The Pridelanders walked in silence toward Pride Rock Philomena flying over head, her red feather glinting like flame in the light of the setting sun, the journey from the border had taken longer than it should have due to the unspoken threat that Nightmare had given before she had left with Thunder, then they had the check the fillies for wounds thankfully other than being shaken up everyone seemed to be perfectly fine. Celestia stopped walking once Pride Rock stood as a tall medium-sized lump in the distance giving Candace a significant look. The pink Pegasus nodded with a slight smile nudging the other fillies along so she could make sure they got home safely. Celestia gently removed her daughter from her back setting her down on a smooth rock making sure Twilight had her hooves under her before completely releasing her magical hold.

Twilight slowly turned toward her mother her ears flat against her head and her tail flicking nervously. She let out an uneasy chuckle and gave her mother the widest most innocent smile she could muster, but her mother face remained in its firm frown of disapproval causing the smile to fade.

"Twilight what did you think you were doing? You could've gotten killed today" Celestia finally spoke her disapproval easing away to worry and fear her rigged posture relaxing.

"But Mommy... I... I didn't mean to..." Twilight mumbled shuffling her hooves in shame because she had caused her mother and everyone else who had worried over her while they had run off for adventure. Twilight might be a very smart filly but she WAS still a filly.

"I'm telling you this because I love you, I don't want to lose you if something happened to you I don't know what I'd do" Celestia said softly nuzzling her foal even as Twilight mumbled understanding of her words. "One day, I won't be here and I need you to carry on in my place, you are a part of the great circle of-"

"Circle of life I know" Twilight rolled her eyes with a sigh, wondering when she would finally get the chance to stop hearing that silly phrase, it wasn't just her mother who said it either, every pony seemed to know it but Twilight just didn't get it life wasn't a circle, it was a straight line.

"Exactly and you need to be careful as future Queen-" Celestia began once again but Twilight was quick to cut her off a second time.

"What if I don't want to be queen!" She spat out angrily turning away from her mother before letting out a burst of air and continuing in a more measured tone "It's no fun" she looked down at her hooves pouting a little.

Celestia straightened looking more curious than upset at her words "That's like saying you don't want to be a pony, it's in your blood as I am, we are part of each other" But when her words seemed to make no impact on the filly Celestia leaned down and pushed her forward with her snout sending Twilight sliding off the rock sending her into a pile of white dandelions, the small seeds flying into the air and on the breeze.

Twlight blinked in surprise moving her tail out of her eyes to look at her mother in confusion, but instead of answering in words Celestia merely grinned innocently at her, the purple filly grinning nervously back, getting up and walking over to her mother to rub lovingly into her fur.

Celestia smiled at Twilight and then straightened up looking toward a small blue bird nest. "As you go through life you'll see there is so much that we don't understand" They both watched a baby bird flutter out of the nest and hurry toward the end of the branch to play on the leaves, Twilight smiled widely at the display. "And the only thing we know is things don't always go the way we planned." Suddenly the mother bird flew in front of the baby bird and gave it a disapproving look, which it returned with an unhappy glare of its own but went back to its nest with its siblings, Twilight frowning as the mother bird sat on her babies to keep them warm, Celestia however didn't see Twilight's unhappiness already trotting up a large rock formation Twilight following slowly after. "But you'll see every day that we'll never turn away when it seems all your dreams come undone." The pair watched in interest as a mother wildebeest nudging her baby so it could practice walking puling it up by its tail when it merely slumped back down on the ground. "We will stand by your side filled with hope and filled with pride we are more than we are we are one." The baby wildebeest began slowly, getting used to the feeling of moving but soon it was running in wild abandon only to be herded back the way it had come by its mother as Celestia leapt from the rock, Twilight scrambling down to follow curious to see where they were going. The pair trotted past several families of animals including a group of monkey eating small bugs and three hippos playing in the water as they walked across a sturdy log.

Twilight watched her reflection in the water stopping to get a better look "If there's so much I must be can I still just be me the way I am?" She looked up at her mother who simply gave her a kind smile walking toward the end of the log, but Twilight didn't move, studying her own reflection hard, until a large fish leapt out of the water and made a splash. "Can I trust in my own heart or am I just one part of some big plan?" She looked at her mother pleadingly begging with her eyes for the answers she sought, looking over her should toward the sky as a large V of birds flew overhead squawking and chirping noisily. Finding no answers within reach Twilight quickly cantered after her mother who sat on a fallen tree looking at a lone star glinting in the setting sun.

