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Chapter 1: A student for Twilight ( Revised)
Queen Mia Solaria Celestia Soleil, the ruler of the magical Kingdom of Equestria, smiled as she watched her former student, Crown Princess Twilight Soleil, the Princess of Friendship and Magic, walk with her daughter, a light purple mare with a purple and gold mane, along the mossy silver cobblestone paths that lived in the Canterlot palace garden, giving the gardens a bigger and magical look. The wise and old white mare watched as Twilight’s daughter, Princess Skylar Soleil, chased after small white rabbits, gifted to the gardens by Fluttershy once upon a time when she had one too many of the little rabbits to take care of.
Celestia, as much as she didn't want to, had to admit that she didn't think motherhood would have suited the bookish and 'career-oriented' Twilight, but here she was in full dinner dress playing with her daughter. Twilight had grown more motherly over the past couple of years, but she still did her many duties and studies and found the time for her weekly meeting with Celestia and Luna and court while tackling motherhood.
Celestia was awoken from her thought when she felt a little kiss on her nose, Celestia smiled and laughed as Skylar flew up to her. The white mare of the sun seized the light purple alicorn in her golden sun-like magic, earning a small giggle from her. Twilight was close behind, smiling as the light purple alicorn floated around the alicorn Queen of the sun. Twilight caught her daughter and floated back to the ground.
"I win!" Skylar announced as she looked at Twilight with her eyes wide and excited.
Twilight smiled sweetly as her daughter landed next to her. "You did Sky, you did” Twilight said as she nuzzled her gently.
"I must admit it, Twilight, you have always surprised me" Celestia smiled with her kind eyes at the lilac Princess of Friendship and Magic.
"Thank you," Twilight looked down and paused. "Celestia, could I ask you something?" Twilight's new, almost childish, tone caught the white mare's attention. "Can I tell you about something I was thinking about doing?" the young mother asked.
"What is it, Twilight? Is something wrong?" The Queen asked, her head slightly tilted.
The lilac mare shook her head and pressed her lips together. "Well, I was wondering if you could tell me when you thought it was time for me to take on a student of my own?" The Princess smiled at her old mentor, clutching her daughter in her foreleg. "Or maybe if you know if I am ready?" Twilight added quietly.
Celestia smiled, she had been waiting for the day when her forever faithful student would decide to take on her own; in truth, she had expected it to be sooner, sometime around the time Twilight had opened her school, which was now some five or possibly six years ago.
"I didn't," Celestia answered smiling at Princess Skylar, who giggled back. "It was more like this," the Queen said. "If I had a student in my school who was already showing promise, I would come to their mid-term exams, and if they impressed me, I would take them on as my student. I followed the same 'routine' with Cadence, Sunset Shimmer and you, my dear student."
Twilight adopted a confused look. The Queen sighed slightly, seeing she hadn't really explained the purple Princess' question. "You don't exactly know when you're ready, just like in parenthood, you don't know if you’re ready or not," Celestia stated. "I just took on a student if one came along" she smiled.
"Well, I think I'm ready." Twilight smiled as she placed her daughter on to the ground, pride burning in her eyes.
"Very well, Twilight," Celestia smiled at her faithful student. "Who have you chosen to become your very first student?" the white mare asked the lilac Princess. "Is it somepony from your school?" Twilight shook her head, receiving a confused look from the Sun Queen, perhaps the mare had searched far and wide for a student? Maybe she had chosen Royal Blue, daughter of Rarity and Fancy Pants, whom she knew was Skylar’s closest friend?
"I have selected," Twilight bit her lip, unsure of Celestia's reaction, she hoped the Queen would be understanding "Ivory Wand Lulamoon, the daughter of Trixie Lulamoon."
Celestia's jaw dropped, it was one step away from falling to the floor and making a crashing sound, she could not believe her ears; she had to have misheard that, surely, she had to have. Skylar turned to face her mother, her face shaped like an o . The Queen shook her head violently, thinking she had misheard the young purple Princess. Skylar did the same, copying her mother's former teacher.
Clearing her throat, the Sun Queen sighed. "S-sorry, Twilight, I didn't hear you right. What did you say?" the white mare asked her student.
"I have chosen to be my very, very first student, Ivory Wand Lulamoon, the daughter of my 'friend' Trixie Lulamoon ...?" Twilight said again, uncertainty in her voice this time around.
The Queen sighed and asked her student to follow her. "Twilight, my dear student," Celestia sighed, bringing her hoof to her mouth, trying to think of what to say next. "I'm not sure she is the best choice," Celestia smiled awkwardly, placing her hoof back on the ground. "Why not another foal? They could be a filly or a colt, a mare or a stallion, they could be from my school," Celestia cocked her head "or yours." Celestia suggested, her smile cracking a bit. "Miss Lulamoon is just a bit too.... well, we both know what she's like" Celestia admitted.
Twilight shook her head lightly. "Celestia, if I may speak 'off the record', so to say, I believe anypony, no matter who they are related to or descended from can learn to embrace friendship and harmony and acceptance. I'm sure of it, Celestia!" The lavender Princess beamed, her smile almost blinding. "Just because Ivory is the daughter of Trixie doesn't mean she can't learn to accept my friendship," Twilight said. "in time, she may ascend to alicornhood as I did!" Twilight cheered.
Celestia shook her head and sighed. "I don't think that is the right path for her," she said, barely able to hide the look of hatred from her voice or face. She could not believe Twilight even thought of having one of her kind as her first ever student.
Twilight raised her eyebrow. "Maybe it could be her path? With time and patience!" Twilight shouted at the queen.
Celestia bit her inside of her cheek. "As much as I love and appreciate your enthusiasm, I think it is ... well, misplaced," The Queen of the sun answered. "Miss Trixie Lulamoon and her whole gypsy family have been banished from Equestria for crimes against the crown; if we were to let one in, who's to say more won't want to follow and only come for unfaithful reasons?" Celestia's voice suddenly took a serious tone, all memory of the awkwardly smiling Celestia was whipped from the purple Princess' mind. "And Trixie was once King Sombra's right-hoof mare, who knows what she is capable of or her daughter? Besides, Trixie's daughter is nearly ten years old, far too old to begin training." The Sun Queen shook her head and stopped walking, pausing where Discord's statue had once stood.
"Celestia, I take it upon myself to keep the young mare 'under supervision'. If something goes horribly wrong, I will take full responsibility." Twilight put her hoof on top of her heart, a serious look on her face.
Celestia looked down at the ground, watching as Skylar clumsily tried to walk and giggling all the way. Sighing deeply, the Queen locked eyes with her former student. "Twilight, I accept your request for a student." Twilight beamed and jumped around in an invisible circle, with Skylar following closely behind.
"Oh, thank you! thank you!" Twilight smiled widely, her eyes closed tightly in excitement.
"Thank you, Celestia!" Skylar shouted.
