The Hidden Princess of Equestria

Spike had given Twilight a tour around the school, passing through many places, each one causing a great excitement to the young mare. They went to the science and chemistry rooms, as well passing through many clubs and classrooms, where Twilight was able to notice some of the greatest names in all history of magic.

But the best part to her was when they arrived to the library. Her excitement was so great that she took her time there, visiting every corner of the library. When they got out of there, Spike commented:

“Wow, I never expected to see a pony that liked so much being at a library. I think not the librarian likes being there more than you, Twilight.”

Blushing a little bit, she responded:

“Well, I guess I love books a little too much.”

“I wouldn’t guess that” he said, sarcastically. “Hey, now that I already gave you the tour around the school, what about I give you one around the city? We could go to the market.”

“I don’t know, Spike…” Twilight said. “I wanted to have time to revise some subjects for tomorrow. After all, I have to live up to my position as Star Swirl’s apprentice.”

“Wow, I really never met a student like you that rather wants to keep studying than enjoying a free day” Spike said. “Come on, let’s go have some fun before all the work begins.”

Despite her desire to get ready for tomorrow, Twilight was tempted by Spike’s offer. Eventually, she ended up agreeing in going.

Arriving to the market, Twilight quickly noticed that place was the most agitated on all the capital. Ponies were all over the place, buying and selling all kind of products. It was then that the young unicorn watched that there were a huge number of guards spread around the market. Now that Twilight thought about it, she had seen an abnormal amount of guards when she arrived.

“Wow, sure there is a lot of guards around” she commented.

“Well, of course” Spike said. “With the war against North Equestria, the security had become even more constricted.”

“Oh, so the war is on that point” Twilight said. “I just hope it can end soon with peace being implanted.”

“That will only happen when King Sombra is defeated once and for all” the little dragon responded. “What may take a while, as he appears to get stronger and stronger.”

That let Twilight a little worried. If that was true, then that would mean Sombra would try to invade South Equestria and conquer it. If that happened, the two factions would face each other and the crossfire would catch a lot of innocent ponies.

At that moment, they passed by a humble tent and a voice said:

“I can sense that you’re troubled, my dear.”

Twilight and Spike turned and saw a mysterious old mare with a cloak sitting on a rocking chair at the entrance of the tent.

“Do you allow a humble soothsayer to tell your fortune?” she asked.

The young mare got a little unsettling with the soothsayer’s appearance, but quickly got over it and replied:

“I’m sorry, but I don’t quite believe in divination. It’s not a very reliable branch of magic.”

Spike poked her to get her attention and then said:

“Ah, Twilight, if I was you, I wouldn’t talk like that. Can’t you see she is a faun? Everypony say that fauns possess an innate ability to see the future.”

At that moment, she noticed the soothsayer’s faun attributes. She had already heard about that species’ aptitude to divination and, despite her dislike for that branch of magic, Twilight couldn’t deny that, perhaps having some lights of what awaits for her, even if not reliable, wouldn’t be bad.

“Okay then… How much does it cost?”

“I only charge my services to the ones who seek them” the soothsayer replied. “You don’t have to worry about payment, my dear.”

“Well, what about that?” Spike said. “It looks like it’s your lucky day, Twilight.”

“Yeah, I don’t know about that, Spike” she replied.

They got inside the tent, with Twilight curious about all the things that were there. The soothsayer made a sign to a table, where there was a deck of cards, and Twilight and her assistant sat down before it. The soothsayer sat at the other side and took the deck, using her fawn magic to shuffle them and then placed each card face-down on the table.

“I can sense you have a lot of questions in your head, my dear” the soothsayer said. “Think about what you want to know and pick three cards.”

Twilight did so and the first thing she ever thought was her internship with Star Swirl. She wanted to know if everything would be alright. And then she picked three cards, motioning them with her hoof. The soothsayer made them hover and turned one over.

“The Magician” the soothsayer said. “Apparently, you have a lot of talent and capability. This card is advising you to embrace them and not contain them.”

“That’s what I do” Twilight said.

“Perhaps, but, sometimes the extension of our abilities can scare us and that’s what this card is telling you” the soothsayer replied.

The soothsayer then turned another card, saying:

“The Wheel of Fortune…”

“Oh, that sounds interesting…” Spike commented.

“For what I can see, not everything will go as you planned” the soothsayer told. “Fate will try to lead you in the road it sees fit.”

“I don’t actually believe in fate” Twilight said.

“But it exists and it will guide you” the soothsayer said.

The faun then turned over the third card.

“The Emperor” she said. “I can see someone that will help you in this road of yours. I can’t see clearly, but will be like a sort of a father figure.”

Twilight thought for a moment that could be Star Swirl, but how would he, the most important conjurer in all Equestria, be what the soothsayer tells he’s going to be.

“Well, I have to say that this was actually… reassuring” Twilight said. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, my dear” the soothsayer replied. “However, I can’t help but feeling you have still some questions.”

She was right. Twilight didn’t know how she got it, but another question was bothering her and that was regarding a certain stallion she had met during her trip to Equestria.

“If you want some help with that… you just have to pick three more cards” the soothsayer said.

The young unicorn hesitated. If that faun was really as great in divination, Twilight was really nervous about she would tell her. Then, taking a decision, she picked three other cards and the soothsayer turned one over.

“The Lovers… I see, you want to know about love. For what I can see, you already found it, am I right?”

Twilight didn’t replied, but it couldn’t be more obvious.