"Even those who are gone are with us as we go on your journey has only begun" Celestia smiled down at Twilight, who had just sat down beside her, of course in this moment she was speaking of two ponies, the brave and courageous Sombra who was her father, and the just and loyal Starswirl who was her grandfather, Twilight would never knew either of them in the living world but they would always be there as a part of her willing and ready to guide her. "Tears of pain, tears of joy one thing nothing can destroy is our pride, deep inside we are one" Celestia lifted her head to feel the breeze ruffle her fur before getting up and trotting off once again, Twilight eagerly following, for the moment her dilemma forgotten just enjoying chasing her mother, who stopped from time to time before she got to far ahead. They passed several herds as they raced across the Pridelands zebras, antelopes, giraffe, elephants, and two ostriches who appeared to be celebrating a new hatchling stuck out the most in Celestia's mind as they neared Pride Rock. "We are one, you and I we are like the earth and sky one family under the sun" Celestia felt her hooves grow damp as she stepping into a puddle creating a quiet splash, smiling a little as she hear two smaller splashes soon after her own. She half leapt half ran along the path toward Pride Rock stopping just before the back entrance to the rocky outcrop. "All the wisdom to lead all the courage that you need you will find when you see we are one" Celestia stood proudly her smile fading to confusion as she looked at the scared and worried look on Twilight's face. She looked back seeming Pride Rock and for a moment she was still before a bemused smile came to her face and she walked toward her filly.

"As long as you live here, it's who you are you'll understand one day" she assured her nuzzling Twilight before turning and leaping up to go inside Pride Rock pausing just before she went out of sight to give Twilight one last smile.

Twilight sighed but her sadness was put on hold as a happy carefree chirping reached her ears, it was the little blue bird! Twirling and flying happily in the air the bird circled Twilight seeming to show off to her as it performed twists and loop de loops before continuing to fly away. Twilight watched it go sadly for a few moments before a small smile found its way to her face, well at least one of them got the freedom they craved.

Twilight watched the setting sun, knowing her mothers magic was weaved in the bright ball of fire still so mystified at her mothers power. Twilight thought back to that moment with the strange outsider, Nightmare... who was she, what did she have to do with Discord, and just who was that filly they had met. Nightmare had said she was Discord's child, but just who was she, she seemed rude and violent when they had met at first and yet knowing very little about Twilight she was willing to risk her life to save Twilight. The purple filly sighed watching the sky as the stars began to appear, she wondered if Thunder looked at the stars sometimes and wondered about the Pridelands the way she wondered about the Outlands, why did they have to fight? Maybe she'd ask her mother tomorrow, though her mother mentioned very little of the Outsiders Thunder didn't seem so bad, they might've even became friends.

Twilight sighed again watching the few stars out this early twinkle, wondering if one of them might be her father "Father...I know we don't talk all that much, but... I'm lost, Mommy tries her best to help me understand but I just don't know what I'm meant to do, I haven't gotten my cutie mark and every time I try to be a leader I always mess it up. Who are the Outsiders, why is Mommy fighting with them? Is Thunder my enemy? How long are we going to fight? What are we even fighting for" Twilight was quiet a moment waiting for a reply she knew would never come "I just don't understand...."

Cadance cleared her throat lightly causing Twilight to jump, she had not heard Cadance approach. "You alright?" the pink pony asked softly sitting down beside the heir and looking up at the sky wondering about her uncle Sombra, would he be in stars after what had happened to him? She hoped so, he was a great king before he was corrupted.

"Just talking to my daddy, sort of" Twilight shuffled her hooves a little "Were we always fighting with the Outsiders like this?" she turned toward her foalsitter curiously, she knew very little about it as she had been born into it and didn't really question it, but now she realized that was just silly, there had to be peace once...right?