"Under one condition," Celestia's tone caught the happy alicorn almost in mid-air, as well as Skylar. "She will not be taught in a class with impressionable young ponies ... and, under no circumstances is her mother to visit for extended periods of time, since she is still serving her sentence for her crimes. Also, I will set up a sort of 'territory’, so we can keep track of her" the white mare stated.
Twilight nodded. "You have my word, Celestia. I won't let you down!" Twilight beamed once more as she placed Skylar on her back and took flight.
. . .
Crown Princess Twilight raced around her home, the Castle of Friendship, making last minute changes to her schedule. She huffed as she lifted a pile of books over to a desk that she had set up for her first student. She smiled as she examined the desk one last time. It was perfectly set up, bright pencils, red quills, and pens lined up perfectly and perfectly sharpened to perfection. Five notebooks perfectly set underneath each other and notepads set in the exact middle of the desk. Twilight beamed with pride as she threw open the light pink curtains, allowing her mentor’s glorious and bright sun to rain in. She took a moment to gaze at the dark, rich green grass down below, the students from her school playing around the grass.
The purple mare jumped high into the sky as she heard a knock at her door. Quickly gathering herself, she raced to answer the cream colored door. She smiled sweetly as she found her student standing at her door, next to the two guards Celestia had loaned Twilight. The young unicorn mare was smaller than Twilight had imagined her to be and skinnier, but, luckily, she seemed to be of average weight, although certainly not height; she looked like a mare who had shrunk into the height of a filly.
"Welcome to Ponyville, Ivory Wand Lulamoon!" Twilight cheered. The very light blue unicorn mare jumped high into the sky. Her pure white mane seeming to 'frizzle' like she had just gotten an electric shock. "Err, I'm sorry, Ivory. I didn't …"
"Didn't mean what?" Twilight gasped as she heard the familiar voice of Trixie roar at her. The light blue mother of the unicorn stepped forward, her eyes focusing dead on Twilight. Twilight was surprised she was wearing a very plain servant's uniform; perhaps Trixie had found a job? But that idea was shattered when she saw the gold magic inhibitor ring on Trixie's horn. "She was still serving out her sentence" , Twilight reminded herself sadly. The unicorn also had a shortened mane and tail style, most likely for convenience, Twilight reasoned. The alicorn also noted that the younger unicorn wore a metal bracelet around her left leg, that must be how we will 'keep track of her ... she has no cutie mark, Twilight sombrely added to her mental notes. Twilight was shocked, to say the least that she had never seen a unicorn Ivory's age without a cutie mark.
The alicorn shook her head and took a small step forward. "I only meant to greet her, Trixie," Twilight responded quietly as the unicorn mare began to look around the room. "She must have just gotten a small fright, that's all" she added as an afterthought.
Trixie shot a glare at the alicorn, who froze in space. "Yeah, of course you did , Trixie knows you only meant that!" Trixie said dismissively as she walked over to her daughter and pushed her along protectively. "Come along, Ivory. Let's see what they have for you!" Trixie trotted around the entire room, with Ivory tagging along closely, staying close to her mother's silver tail.
Twilight shook her head and quickly caught up to the pair, preparing to give her 'introduction speech'. "As you can see, Trixie, Ivory," she smiled, "I have pre-prepared supplies for Ivory Wand, so that way, we can get started right away." Twilight smiled as she pointed out the desk and school supplies.
"Did you think Trixie was too poor to buy her own supplies?" Trixie snapped, looking back at the Princess with wild eyes.
Twilight instantly shook her head. "No, no! I just thought it would be easier if I got everything ready …"
"… Of course you did," Trixie said with spite. "Now, Trixie will allow her daughter to go to your so-called 'school' for only a term. If I am satisfied with what you are, quote, 'teaching' her, I will consider letting her stay a second term" Trixie stated.
"And, if you are not?" Twilight inquired as she cocked her head at the blue unicorn, who held her head high and huffed.
"Trixie will take her to a more 'established' place," Trixie said with spite once again. "Or I'll teach her myself."
"Oh, okay, I understand" Twilight sighed, not bothering to remind the mare that her magic was sealed away with the inhibitor ring around her horn.
Trixie rolled her eyes. "Well, this is all Trixie can stand of you for today, until the end of the term, Princess Twilight!" Trixie left the room, slamming the door behind her using her hooves with the might of thunder.
Twilight turned to face the blue mare, who looked almost mortified, the Princess sighed and approached the unicorn. "Alright, um, let me reintroduce myself. My name is Princess Twilight, I will your teacher," Twilight explained to the unicorn, who came out of her shell a little more. "Do you know any magic at all?" the purple mare asked.
Ivory nodded a sweet and small nod. She mouthed a small and weak 'yes'.
"Alrighty then, let's get started" Twilight beamed.
Chapter 2: A night on the town (Revised)
A day had passed since Twilight had taken the young unicorn mare known as Ivory Wand Lulamoon under her wing, thought the Sun Goddess. Queen Celestia huffed as she watched her former student, Crown Princess Twilight Soleil, try to teach in the meadows with the gypsy’s daughter, whatever her name was. It wasn't so much that fact that Ivory Wand, the light blue mare with the greasy and unsightly colored mane and tail, was even this close to Celestia's own home, it was the fact that Twilight seemed to... like her , like Celestia liked Twilight. The Sun Goddess snorted. It was only a matter of time and waiting and watching until Twilight would soon come to logical thinking and reason to see that the young mare was not meant for this.
A unicorn, a pony, like Ivory Wand could never become the student of a Princess, let alone Twilight's own personal student, her first student. Ponies like her chose to turn their backs to ponies like Twilight and Celestia, even siding themselves with King Sombra and the Umbrums, but once Sombra 'mysteriously' disappeared, they came running back, swearing their loyalty to Equestria and the Sun Queen. She had not accepted their loyalty, though they were allowed to live. That was the only thing Celestia would grant them. The white mare smiled as she looked back down at Twilight and Ivory, by the looks for things, Ivory was causing trouble ...
"You have to try at least one more time, Ivory. Something as seemingly simple as lifting a stone can take a lot of time and practice" Twilight stated as she watched her student groan and sit on the dirt floor.
"Why?" the light blue unicorn asked. "My ma said I was the daughter of the most powerful stallion ever to have lived!" Ivory cried. "I should be able to do this!" the young mare puffed her silvery mane out of her face.
"Ivory," Twilight bit her lip, she could not tell Ivory her mother had ... extended the truth. Even though it was still a mystery as to whom Trixie had 'selected' to have a foal with, Twilight had her own theories. "Just try one last time, Ivory," Twilight smiled, "I'm sure you can do it."
Puffing, Ivory stood up on her hind legs. She groaned heavily as tiny, blue sparks began to fizzle out of her horn. All of a sudden, large firework-like sparks flew from the unicorn's horn as she managed to lift the stone high into the sky. Twilight gasped and smiled. She was doing it. Ivory was doing it! Ivory gasped herself as she lifted the small stone over her head, doing a sort of trick, Twilight presumed. She held it steady while Twilight clapped.