“Wow, Twilight, I didn’t know that about you” Spike said.

“We only met today, Spike” Twilight replied.

“Oh, right…” the young dragon replied.

“This love of yours seems to complete you, my dear” the soothsayer said. “I dare to say you are meant to be. You are fated to meet each other until your story is resolved, in one way or another.”

“Really?” Twilight asked.

The soothsayer nodded, giving hope to the young unicorn that she would find Shining again. The faun turned the second card.

“Temperance… I see that you’ll have to balance both your reason and your heart when it comes to this love.”

“What does that mean?” Twilight asked.

“Maybe something will happen that will test your feelings for him” the soothsayer said. “But, perhaps, the third card will tell us more.”

She flipped it.

“Strength… This card only enhances the importance of the previous one. You’ll need to be strong.”

“But why?”

“Perhaps there’s something that will be an obstacle to your love, something from your life… or his.”

Twilight remembered then the note Shining left her, saying that there was something preventing him from being with her. Perhaps that was what the soothsayer was trying to tell her.

“Tell me, my dear, there is anything else you want to know?” the soothsayer asked.

She thought for a moment and then she realized that could be the moment to get to know her origins. Twilight then extended her hoof and picked three other cards. The soothsayer turned over one.

“Death…”

“Wait, Twilight is going to die!” Spike exclaimed with a little terror in his voice. “But I just become her assistant and…”

Twilight chuckled and then said:

“Spike, I may not be knowledgeable in divination, but I don’t think this card is telling I’m going to die.”

“She is right” the soothsayer ensured. “The card Death doesn’t mean actual death, but rather the end of a circle. Something will happen that will change your life, my dear.”

“What kind of change?” Twilight asked.

“I can’t tell you that, but I can tell that change won’t come easy” the soothsayer replied. “But, despite that, you won’t have any other choice but accept it.”

That puzzled Twilight. Would that anything to do with her birth family. Would she be able to know who they were?

“What can you tell me more?” Twilight asked.

The soothsayer turned the next card:

“The Chariot… I have to tell you, my dear, this change in your life will put you in a crossroad and is the road that you’ll choose that will direct you in the path that you are meant to walk.”

Those words worried Twilight. The fact that choice the soothsayer was talking about would determinate her fate was alarming.

“Please, I need to know more” Twilight said.

The soothsayer took the third card and took a peek. Shock invaded her face and then hasted to put it down.

“What?” Twilight asked. “Is there something wrong?”

The soothsayer took a moment and then replied:

“No, my dear, there’s nothing wrong. It’s just I’m exhausted. These sections are starting to get the better on me and I’m not as young as I used to be.”

“But what was that card?” Twilight asked.

“Nothing special” the soothsayer said. “Something that would be a repetition of what had been said. Please, tell me, my dear, do you have any other question?”

“No, I don’t have one. But, you know, it was nice to hear all that” Twilight said. “It was a big help, thank you.”

The soothsayer nodded with her head in response and the young unicorn get up, saying:

“Let’s go, Spike.”

And she and the little dragon got out. The soothsayer went to the entrance of the tent and watched Twilight moving away. She then looked to the card she didn’t reveal to her: it was The Devil.

“I wish you the best of luck, little princess” she said. “I hope you make the right choice.”

While they were walking, Spike said:

“You know, I wanted to know what that third card was.”

“Me too” Twilight said. “Did you noticed how she got when she saw it? She probably saw something that worried her and didn’t want to tell me.”

“Oh, don’t think about that, Twilight” Spike replied. “Probably it’s nothing. Besides, you were the one that told me that you didn’t believe that much in divination.”

“I know, but… that soothsayer made feel otherwise, like… she actually could see the future.”

Twilight was so immerse in her thoughts that ended up bumping on somepony else, causing apples to fall, along with a basket.

“I’m sorry… I wasn’t paying attention.”

“It’s okay” a voice replied.

That voice belonged to a big stallion with a brilliant amaranth coat with a green apple sliced in half as Cutie Mark, a brilliant orange mane and moderate sap green eyes. He, when saw Twilight got entranced by her beauty. He couldn’t believe in what he was seeing. He had never seen such beautiful mare. His heart started to race uncontrollably and he couldn’t move.

Using her magic, Twilight took the basket and placed all the apples there, putting then the basket on the stallion’s back.

“There you have” she said. “I’m sorry for that. Come, Spike.”

And they moved away, with the stallion following Twilight with his eyes. He then smiled, with his cheeks getting red.

The night fell and the soothsayer was walking through the streets of Canterlot, pulling the wagon where she had her things. She then arrived to a dark alley and stopped, saying:

“You can show up now. I know you’re there.”

A few seconds later, cloaked figures surrounded her, with one that seemed to be a pegasus approaching her. That pegasus removed her hood, revealing to be Rainbow Dash, Shining and Blue’s younger sister.

“So, it’s true what they say about you” Rainbow said with a harsh and cold voice. “You really can see the future.”

“See the future is such a stretch” the soothsayer replied. “Let’s just say I can guide ponies in their fates.”

“Whatever…” Rainbow Dash said. “Our king wants you and that’s exactly what he’ll have.”

“So finally King Sombra started to search for me” the soothsayer commented. “I have to say it is an honor to finally get to know him.”

That response confused Rainbow Dash who asked:

“You’re not trying to run away.”

“Why would I do that? I’m just an old faun that is surrounded by guards of King Sombra. Beyond that, I knew this moment would arrive. After all, I have something that your king wants.”