The Hidden Princess of Equestria

Sixteen years had passed since the day Queen Celestia had ordered Petal Shy to take the former’s newborn filly away in order to protect the baby from her evil father. The former lady-in-waiting had followed that order with all her heart, with her and her husband raising and loving Princess Twilight as their own. Even though they were not sisters, Twilight and Fluttershy ended up becoming best friends, as if they were true sisters.

Of course raising a young unicorn wasn’t easy for Petal Shy and Curly Cloud, mainly when that unicorn turned out to be very talented in magic. Eventually, they had to tell her they weren’t her true parents, having the care to not reveal her true origins, and, even though they feared she wouldn’t take it well, Twilight reacted surprisingly well.

The morning of the young princess’ anniversary arrived, with the sun illuminating a small, but cozy cottage at the top of a hill, near a small village. The sunbeams get in through a window into a room that belonged to Twilight. The young unicorn was at that moment sleeping in her bed, but it didn’t take long for her to awake when the sun touched her face. After yarning and stretching, Twilight took a deep breath and rose up from the bed and went to her window, opening it and admiring that new day.

Twilight had now become a beautiful grown mare, with a pink six-pointed sparkle surrounded by five small white sparkles as Cutie Mark. She couldn’t believe she had now sixteen years and that the day of her anniversary would be beautiful. The only thing that she hoped was that her great dream would come to reality at that day.

Getting out of her room, she started to walk down the stairs to go take the breakfast, when she faced with three voices exclaiming:

“SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TWILIGHT!”

That had come from her parents and her sister Fluttershy, with them having prepared a great breakfast with three presents on the table.

“But what is this?” Twilight asked, surprised, while approaching.

“What do you think it is, sweaty?” Curly Cloud asked. “Do you think we would forget about your birthday.”

“We know that you don’t like parties, but I think that a surprise birthday breakfast is not included on that” Petal Shy told.

“So, we made everything you like” Fluttershy said, going to her sister to give her a hug. “It’s a nice way of wishing you a good birthday. What do you think?”

“Well… I don’t know what to say” Twilight confessed. “No, that’s a lie. I know what to say: I have the best family ever.”

And she hugged her parents, while saying:

“Thank you… for everything.”

After that moment, they started taking the breakfast, with Twilight opening her presents. Knowing her very well, Petal Shy, Curly Cloud and Fluttershy both bought to her books that she wanted, something that she was very grateful of.

“And… there is another surprise” Flutteshy said, with a great smile.

“What?” Twilight asked.

And the young pegasus showed Twilight a sealed letter. That caused the latter to let out a little scream of excitement, while taking the letter with her magic. Looking to the seal of the letter, she recognized it as belonging to…

“The Canterlot School for Gifted Unicorns…” Twilight said. “This must be the answer to my admition. I just hope I got in.”

She started to open the letter, while Petal Shy and Curly Cloud stood nervous as she did it. Although they wished Twilight to realize her dreams, they knew very well what could happen if she returned to Canterlot. Because of that, they wished Twilight hadn’t been accepted. But that came undone when a smile appeared on her face as she read the letter.

“I can’t believe it…” she said. “I got in! I was accepted in the Canterlot School for Gifted Unicorns!”

“That’s wonderful!” Fluttershy exclaimed, hugging Twilight. “I’m so happy for you!”

Before those news Petal Shy and Curly Cloud became even more nervous. Noticing that, Twilight asked:

“Are you two okay?”

“Oh, yes, my dear…” Curly Cloud said. “I guess we were just caught by surprise by the moment.”

“And also because we know you’ll have to leave to go to school” Petal Shy replied.

“You don’t have to worry” Twilight said. “I will write to you every day. And I will come during school breaks.”

“We know, dear, I think we’re just worry about you going to Equestria, that’s all” Curly Cloud said.

“You know that land is under a great war” Petal Shy said. “That was the reason why we had to flee when you and your sister were babies. We would be more relieved if you stayed here.”

Twilight, making a slight smile, advanced to her parents and hugged them, while saying:

“I know you’re worried, but you don’t have to. I can take care of myself perfectly.”

“Yes, Twilight will be fine” Fluttershy said. “I for one would be terrified in going all by myself, but Twilight is smart and resourceful.”

“Yes, that is true, but…” Petal Shy said.

It was then that Curly Cloud put a hoof on his wife’s shoulder and said to her:

“It would appear our daughter has made up her mind. It would be cruel try to keep her from making her dream a reality.”

Understanding what her husband was trying to tell her, Petal Shy sighed and told:

“Yes… I guess a parent shouldn’t prevent her children from follow their dreams. Just promise me you’ll be careful there.”

“I will” Twilight promised.

And then she joined Fluttershy on their celebratory hug. Looking at them, Petal Shy just hoped things back at Equestria were better than when she and her family had to flee.