"You did it, Ivory!" Twilight cheered as Ivory placed the stone back where she had found it "You lifted the stone!"
"I ... I did it. I did it without your or ma's help!" At Ivory's comment, Twilight's smile vanished, but only for a moment.
Had Trixie been 'helping' Ivory with even the most basic of spell casting? Surely not. This had to just be Ivory exaggerating or something like that. A unicorn Ivory's age should have been more than capable of lifting a stone. Twilight herself could do it soon as she turned one .... and a half . Admittedly, Twilight was 'early' in terms of magical skill, perhaps Ivory was just ever so slightly late in her magic skills, a 'late bloomer' perhaps?
"Well done!" Twilight smiled as Ivory leaped in circles around the stone. The lilac alicorn looked up to the sky. Storm clouds were rolling in like angry waves. "Ivory, it's time to go back, it's going to rain, I'm sure of it!" Twilight said as she flexed out a wing for Ivory to hide under.
Celestia cried out as she watched Twilight. Why was she giving this young mare so much love and attention? She did not deserve it, she didn't deserve to call herself "The student of Crown Princess Twilight Soleil" or anything like that. Just seeing the unicorn so overjoyed about lifting a stone made Celestia's blood boil. Twilight deserved better. She needed better. It would be useless for a pony, an alicorn Princess, as accomplished and renowned for her magic as Twilight to sit and teach this pony. Celestia hummed to herself as a plan formed in her head.
. . .
Crown Prince Zephyr looked out over the Royal balcony and watched as the familiar image of his wife came into view. Never did he allow a day to pass by without reminding himself how lucky he was to have had the beautiful Princess Twilight reciprocate his love and share wedding vows.
The imposing deep blue pegasus had taken over from Shining Armor as Captain of the Royal Guard when he had moved to the Crystal Empire with Princess Cadence. In fact, the strong bond between Shining and Zephyr had been at least partially responsible for bringing Twilight close to him in the first place.
The stoic and disciplined deep blue pegasus had become used to hiding his emotions, but permitted himself the indulgence of allowing a smile to cross his lips as he watched his beloved lilac alicorn draw closer, but in spite of this, he had to admit, he was less than happy.
Twilight had insisted that Ivory should stay with their family. Luckily, he had persuaded Twilight that the gypsy’s mare and their own daughter should have different rooms. Ivory stayed on the ground floor, or basement, as some ponies would call it, along with the servants who lived in the castle. Some of the rooms this low down were underground, but those that were not did have windows, meek ones, unlike the grand windows that graced the outsides and inside of the castle.
Skylar slept in the room just next to the couple's own room. Her room was a little smaller than Zephyr had hoped it to be, but, Twilight had insisted that Skylar lived in a 'normal' bedroom without the two levels, swirling staircase, her own hoofmaiden, and certainly not a skylight. As Zephyr turned towards the front door, Twilight came rushing in with Ivory on her back; they were both giggling like teenage fillies.
"Oh, Zephyr" Twilight smiled as she straightened herself. "Can I help you with anything?" the lilac mare asked.
"Err, no, Twilight, nothing really wrong" the pegasus answered, watching carefully as the unicorn trotted in mud from the outside. "I was just wanting to ask you if we were still going to attend the opera tonight. I had been waiting months just to catch a glimpse of the tickets, and we both know how expensive it was to get the seats we got; I don't want them to think we didn't want to go to the opera." He smiled.
"Oh, I nearly forgot! I'm sorry, I must've forgotten to write it down in my diary, but, we can still go. We'll just have to ask for another seat" Twilight smiled back.
"Another?" He raised his eyebrow. "Skylar does not need two, Twilight" Zephyr laughed.
"It's not for Skylar, Zephyr," Twilight said, "It's for Ivory." The light blue unicorn's face lit up with the might of a thousand fireworks.
"An opera'?" Ivory gasped. "There's one of those in Manehatten!" the young mare remarked.
"Twilight," Zephyr said strongly as he pulled Twilight to the side. "Surely, we're not bringing ... her , are we?" he asked.
"We most certainly are. Why ever would we not? She can borrow one of Sky's numerous dresses. Just in case you're worried about her looking 'underdressed' for the occasion." Twilight answered firmly.
"Don't you think it would be a tiny bit ... weird for members of the royal family to be seen looking after a gypsy’s daughter?" The pegasus pushed the idea forward. "You know what they did during the Umbrum war" the deep blue stallion reminded, "What if something bad happens to you?" He asked, worried for Twilight’s safety.
"There's no need to bring that up. We both went through that thing together" Twilight said.
. . .
It took only a few moments for the small family to get ready. Ivory giggled and leaped around as Twilight watched from the doorway of Ivory's room, which was a rather plain slight yellow with white trims. The light blue mare was dressed in a white almost sailor inspired dress with white frills along the neckline and the sleeves.
"Oh, thank you ma!"
Twilight flinched.
Had Ivory just called her 'ma'? As in 'mother'? The lilac mare had to admit it, she was touched, almost beyond that. "Ivory, please, call me Princess. There's no need to include the 'Crown' part." Twilight answered quickly. The last thing she wanted was for Ivory, or Trixie, to get confused and possibly angry.
"Really? I always had to call the Sun Queen 'Your Majesty' or …" Ivory asked for a moment but was distracted the second Skylar came rushing in wearing her purple sailor dress.
"Look! We're wearing the same thing, Wanda!" Skylar giggled.
"Wanda?" Ivory asked the light purple alicorn who whizzed around her and Twilight.
"I think it's a nickname, Ivory," Twilight answered. "It does suit you very much" she said as Skylar came to the ground.
"Are we going now?" Skylar asked her mother.
“Oh, we probably should" Twilight smiled as Skylar raced ahead. Ivory stayed close to Twilight, almost gluing herself to the lilac alicorn's side. "You can go on ahead, Wanda. I'll catch up in no time!" Twilight smiled.
The light blue unicorn soon quickly galloped after the light purple Princess, eager to catch up. Twilight felt her smile widen as she found Zephyr at the front door, wearing a white tux, black tie, and grey vest. He was watching Skylar and Ivory play. Skylar was telling Ivory about some book she had read, it sounded more like one of Spike's comic books rather than a story Twilight would read to her.
"Well, are we all ready?" The pegasus asked the three mares as they all joined up.
"Yes, did you get the extra seat for Wanda?" Twilight asked Zephyr, who cast a quick look at the light blue unicorn mare.
"Wanda?" he questioned. "Do you mean her?" said the deep blue pegasus casually pointing to Ivory.
Twilight nodded. "Wanda’s just her nickname, Zephyr" she smiled as the troop began to move outwards into their white and gold chariot.