Cadance shook her head "Well as much as I think your mother should be telling you this I suppose you have a right to know anyways" she smiled at Twilight, she had always thought of her more as a little sister than their future ruler or her little cousin. "I never actually met your grandfather, but from what I've heard of him he was a great pony: considerate, smart, and kind, he was admired and had many the entire kingdom following him without hesitation when your mother and Nightmare were born" Cadance pulled Twilight close to her wrapping a wing around her to shield her from the coming chill of night. "Nightmare back then had been called Luna, and she had the ability to raise and lower the moon like your mother does the sun, she had gotten that from your grandmother I believe as Starswirl could only control the sun" she shook her head a moment "But anyways, though Starswirl was beloved by all of his subject there was one who wanted him gone" Cadance looked toward stone statue of Discord with a slight frown. "Though Discord had already been defeated once and was never really a harmful presence, as in he didn't go around harming animals or ponies, he thrived on chaos and thus made it impossible for things like food to grow when Starswirl defeated him the first time with the Elements of Harmony, mystical objects of power that bring order and power to those who wield them, and are in turn Discord's greatest weakness."

Twilight listened in awe picking her grandfather fighting the large snake-like statue that rested near Pride Rock looking up at Cadance as she spoke and snuggling into her wing like she always did while Cadance told her stories.

"Instead of casing Discord in stone Starswirl banished Discord from the Pridelands, many didn't agree with his decision given what Discord had done but Starswirl felt that with the Elements of Harmony around Discord wouldn't try another attack and as the years went by in peace the kingdom began to relax" the pink pony however didn't relax instead her back growing stiff as some of the light that mirth had brought faded from her eyes. "But things began to go down hill after your mother, a little bit older than you, began to gain your grandfathers favor after your grandmother passed, Luna began to grow jealous that ponies preferred spending time in your mother's daylight and slept all during her night. I'm not sure how but Discord seemed to sense this and slowly began to make her jealousy grow more and more, until in a few years time Nightmare was born, she challenged your grandfather to a duel and was defeated but her anger, jealousy, and hatred managed to break the Elements, which was all Discord needed to return. He and Starswirl battled magic to magic and your grandfather was slain, using his last breath to turn Discord to stone."

"Nightmare had returned to Pride Rock, and lied about the death of Starswirl saying that he had died protecting your mother and herself from Discord, claiming your mother had died with him while Nightmare herself managed to encase Discord in stone. A few ponies had believe Nightmare and served her without question she turned her dark magic to turn them into some sort of batpony who, like herself, thrived in the darkness. Those like your father and myself weren't so sure of her claims and your father went with me to find help, and through Starswirl will it seemed, I found your mother, she had begun living in a paradise with a warthog and meerkat. We begged her to return now knowing Nightmare's words be long, and I believe this is where your mother and father may have fallen in love" Candace looked down at Twilight and grinned chuckling a little at the disgusted look on her face. "At first your mother was determined to stay, saying something about Hakuna Matata, and she might have stayed just like she wanted if your father hadn't started to suffer from Discord and Nightmare's evil influence, your father tried very hard to make it seem like he was invincible, but even though his heart was strong, he was beginning to become corrupted by dark magic" Cadance gave Twilight a reassuring squeeze with her wing for the both of them before continuing.

"Your mother then realized just what was on the line if she did not return and joined us on our journey back here, Your mother challenged Nightmare for control of Pride Rock just as a fire broke out, revealing all of her lies and defeated her sealing her ability to control the moon, sending Nightmare and her followers into exile in the Outlands and regaining control of the Elements of Harmony in the end, unfortunately she was not quick enough to save your father and the dark magic in his heart turned him nearly as evil as Nightmare, fighting your mother as flames continued to consume Pride Rock, just as your father was about to land a fatal blow, I personally think some goodness inside him still remain, he hesitated and your mother throw him over the top of Pride Rock he disappeared in flames and never came back out..." Cadance nuzzled Twilight slightly when she heard the filly sniffle.

"I wish you had gotten the chance to meet your father I know he'd be proud of you, he was a lot like you, but those brains came from your mother" Cadance winked trying to lighten the mood and was rewarded with a shaky smile and a large yawn "Come on Twilight, we should get you to bed, you have a busy day tomorrow" the pink pony nudged Twilight toward Pride Rock unaware of Nightmares plans in the Outlands just hours before.

Author's Note

Hope you guys enjoy this chapter I decided to use one song in this chapter and the next song in the next just so it's not so 'song heavy' this song obviously being We Are One, teaching young Twilight Sparkle the way of the circle of life and family, the part at the end is stuff that I added in because I thought you'd guess would like to hear more 'history' and I felt that Twilight wouldn't be satisfied with a musical number XD hope you liked it :D