Solar Child: The Original Chapters

Solar Child

Chapter Eighteen

Written by Bakmah Genesis

  Celestia flew towards the Everfree Castle after feeling the discharge of the elements and the presence of Nightmare Moon all center around the castle.  She flew with excitement and fear.  Excitement of seeing Luna once again, and fear of any injury that had been dealt to her or Twilight.

     Soon the abandoned castle came into view.  She angled her flight path and flew towards one of the halls of the old building.  She flew to the closest one, most of the ceiling having been removed from a battle long forgotten.  She gently glided down inside, careful not to clip her wing on the ceiling.  Once landed, she was tackled by a lavender blur.

      "Thank the sun you are alright!" said Twilight as she embraced the alabaster alicorn.  She smiled and leaned down next to her ear.

       "It's good to see you are okay, too, baby." whispered Celestia as she embraced the young mare.

      "I never want to lose you." Twilight said as she buried her head into Celestia's shoulder.

       "And you won't.  Now come on, I have a sister to talk to." said Celestia as she stood.  She walked to the indigo figure that was on the marble floor.  Luna was in the fetal position, hugging her legs.  Her eyes were distant as she stared off into the distance.

        "I tried to stop it, Tia." said the indigo alicorn softly as Celestia sat next to her.  She cradled the younger alicorn in her hooves, soothing her.  She turned to Twilight and the others and nodded.  Twilight understood and ushered everyone out.

        "There was little you could do, Luna.  It's not your fault." said Celestia quietly.  Luna nodded.  She seemed to be lost in thought for a moment.

            "You still miss her, don't you?" asked Luna.  Celestia stopped stroking her name and looked down at her.

    "Of course."

     "So you changed Twilight's name to hers?" asked Luna.  Celestia looked away and focused her eyes on the stairway on the opposite side of the room.  The excited voices of her daughter and her friends came from the floor below.

     "Twilight would not want you to mourn over her by changing her daughters name to match hers." said Luna, eyeing the older alicorn.

      "I know." she said quietly.  Luna placed a hoof on her shoulder.

       "You have to tell her the truth, Tia.  Now."  Celestia sighed and nodded.  Luna stood and made her way to the stairs.  Once she was gone, Celestia looked at the rising sun, making its round through the sky without the nightmare disrupting it.  The sound of hoof steps brought her back to reality.

      "Was there something you wanted to tell me, mother?" Celestia turned to face her daughter.  She smiled warmly as she brought her into a embrace.  The unicorn/alicorn nuzzled into her coat.

       "How much do you know about your mother?" asked the alicorn.

        "She was the captain of the Royal Guard, had Shining with the last stallion she would ever have a relationship with, and met you when she climbed the ranks.  She was deployed to the eastern edge where she was killed by a suprise attack.  Her surname was Sparkle." recalled the mare.  She looked up at her mother.  "Why?"  Celestia sighed and looked out a hole in the wall.  It overlooked the forest that was bathed in the suns glow.

         "Twilight Sparkle was orphaned at the age of six.  At nine, she was brought in by a pair of nobles that, surprisingly, were the parents of Cadence and Blueblood."  Twilight snorted at that and nuzzled against her.  "Later that year, she received her cutie mark for bravery and knowledge for offensive spells, which she got from reading almost all the time." she said with a smirk.  Twilight giggled.

          "So that's where I got that from." giggled Twilight.  Celestia giggled herself.

         "Yes.  Now, at twenty she met a decent Gentlecolt that of course sired Shining Armour.  When he was two, they left each other and she joined the guard to try and support them.  Shining spent most of his time with a foal sitter."  She smiled.  "It wasn't very long in the service she climbed up to the point where she was appointed to my personal guard.  This is where we got close and soon grew to each other and of course to something else."

         "The rest is obvious but the point is that I still miss that mare and it was part of the reason I changed your name to Twilight Sparkle, to hear that name again."  She stroked the younger mares mane and kissed her on the forehead.  I love you and your mother more than anything."

          "I love you, too, mom." said Twilight as she nuzzled the alicorn.

          "Come on, you have friends waiting and I have an old friend." said Celestia as she walked towards the stairs.

         "Wait, what?" asked Twilight as she caught the last part.  Celestia giggled.

           "The public thought I had a sister when I only had a foster sister, Twilight ght."  Twilight shook her head and followed.

           "You need to explain that farther one of these days, mother."

           "Of course my dear."  Applejack ran back down the stairs, sneaking back into the group without Luna noticing.  Rarity noticed her and raised an eyebrow.  Applejack leaned close to her so only they could hear.

          "I need to tell ya something about Twi when we are alone." she said in a whisper, watching Celestia and Twilight come back down.  Rarity looked over at their rainbow maned friend who seemed to beam as she saw Twilight.

          "And same with our dear Rainbow Dash." said Rarity.  They put on smiles and followed the group, thinking about this new information each of them held.

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            "So what is this big news?" asked Rarity as her and Applejack snuck around the corner for some privacy.  They were currently at the celebration held for the sun celebration and the return of Luna and defeat of Nightmare Moon.  Applejack pulled Rarity off to the side so they could talk.

         "Twilight isn't telling us everythin about 'er." said the farm pony.  "I kinda eavesdropped on 'er and the Princess and found something out that Ah still can't believe."

         "Oh Applejack, dear.  It can't be that big of news." said Rarity.

          "Twilight Solar isn't dead." Rarity's eyes widened and her jaw fell open.

           "She is?!  Where is she and why was she pronounced dead?" asked Rarity. Trying to figure out what she was hearing.

            "Ah dunno why the princess said she was dead.  As for where she is, she is currently in the next room chatting with the princess." said AJ, jabbing a hoof back in the direction of the princess.  Rarity followed her hoof and only saw Twilight talking with Celestia.

           "I only see Twilight-" her voice died off in her throat as everything clicked.  "Well that was unexpected." said Rarity.  Applejack nodded.

            "I don't know why they are hiding it but it sure has me suspicious." said Applejack, focusing on the lavender mare.

           "Well, we can only wait for her to come out." said Rarity.  Applejack nodded before turning to her.

           "Now what was that thing bout RD ya wanted ta tell me?" asked AJ.  Rarity gulped.

          "I think Rainbow may have a crush on our secret princess."