"I got it. It was rather expensive to order it with only an hour to the show ..." Zephyr trailed off as Twilight motioned for Skylar and Ivory on go on ahead. "Are you really sure about this? What if something happens to you or Skylar? Or even Wanda?" the stallion worried.
"Please try not to let this ruin the night, you have been waiting to see this production for months, and I can ensure you, Zephyr, when your brother is the captain of the Royal Guard, you learn a move or two" Twilight smiled coyly as she moved along.
Twilight climbed in first, hurried along by Skylar, and a hesitant Ivory. Zephyr snorted and he lifted himself into the chariot. It was much more cramped with Skylar and Ivory in it. Normally only Twilight and he would use it, but tonight was special, almost beyond that. Skylar sat with burning anticipation, she had only seen one opera before, but she had fallen asleep halfway through it.
"What's the show going to be like?" Skylar asked her mother, who smiled.
"I hope it’s good. From the looks of things and the reviews, it sounds perfect" Twilight declared.
The small chariot eventually reached the flashing lights of Canterlot. It landed with a small bump, as it always did. Twilight giggled as she watched Skylar race up and push her face into the window.
"We're here! We're here!" Skylar chanted as she waited for the chariot's doors to be opened.
Twilight quickly grabbed her daughter as she nearly flew out. "You have to be on your best behavior, Sky. There will be cameras and pushy press ponies there. Just stay close to your father and me, and keep Wanda close as well, like Royal Blue does with you." Twilight looked over at the light blue mare, who gazed out of the window. "Wanda, come on, we're going." Twilight watched as Ivory raced over to her as the door was opened.
Twilight's prediction was correct, as always. Ever since the couple's marriage and Skylar's birth, everypony wanted a piece of them. The press had not always been kind to them; at one point, when their engagement had just been announced, some newspaper released an 'artists impression' of what their foal would look like. To say the least, both Zephyr's and Twilight's families were outraged. Celestia even had to get involved - which Twilight did not want. At the time, she had convinced herself she could 'keep calm and carry on' but that mindset was short lived.
"Crown Prince," a yellow unicorn shouted at Zephyr as he held the door open for Twilight and the two young mares, who hurried in. "Who's the other mare with your daughter?" the unicorn asked. The deep blue pegasus paid no attention to him. He had been raised to keep a gentle smile on his face during all public appearances, even though he hated them with a burning passion, ever since what had happened to his brother. "Crown Prince Zephyr?" The unicorn yelled this time just as he closed the door.
Inside the shining theater, Skylar and Ivory raced around as the Princess’ parents trotted over to the teenaged pegasus who took the tickets from them and lazily told them "Box five, seats one, two, three, and four, have a nice time" he said as they moved off.
"Come along, girls," Twilight spoke to the young mares, "We can get you two something to eat and drink."
Twilight smiled as Skylar and Ivory raced over and seized a menu from a large wooden table. They took two plush red seats and began to look through the menu together.
"Mother, can I get the chocolate bar and the milkshake," Skylar demanded more than asked.
"Of course, what about you, Wanda?" Twilight asked the unicorn.
"Why are there scribbles on the page?" Ivory asked the lilac Crown Princess.
"Scribbles?" Skylar repeated back to Ivory, who nodded. "Do you mean words?" she asked. Ivory nodded again.
"Ivory" Twilight’s voice took a concerned tone, "Do you know ... how to read?" Twilight asked slowly; she was so surprised and shocked that she could barely even make the words form.
"Well, kinda, I mostly just know how to read orders though," Ivory told the Crown Princess.
"Err – never mind, we can talk about this later. For now, what do you normally like to eat and drink?" Twilight shook her head and asked, her voice becoming stable again.
"Me? I'll eat anything" Ivory stated.
"Get what I'm getting, Wanda!" Skylar butted in.
"Okay!" Ivory said cheerily.
And with that, the small family group moved into their box and sat down.
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Chapter 3: The questions of a princess (Revised)
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Chapter 4 - A talk between sisters (Revised)
Author's Note
Okay, so this chapter was ever so slightly rushed, mostly because I lost the original draft due to a saving error, later on, I'll try to go back and 'revise' it.
Chapter 4 - A talk between sisters (Revised)
Queen Celestia watched her sister's beautiful moon rise into the night's sky. She couldn't lie; she missed the duties of raising and lowering the moon, organizing all the stars in the sky and planning constellations. Once the full moon was high and proud, Celestia turned around and walked out of her olive and deep green study and down the Northern wing, where Luna's chambers lay. Finally making it to the Northern wing of the palace, Celestia nodded her head to three guards, who monitored the hallway leading to her sister's room.
"Luna?" Celestia spoke as she knocked on the dark blue door with her sister's cutie mark on it.
Celestia gasped as the door was swiftly opened by none other than the Moon Princess herself. Luna's flowing mane reached nearly all the way to the floor now she was growing up, Celestia thought sweetly. The Moon Princess had also grown and now she stood almost shoulder to shoulder to the Queen.
Smiling weakly, the Moon Princess asked, “Can I help you, Sister?"
The Sun Queen nodded as she glimpsed into his sister's light grey chamber. "I want to bring something to your attention, Luna" Celestia said as she invited herself in. "I think it's best we talk about this together." the Sun Queen said.
"If it is about what my daughter did, I have already swiftly dealt with it, Tia" Luna dismissed her sister as she watched the Sun Queen move around her room.
Thinking about her sister's daughter for a moment, Celestia added, “It's not about that Luna, but while we're on the topic, how is Mona?"
The Sun Queen and Moon Princess now stood in front of each other. "She's asleep right now. I sent her to bed early – that Is part of her punishment" Luna stated.
"Luna, all she did was just go to Canterlot for an hour - perhaps even less time than that" Celestia said. "If one of my daughters were to have done that, I would have been upset, but I wouldn't have banished them like that." As soon as Celestia spoke, she instantly cringed inwardly. “Banished? Could I not have used a better word?”
Luna glared at her sister. "Tia, you raised your daughters centuries ago, before the press was even a thought. When the world was ... safe and quiet" Luna said.
Walking side by side, the sisters moved further into the room.
"Still" Celestia continued, trying to break the ice "Mona did a small thing Luna, and it wasn't something bad like drinking or other things like that."
The Moon Princess nodded. "True, she didn't do those things, but if she were to do something like this again, who's to say she will not drink or do worse?" Luna defended her judgment and decisions as she began to see her sister move towards one of the two sofas that lived on the left side of the chambers, in front of two large French doors that lead out onto a balcony.
The Sun Queen took her seat quickly, grabbing the sofa with the view of the outside. "Alright. I was getting off track anyway; let's move on" Celestia said kindly as she faced Luna once again.
"Okay, What did you come here to talk about, Tia?" Luna asked as she felt herself relax, only a little, but enough to settle her nerves.
