilight raised an eyebrow at him.

      "Slightly evil?"

      "Well, Nightmare Moon, as said by your mother herself, is actually just a dark spirit that infested Luna and uses her negetaive emotions to power itself." said Spike in a matter-of-fact tone.  Twilight stared at the baby dragon with her jaw hanging open.  "What?"  Twilight smirked at him.

       "We'll, look who is starting to become a little scholar."  Spike snorted and made his way to the door.

       "That's what I get for living with a mare whose best friend is a book."  Twilight blushed and ran after the dragon.

       "Hey! That's not completely true!"

        "Sure it's not."  Spike's smiled faded.  "Twilight, what if you do meet your aunt?" he asked, his tone turning serious.  Twilight thought for a moment.

       "I'm not sure, but I'm scared that she might go ahead and let loose ,y true identity without thinking.  We haven't been able to contact her and inform her for eight years due to the fact that Nightmare Moon is preparing for tonight."  She sighed and gave a small smile.  "I'm probably being paranoid anyways.  Faust knows I've been for just about anything."  She paused and looked up a the sky.  "I will just have to hope for the best."

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        The chariot touched down in the middle of a small rural town that she guessed to be non other than Ponyville.  The small town consisted mostly of earth ponies and a few unicorns.  There was the occasional Pegasus but they were scarce.  The ponies went about business, ignoring the royal chariot with guards pulling it as if it wasn't even there.

        Spike thanked the guards as they got off.  They gave a nod and flew off back in the direction of Canterlot.  Twilight sighed as she watched the chariot fly back to her home and her solitude.  Where she felt safe and would never have to worry about being discovered.

        She turned around and came face to face with a pink earth pony mare.  The mare had a large poofy pink mane and ice blue eyes.  After a few seconds, the mare jumped up in the air with a gasp and disappeared down the street in such speed that Twilight's head hurt from trying to figure out how it was possible.

       "Okay.  That happened.  Spike, who do I have to go to first so I can hurry up and research Nightmare Moon?" asked Twilight, rubbing her temple with a hoof.  Spike produced the scroll again and read through it until he found a list of the names of the organizers.

       "Alright.  First is catering.  That is handled by a pony named Applejack.  Says here she lives at the towns apple farm.  Sweet Apple Acres." said the drake, pointing towards the line of apple trees.

        "Good, now lets hurry up.  The faster I finish observing, the better." said Twilight, trotting to the farm.

       "Don't forget about making friends." pointed out Spike as he hopped onto her back.  Twilight gave a small grunt at the weight.

       "Yeah, sure.  I'll think about it."

       "Twilight disobeying her mother?  That's a first." said Spike with a smirk.  Twilight shot her a glare.

       "Not in public, Spike!  Besides, I just don't see the point."  She held up her head and kept up her trot.  Spike sighed.

       "You may try to hide it but I can still see you hurt.  Twilight, you are dead.  You were foalnapped twice and almost died one of the times."  He leaned forward so his face was next to hers.  "You need friends who you can talk to and open up to.  You can pretend to hide it but I can see you hurt."  Twilight sighed.

       "I just don't know Spike.  I find it hard to trust again."

       "I will not let anypony hurt you.  I am here now and I will make sure you are safe."  He smiled.  "I may be small but I'm still a dragon."  Twilight gave a slight chuckle.

       "I feel so honored to have a cute little dragon like you protect me.  I feel so safe." said Twilight sarcasticly.

        "Hey!" shouted Spike.  He crossed his arms and pouted.  "I'm not cute."

        "Sure, keep telling yourself that." giggled Twilight.  They soon came up to the farm.  A sign above the entrance read 'Sweet Apple Acres' in large lettering, proudly wearing its name.  Twilight looked around the fields from where she stood until she found a single orange mare bucking the trees, knocking its contents into buckets.  The mare had blonde hair and wore a brown stentson on her head.

        "Excuse me, are you a Miss Applejack?" asked Twilight as she walked up to the mare.  The earth pony looked up at her and tilted her hat with a hoof.

        "That Ah am.  What can Ah do fer ya?" asked Applejack.  She had a thick southern drawl but was still understandable.  She was kind enough.

        "My name is Twilight Sparkle.  I am here by orders from the Princess to oversee the planning of this years Sun Celebration.  You are handling the food, I'm guessing?"

       "Eeyup.  Now, where have I heard your name before?" asked the farm pony.  She put a hoof to her chin in thought.  Twilight froze.  Her eyes widened in fear that she was caught.

        "What do you mean?" asked Twilight.  She forced a smile on her face.

        "That's it!" shouted the farm pony, smiling as she remembered.  Twilight's eyes became prinpricks.  "You have the same name as one of the old famous royal guard captains."  Twilight sighed.

        "Well, that's interesting." said Twilight, smiling in relief.

        "Eeyup.  Apparently, this Twilight was the marefriend of the Princess 'erself before she was killed in action." Twilight's eyes widened again.  It couldn't be the same Sparkle.

         "Oh?" asked Twilight.

        "Yup, she was also the other mother of the late Princess Solar, Celestia's daughter.  I remember that school ended early when we heard the poor filly was murdered.  She was only fourteen.  Poor girl." said Applejack, shaking her head sadly.  Twilight, however was trying to get over what she just heard.  Spike was in the same condition.  He never knew his other grandmothers name.

        "Anyways, why don'tcha try some of the food?  All this talk of death can't be healthy."  Twilight nodded and followed the mare back to the house.  Applejack was quiet for awhile before looking back at her.

       "Did ya know her?" she asked, her tone serious.

      "Who?"

       "The Princess' daughter."  Twilight looked off into the distance, not liking the direction the conversation was taking.

       "I did.  We hung out a few times.  She studied with me as well.  We became close after awhile.  I was looking for her in the gardens when I heard shouting.  I ran towards it in time to see her get teleported off somewhere.  Her foalnapped was killed before he could escape.  I never seen the princess cried as much."  Twilight finished, happy with her story.  She was told of how she was foalnapped a while after.

       "It hit you hard, didn't it?" asked the farmer, sympathy in her eyes.  Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered how it felt like when she first pretended to be dead.

      "More than anyone can imagine."  A thought came to her and she looked up at the farmer.  "How do you know so much about my mother?" asked Twilight.  She clamped a hoof over her mouth as the words spilled out.

      "Yer mother?" asked AJ.

      "I was born a few years before Solar was." lied Twilight.  Applejack narrowed her eyes.

      "Yer lying to me.  Ah can tell when Ah'm bein lyed ta and Ah don't appreciate it."  Twilight sighed and looked away.

      "Just don't ask." she muttered.  Applejack looked at the pain that showed up in the lavender mare's eyes.  She couldn't be...  She decided not to broach the subject and reached for the triangle to call out for the others.  She would make this mare feel better, wether or not she was actually the dead princess.