At Equestria, the war had reached an impasse, where both sides were in an armed truce, waiting for the other to do the first move. Ever since King Sombra’s return, he and Queen Celestia had begun a war that divided their land in two: the North Equestria, ruled by King Sombra at the Crystal City, and the South Equestria, ruled by Celestia at Canterlot. A great wall had been built dividing this two nations, with it being guard at both sides by a great number of guards.

Celestia did her best to never give up on her fight against her former husband. She had to ensure her subjects she wouldn’t stop until Sombra’s threat was over. However the alicorn queen didn’t know for how much she would hold that war. She knew she wasn’t as powerful as Sombra and that his army was trained to win at any cost.

At that morning, Celestia was looking to her kingdom at the balcony of her room. The fact that he had stopped attacking South Equestria worried a bit. Maybe he was now focused in finding their daughter, a thought that didn’t give much comfort to her. Celestia just hoped Twilight, as well as Petal Shy and her family, was okay.

It was then that, behind Celestia, a pegasus stallion appeared. He had a moderate red coat with a torch with two crossed spears as Cutie Mark, reddish brown hooves, a brilliant red mane and deep blue eyes. His name was Hepheus and was Celestia’s current husband.

Some years had passed ever since Celestia had to give Twilight up to Petal Shy and begun the war against Sombra when she met Hepheus, a new captain to her Royal Guard, ending up falling for him. Their marriage came not very long, as well the birth of their daughter, Gleaming Shield, who was a ten-year-old alicorn filly with turquoisish white coat with a crystal snowflake as Cutie Mark, a moderate rose, pale gold, moderate sapphire blue and dark phthalo blue mane and light purple eyes.

Putting his foreleg over Celestia’s shoulder, Hepheus asked:

“Is everything okay, my love? You seem a little troubled.”

“Today makes sixteen years ever since I had to give up Twilight to Petal Shy” Celestia replied. “It seems it doesn’t get easy with the pass of time. I even wonder if I will see her again.”

“You will, you just have to have faith” Hepheus said. “You told me the soothsayer said that she would be the one to defeat Sombra. If the prophecy is real, then you can be certain that you’ll see Twilight again. That and Gleaming will be able to meet her big sister.”

“You’re right” Celestia said, with a slight smile, turning to her husband. “Only you to make me smile when I’m depressed. But even with all my faith, I can’t help but wondering what Sombra is up to. I just hope he doesn’t find Twilight before she is ready to face him. I can’t stand the thought of having my own daughter against me…”

Before she could continue, Hepheus pressed his lips against hers in a kiss that made her clear the worries she had in mind. When they ended it, Celestia said to Hepheus with a tender smile:

“Thank you. You’re great.”

“No, you’re the one who is great” Hepheus said. “You’re a great queen, capable of working through the pain and thinking always on her subjects. Believe me, if your daughter doesn’t defeat Sombra, you can be sure you will. That’s what I believe.”

Celestia chuckled and said:

“I just work through the pain because I have you to help me carry on my own sadness. I don’t know how I would be still standing if it wasn’t for you or Gleaming or Twilight.”

When they were about to share another kiss, somepony knocked the door of the room.

“Come in” Celestia said.

The door opened and the great conjurer of Equestria and headmaster to Canterlot School for Gifted Unicorns, Star Swirl the Bearded, appeared. The powerful unicorn had a bluish gray coat with a robe with a night pattern with bells at the edge, a white and arctic bluish gray mane and beard with a pointed hat with the same pattern as the robe and bells at the base and the tip, dark gray hooves and dark violetish gray eyes. He was holding with his magic a closed scroll when he said:

“I’m sorry to bother you, my queen, but it was told me that you would be here.”

“Star Swirl!” Celestia said. “Please, come in.”

“Well, I guess I will check on my guards and read the reports about the situation on the border” Hepheus said.

And, having said that, he got out.

“I’m sorry, if I interrupted anything between and the king, Your Highness” Star Swirl said.

“Don’t be” Celestia replied. “Hepheus was just comforting me. Today is Twilight’s birthday. My daughter has sixteen years and I don’t have her with me to wish her a happy birthday.”

“Yes, I know it must be very hard for you” Star Swirl observed.

“It is, but I better focus in other things” Celestia replied. “Tell me, Star Swirl, what brings you here?”

“Well, as you may have noticed, my current apprentice is getting closer to his gradation, so I decided to take a look to the new admitted students.”

“That’s no big deal” Celestia commented. “You do that every time your current apprentice is near gradation.”

“I know that, but I think, this time, you’ll find this new student of mine very interesting” Star Swirl said. “She possesses a great talent and potential, but it was her name that made me come to you.”

Finding herself now curious about this new apprentice, Celestia took the scroll that Star Swirl, opened it and started to read it. She noticed that Star Swirl was right about that student’s talent for magic, but when Celestia looked to her name, she stood petrified, while feeling a mix of feelings she had never felt.

“Twilight… Sparkle… my daughter…” she said.