"Twilight has recently taken on the duties of her first student" Celestia said. "Her choice of student is, interesting, to say the least. Do you remember the gypsies who sided themselves with Sombra?" Celestia asked.
"How could I forget?" Luna said as she took her seat on the second sofa facing he sister.
"Well, you see, Twilight's student is the daughter of one of those who betrayed us" Celestia explained, appreciating the richness of the sofas.
"The small group that came back had few female members in their ranks. Who is the mother of Twilight's student?" Luna asked, letting a little smile show. "Is her mother even still alive? " The Moon Princess thought.
"Trixie Lulamoon," Celestia said bluntly. Luna gasped slightly. "I knew the family name would be familiar to you" Celestia said, "Yes, she is the great-granddaughter of your first, and only student to date, Luna." Celestia looked down at the white, circular carpet, trying to think.
"Dust Lulamoon," she said weakly as she looked around out on to the balcony.
"Yes, that was her name. Anyway, back to Twilight. I'm concerned that the unicorn is far too old to begin basic magic training. She's around the age of ten, so she was born sometimes during the last days of the Crystal war or sometime afterward" Celestia theorized. "She is the same foal that Trixie was pregnant with when she came here" Celestia added.
Briefly looking towards her daughter's door, Luna sighed and looked back to her sister. "How do you know so much about her, sister?" Luna asked coyly, letting her 'fun' side take over.
"I have done 'research'," Celestia stated as a small smile raced on to her face.
"You have been spying on Twilight and her, if I am not mistaken?" Luna teased.
Celestia blushed and nodded. "I wanted to make sure she was the right choice for Twilight" Celestia said, "And I can tell you Luna, she is most certainly not. I trust you read the paper this morning?" Celestia said more than asked.
"Yes, I did. That report was true then" Luna sighed as she looked over towards her dark oak coffee table. The first page of "The Royal report" showed a blurry photo of Twilight, Zephyr, Skylar, and a light blue mare, whom the press had dubbed 'Snow White' because of her amazingly white mane and tail. Luna sighed as she looked back at her sister. "I am guessing that is her." Luna pointed to Ivory.
"Yes. Her name Is Ivory Wand Lulamoon" Celestia confirmed.
"Ivory Wand? Very Trixie" Luna smiled weakly.
"Indeed" Celestia said as she closed her eyes; it was nearly time for her to go to bed. "Tomorrow, I plan to pay a visit to Twilight and meet Ivory Wand. I want you to bring Mona." Celestia said.
"She won't play with Skylar or Ivory" said Luna, dismissing Celestia's command immediately.
"Luna, it'll just be a chance for her to 'get out' for a while. I know your first two pregnancies ended in miscarriages. It's an awful thing, but I'm concerned you're far too protective of Mona; she's nearly fifteen Luna, and she's never been beyond the palace walls or without you by her side" Celestia frowned. "Just give her a chance to be a teenager" the Sun Goddess told her sister.
"Their names were Moondust and Velvet!" Luna hissed in her mind. "I guess I have no choice, do I?" Luna said as Celestia calmly shook her head. “Alright, just this once I will bring her along." Luna smiled.
. . .
Ivory Wand trotted behind Twilight and Skylar as they finally made it to a grassy meadow on a hill. The picnic spot was in between Ponyville and Canterlot, facing a large body of water, one more used for diving rather than drinking. Twilight smiled as she watched the two young mares look over the edge of the hill. Skylar was dressed in a simple white dress with a blue ribbon in her mane while Ivory was dressed in a grey dress which was very similar to Skylar's, only it seemed 'older'. There was a white ribbon in Ivory's mane.
"Skylar! Be careful!" Came a cry from Zephyr, who had been bribed into carrying everything needed for the picnic, using his wings to balance himself.
"They're fine, Zephyr" Twilight smiled peacefully as she settled down on a white picnic blanket she had laid out.
"They're playing right next to a cliff!" he gasped as he knelt down, letting Twilight levitate the things from his back on to the ground. "They are most certainly not 'fine'" he said, shaking his head.
"Zephyr, I wouldn’t have brought them here if I felt there was any danger" Twilight said as she took out a basket and an old, browning book.
"You brought a book along?" The pegasus teased.
"This isn't just any book, Zephyr," Twilight smiled coyly. "I found it in the library last night. It's ancient and I thought the girls would enjoy it" the lilac alicorn said matter of factly. "It's called "The Legend of the Lost Prince" Twilight said as she held the book up. "I won't read it now; I just thought you might've liked to see it" she said.
"Err, girls ?" Zephyr questioned, thinking he had misheard. "Twilight, I'm still not sure about letting Skylar spend so much time with Ivory ... I just don't feel alright with her yet" he added.
"Yes, Sky and Wanda" Twilight answered as she turned her head towards the light purple alicorn and the light blue unicorn. "You'll get used to it in no time" Twilight smiled.
"You're reading to them both now?" Zephyr asked.
"Yes, why wouldn't I?" Twilight asked him, suppressing a hiss.
"Well, Ivory's one of them , and Skylar's our daughter. I just think you should draw a line between where your family life crosses over with your working life" the pegasus 'explained'. "It's just not right ..." he tailed off.
Just as Twilight was about to speak, the unmistakable sounds of Royal trumpets flooded the sky. The two young mares gasped and dashed back over to Twilight, Ivory hiding under Twilight, which only added to Zephyr's current mood.
"The Queen’s here! The Queen’s here!" Skylar bubbled as she zipped around her parents and Ivory, who still looked very concerned.
Finally, the golden chariot landed, just a little walk away from where the picnic area had been set up, right under a giant old willow tree. A lime colored unicorn jumped off from his seat at the front of the chariot and came to the side. "Her Majesty, Queen Mia Solaria Celestia Soleil" he bellowed as the radiant Sun Queen stepped out of the chariot, dressed in a little golden sun-dress and a cream organza with a Phoenix's feather sticking out of the right side. The unicorn bowed as Celestia moved to the side. "Her Royal Highness, Princess Mia Lyrica Luna," he announced in a slightly turned down volume that was still enough to rattle bones.
Princess Luna stepped out of the chariot in a dramatic dark blue, almost black organza and the sort of hat you would wear if you were in mourning. She wore a small smile on her face, not a 'happy' smile, yet not a 'sad' smile. The unicorn cleared his throat as Luna made way and stood next to her sister.
"Her Excellency, Countess Mia Lunar Mona!" Out stepped a beautiful white unicorn mare, her light blue mane hidden underneath a black hat, not quite as dramatic as Luna's but just as imposing, partial concealing her sparkling green eyes. The countess briefly joined her mother and her aunt, just before they all moved towards Twilight and the small family gathering.
"Celestia!" Twilight smiled as she nuzzled up next to her mother figure.
"Oh, I have to thank you again for allowing us to visit on such short notice!" The Sun Queen beamed as the two broke their embrace.
"Princess Luna, Countess Mona," Twilight bobbed her head to acknowledge each of the other two guests.
"Your Highness" Mona greeted Twilight in a 'stock standard' way.
"I haven't seen you in almost a year" Twilight tried to break the ice. "You look lovely" the Crown Princess smiled.
"Mona" Luna hissed as her daughter jumped forward.
"T-thank you" the white unicorn said finally. "You look lovely too" she said with a hint of bitterness in her voice.
"Celestia!" called the familiar voice of a certain young alicorn as she raced towards the Sun Queen.
"Oh, Skylar!" The Sun Queen helped the light purple mare up to her eye level. "That dress looks stunning!" she praised Skylar and then placed her back on the ground. "Oh, Zephyr," Celestia smiled as she hugged her honorary 'nephew'. "You must be so proud of your daughter" she smiled.
"I am aunt Celestia" said the pegasus. "Why, just last week she passed her "Basic's in Flying" test in Cloudsdale" the deep blue stallion praised. "She's also on her way to being accepted into your school" the Crown Prince smiled.
"Wanda pasted her first test, Celestia!" Skylar boomed as she dragged the light blue unicorn forward.
"Oh, did she now?" Celestia looked to Twilight, who hurried forward.
"Err, let's go eat. I think Wanda has made something for us!" Twilight said as she led the small entourage over to the picnic spot.
Once they were all settled, Twilight began to levitate plates of food to her guests. Luna kept a close eye on her daughter, who looked bored and uninterested. Luna sighed, she had hoped this would help break the ice between them, but, it would seem it had only made that ice thicken.
"So, I hear you have recently taken on your first student. Is my information correct?" Mona asked Twilight as the young Moon Princess poured some tea for herself and Luna.
"Why, yes. I have. This here is Ivory Wand. We just call her Wanda, though" Twilight smiled sweetly as she pointed to Ivory.
"The daughter of Trixie Lulamoon?" Mona said with a hint of coldness.
"Y-yes," Twilight said, slightly caught off guard. Mona had never been very warm to a lot of ponies.
Mona smiled and sipped from her cup. "I see. Were no other student available?" Everypony turned to look at Mona, who wore a bemused smile on her face. Luna looked ready to have a 'little talk' with her daughter.
"Excuse me?" Twilight said uncertainly.
"Traditionally, all students of royalty have been selected from the schools the said Royal founded. I was just surprised that you had not selected a unicorn from your school, that is all" Mona said quickly.
"Oh," Twilight giggled awkwardly. "I misunderstood your statement; sorry" the lilac Princess smiled.
"Um, Crown Princess?" Twilight turned to her left to see Ivory.
"Yes, Wanda?" Twilight asked the unicorn.
"Would you like a piece of cake?" Ivory quietly asked Twilight.
"Why, yes. Do you want anypony else to have some?" Twilight smiled and asked.
"No, I made just enough for you" Ivory smiled.
"Oh, thank you" The Crown Princess smiled back as she took a slice.
"I used to make it for ma" Ivory added, "Sometimes, if she was upset or just annoyed or just really sleepy after going to a 'party ', I would make it for her." The way Ivory said ‘party’ made it clear to Twilight what she really meant.
Twilight smiled and took the cake. "You take good care of your ma, don't you?" she said softly.
"Yes, somepony has to" Ivory answered sombrely.
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Chapter 5 - Questions without answers (Revise)
It was now early in the morning. The soft sound of birdsong made Crown Princess Twilight smile, because whenever she heard birds sing, it always reminded her of when her good friend Fluttershy would come by every morning to help her and Zephyr with looking after the young Princess Skylar.
Crown Princess Twilight smiled as she saw her student Ivory Wand rush out of her room and up the stairs to where a small classroom had been set up. Just as Ivory reached the top stair, the lilac alicorn mare turned around and began to walk into the classroom; she had plans to teach Ivory a new skill today.
The young mare bobbed her head as she greeted the alicorn mare. "Princess Twilight!" the light blue unicorn gasped as she rushed forward.
Twilight smiled and bobbed her head in return. "Oh, Wanda, is something wrong?" Twilight asked, coming to her student's side. "You seem worried about something? Have the servants not been kind to you? Have other ponies not been kind?" The Princess of Friendship and Magic questioned her student.
Ivory's lip curled as she tried to think of what to say. "Well, yes... and no" the unicorn answered. "I don't really know" Ivory smiled at her teacher.
Twilight raised her eyebrow. "How can something be wrong and not wrong at the same time?" Twilight joked and smiled. Her smile quickly faded, though, as she saw that this was not a laughing matter.
Ivory's eyes looked to the ground for a moment before speaking. "You see, Crown Princess" Ivory spoke. "I was just wondering if I could ask you something" Ivory smiled sweetly as she puffed her white mane out of her face.
"Well, you can ask me anything, Wanda. That's what a teacher is there for, to answer questions" Twilight told Ivory as she smiled once again.
The light blue unicorn kicked her hoof against the glossy, crystal-like floor, like she was trying to think of what to say. Finally, she answered, "Why can't my family live here?" Ivory looked up into the lilac alicorn's purple eyes. "I know they did some 'bad things' in the past, but wouldn't it have been forgiven by now? I've read the Equestrian rights, and one of them is 'every pony has the right to be forgiven'" she stated.
"Well, you see Wanda" Twilight paused, trying to find a way to tip-toe around 'big subjects' that the alicorn didn't exactly know how to explain, "There's actually a lot of reasons as to why your family can't live in Equestria, not simply 'one reason'."
"What do you mean by 'not one reason'?" Ivory questioned.
"I suppose, Wanda, you will have to look into the past to truly understand the reasons ..." Twilight trailed off as an idea formed in her mind. Trying to explain what happened would be far too difficult for the unicorn to understand, but showing her would be a great way to explain it to her student.
"Princess?" Ivory asked concernedly, lifting her left hoof into the air like she was about to answer a question.
"That it!" Twilight shouted. "I can show you the past, just with a simple spell!" the Princess said as she rushed into her classroom and pulled out a single spellbook.
"What are we doing?" Ivory asked as Twilight began to flick through the pages.
"We, you and I, are going back into the past!" Twilight smiled as she closed the book.
"Oh, that sounds exciting!" Ivory beamed as she stood next to Twilight.
"Stay close" Twilight advised her student, "Next stop, the past!"
. . .
The pair arrived in the throne room of the Royal Castle in Canterlot, by the looks of things around the time the great war had ended. Ahead of them stood five sandy-yellow unicorns, three of whom were male. Twilight wondered for a moment if Ivory's father was among the ponies that stood in front of them, but the idea quickly left her mind as she saw Queen Celestia, Princess Luna, and Empress Mi Amore Cadenza come into the room from a side room on the right.
They were all dressed in black, suggesting that this must have been right after the war had finished, Twilight thought. She recalled that upon its final conclusion, how the whole kingdom of Equestria had gone into six months of mourning. Twilight remembered those days vividly. She remembered also dressing a very young, almost newborn, Skylar in a pitch black dress.
"That's Ma!" Ivory yelled as she pointed towards the front.
Twilight turned to the front as Trixie moved forward. The unicorn mare looked 'bigger' like she was swollen. She must have been pregnant with Ivory, Twilight observed with some surprise. Trixie cleared her throat and bowed with much difficulty.
"Queen Celestia, Princess Luna ... Empress Cadence," Trixie said, her voice hanging on Cadence's name. "I come to you all to ask that you lift these unfair and ruthless laws from us. Trixie thinks these rules have prevented many of us from seeking medical and legal practices. Why, just last week, some of our members were forced to use 'barbaric' medical practices to heal something as small as a cut" Trixie stated as she looked at all of the mares.
Celestia looked at her sister, Princess Luna, who shook her head dismissively.
"I am sorry, but as we have already explained, we simply cannot lift laws that are designed for the sole purpose of protecting our subjects" Celestia said as she closed her eyes.
"Why?" Trixie shouted.
"Because we have many reasons to be hesitant" the Sun Queen said, "One of those reasons being your all having aligned yourselves with King Sombra and the Umbrums. Now, you come crawling back here hoping that we will blindly forgive you all, but I am afraid your plan has failed you already, without even getting past the first phase of it. All of you are linked to some sort of crime, and that is another reason why we will once again be turning all of you back out to the wastelands. None of you deserve to be allowed in to the new ''model' kingdom; none of you deserve to even be in our presence" Celestia stated, her eyes focusing dead on Trixie.
"You, Miss Lulamoon, are not a model citizen yourself, not even close to it. Who even is the father of your foal?" Twilight was surprised as the words left Cadence's mouth; the venom lacing the sweet mare's voice turning every word into poison, such that she sounded like a mad pony.
"Let us not forget you once held the small town of Ponyville under your control for a total of two days ... If we were to allow you and your family into Equestria, how can we be certain you will not try to take control again?" Luna took a step down towards Trixie, wearing nothing but a frown on her face. "Perhaps for even longer" the Moon Princess added, looking down at the unicorn.
"Trixie swore her loyalty to you and you only …" Celestia, Luna, and even Cadence shook their heads.
"We cannot accept you back into Equestria" Cadence spoke. "However, in my empire, I will allow you to have one medical checkup to check on your foal." Cadence smiled.
"That's it?" Trixie hissed as she raised her head to the sky. "That's it?" Trixie asked, looking ungrateful.
"Were you expecting more?" Luna asked, surprised at the unicorn's reaction. It was far kinder and better than anything she or her sister were willing to give to the small group and especially Trixie herself, who had been a sort of aide to Sombra during the war.
"Err, yeah! We have been cast aside for far too long, and only ONE medical checkup? Trixie is far too far along to just have one checkup!" Trixie began to climb the marble stairs. "You think, all three of you, that just because you wear tiaras and have sparkly, flowing manes that you are 'kind and caring ' rulers who would never turn a blind eye to a pony in need' '!" Trixie mocked, using words from a speech Twilight herself had read out a couple of days before this event.
A few of the Royal Guards in the throne room rushed forward and pointed their spears at Trixie, who showed no intent on stopping her advance. Celestia snorted and took a step back, placing her wings in front of Cadence and Luna. She and the two other mares all took a step backward just as Trixie reached the small platform where Luna's and Celestia's thrones stood proudly.
"Trixie will not allow this to happen!" Trixie growled as she stood right in front of Celestia, her shadow reaching the Sun Queen's shoulders.
"If you continue to do this, I will withdraw my offer!" Cadence stood in front of Celestia protectively as her horn began to sparkle.
Trixie looked shocked at this. Perhaps, Twilight thought, this was the first time anypony had threatened to do something if she continued with her bad behaviour. For a fleeting moment, she looked sincerely sorry, then for an instant looked like she was ready to charge, but didn’t. Finally, she looked down at the floor. "I only ask for a small thing, your Majesty” the unicorn hissed.
"And I am afraid we cannot give you that one small thing ." Luna hissed back at the mother-to-be.
"You are lucky we have allowed you to live, Trixie! You are a traitor and Sombra's right hoof mare" Celestia stepped forward, forcing the unicorn back down the marble stairs and back to her family. "You not only sided yourself with your family when they rushed to Sombra's side but, you became one of his closest 'friends' ... how can we ever be expected to trust you again? Why, for all we know, that foal could be Sombra's …"
As soon as Celestia said the dark King's name, Trixie rushed forward with a scream that did not fit her. Her magic was unstable and her horn was unable to even form sparks, but everypony around heard the crackling sound of what sounded like bone as she aimed her horn at the Sun Queen's neck. Celestia was expecting some petty excuse for an attack and had formed a shield around herself and the two other mares, causing Trixie's attack to backfire and she was forced all the way back down to the floor, whimpering as she landed. Twilight was shocked, not only was her mentor and mother figure seemingly enjoying this but so too did Cadence; in fact, she seemed to want to take it further. One dusty yellow unicorn with a bronze coat rushed to the mare's side, only to be quickly pushed away by Trixie.
The blue unicorn tried to stand, but she couldn't, not even with the strength of a thousand stallions. The Sun Queen, Luna, and Cadence all walked down to where Trixie lay whimpering. The unicorn dared not even looked up, instead burying her face in the ground.
"You are all banished" decreed Luna, stepping forward as the other unicorns shivered and whimpered and rushed out of the throne room, leaving Trixie behind.
"As for you" Celestia spoke just as Trixie regained her stance and tried to race out the door. "You, Trixie, will stay here for the rest of your life, as a servant. As for your foal ... if it is Sombra's, I'll let you figure out what we would do, and if it is not, we will allow her to be a servant to us ... like her mother ..."
The scene faded out, leaving nothing but the haunting picture of three mighty and powerful alicorns standing around a lone, wounded unicorn. Twilight slowly turned to look at Ivory, who stood there, unmoving, her eyes wide and yet so 'shut' at the same time.
"Wanda ... I didn't know that was what happened" Twilight said. "I just thought, everything was ... forgiving" Twilight looked down.
"Princess Twilight?" Ivory asked, her voice betraying no emotion except for sadness.
"Yes, Wanda?" Twilight nodded.
"Are ... are my family the 'bad guys'?" Ivory asked, sounding more than a little confused.
"What do you mean?" Twilight looked at the young mare.
"They are, aren't they?" the unicorn looked defeated.
"No, no, no... err, it just wasn't the best day for them. Your mother loves you Ivory, and anything she did while she was working with Sombra I'm sure she regrets" Twilight stated, trying to tape together her sentences.
"I ... I think I need to go lie down ..." Ivory trotted back down the stairs to her room, leaving an unsure Twilight behind
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Chapter 6 - Secrets unveiled and betrayed (Revised)
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. Chapter 7 - The first day (Revised)
Princess Skylar was awoken early in the morning by one of the numerous nannies who looked after the young Princess. The light purple alicorn huffed and she pushed herself up into a sitting position. The nanny who had been given the quote-unquote impossible task of waking up the young Princess was a young unicorn mare by the name of Hazel Heart. She had been working in the castle for as long as Skylar could remember. Her coat was a beautiful light brown and both her mane and tail were a sort of green color that Skylar could never quite describe.
"Come along, Sky," said Hazel, using Skylar's nickname, a privilege normally only ever reserved for the Princess' parents and other members of her family, never a 'mere' nanny, as Zephyr would jokingly call her.
Groaning, the Princess rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Why do I have to get up so early?" she questioned as the unicorn helped her out of her oversized bed and placed her onto the floor, where the Princess picked up a brush and started to groom her own mane and tail.
"Because your father, the Crown Prince has requested you to come along to a very important event" Hazel explained, smiling as she pulled out a white hat and dress for Skylar to wear.
"Why, though?" the Princess questioned again. "He could go by himself" she muttered.
"Sky" Hazel smiled, "The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get back home."
"I know that! it's just that I don't see why I have to go ... father said something about me being the most popular young Royal. Does that have something to do with this?" the Princess asked her nanny.
"Take it as a compliment!" Hazel smiled as she secured the hat perfectly onto Skylar's head. "And, apparently, a certain Royal Blue will be there" Hazel whispered.
At this, Skylar gasped and instantly lightened up. "Ro will be there?" she asked excitedly.
Hazel smiled and nodded, "It is her brother's first day at school, so it only makes sense for her to be there too."
"Oh! Well, come on then, we have to go! We can't leave Ro waiting!" Skylar said as she flew out of her room and down to the private dining room, where the Princess quickly gobbled up her breakfast of warm oats and honey.
As soon as breakfast was finished, Hazel smiled and waved goodbye as the young Princess raced down to where Ivory's room was. It was far away from almost everything and everypony else; in fact it was really more like a dungeon. Skylar knew her mother had originally wanted her and Wanda to share a room, perhaps to help Wanda settle in, but that plan had been swiftly changed.
Coming to a halt, the light purple alicorn knocked lightly on the old, hard wooden door and asked, “Wanda? Are you in there?"
There was no response, not even so much as the slightest sound of movement coming from the room. Skylar raised her eyebrow as she knocked once again, this time a little harder.
"Wanda! Is everything okay in there?" Once again, there was no response, just dead silence.
Skylar huffed and tried one last time. She figured that if Wanda didn't answer this time, then she must have been out having a lesson with Skylar's mother.
"WANDA!" she almost screamed.
nothing
Sighing, Skylar snorted and turned around to walk away. She paused for a moment, hoping to see Wanda opening her door just a little, but the only view that greeted the light purple alicorn mare was of the cold door. Sighing, she raced back to where she was told to meet her father and mother, her uncle - Lord Fancy Pants Fancy-Belle, the Lord of Canterlot, Royal Blue, and Aura Sapphire, who was to be presented as the 'star' of the day.
. . .
Twilight, the Crown Princess nudged Zephyr. "I've packed everything. Are you sure Celestia's happy with us staying in the manor?" she asked once again.
"She is more than happy with it. During her visit, she told me she wanted to spend more time with us ... to prepare us." Twilight raised an eyebrow at the dark blue stallion as he turned back to Fancy and began to speak with him. A little taken aback, Twilight shrugged and walked over to the waiting chariot.
Crown Prince Zephyr smiled when he finally saw his daughter racing towards him as Twilight got into the chariot. Turning to face Fancy, who was trying to adjust his monocle, Zephyr spoke. "You know, Fancy, I hope Sky does learn to settle down in the future, all of her flying and dashing around the castle halls and 'accidentally' blasting holes through walls is really starting to bother everypony working for my wife and me" he said as Fancy finished fiddling. "Why, once, I had to lay off six nannies in only one week!" the Crown Prince stated.
"Yes, I had the same problem with Ro when she was much younger; not as 'problematic', so to say, you know what I mean." Zephyr nodded slightly.
"But this will only be for a short period of time. She'll stop being like this in due time, trust me, Zephyr." Fancy smiled as she looked over at his daughter, who was deep in conversation with her brother.
"Yes, but Royal's always been so much 'easier' if that makes sense" the pegasus stated, "But with Sky it's been an uphill battle almost ever since she was born." Zephyr sighed, "Twilight was usually the only one who could calm her down."
"Well, she was born an alicorn Zephyr, and Twilight does have more experience than you, what with looking after her niece, Princess Flurry Heart" Fancy said as he and the Crown Prince stood up.
"Yes, Flurry was a big challenge for the Crystal Empress and Twilight's brother, yet she was more ... magical . Sky seems to always rely on her wings for transport, and whilst I appreciate that's not such a bad or horrible thing, I think about it this way - Sky's an alicorn; flight, for her at least should only be during special events. You do know that alicorns, like Twilight only have wings for 'show', right ? They should have only been capable of gliding, yet Sky just swoops around the castle whenever she feels like it. Granted I am a pegasus myself" Zephyr sighed and he and Fancy made their way towards Royal and Aura, who by now had greeted Skylar.
"Girls!" Fancy called out to Royal and Skylar. "Go ahead and get into the chariot. I'll be there in just a second” he called, then turned to the dark blue pegasus. “Err, Zephyr, I don’t suppose you could go with them?" Fancy asked as Zephyr quickly nodded. Sighing, Fancy turned to his youngest, and so far only son, who looked unready. "Aura, it will be fine" Fancy smiled sweetly, "Just get settled in and before you will know it, you'll be the head of something." Fancy patted his son on the back as the two unicorns walked to the waiting chariot.
It was an unusually quick ride to the city of Canterlot. Even by Twilight's best estimation, it had been swift. As the young mares and the colt looked out of the chariot's glossy windows to the sweeping city of Canterlot below, Ro saw something that made her gasp.
"Look! That's my school down there!" she cheered as she pointed out ‘The Academy for Young Unicorns ’, a strict boarding school with only mare students and only mare teachers; Fancy's late mother had gone to the same school years before.
Skylar smiled as she and the white unicorn began to talk about the Academy in detail. "Oh, I wish I could go there" Skylar sighed.
"Well, why can't you?" Royal asked, raising an eyebrow. "It's accepting new students right now!" her unicorn friend beamed.
"Because Skylar will go to my aunt's school, once she is ready" Zephyr buttered in, speaking to both of the young mares.
"But I am ready now!" Skylar complained.
"No, Skylar, you most certainly are not" Zephyr hissed back, his eyes narrowing on his daughter. The light purple alicorn huffed and turned her back to the Crown Prince. "See what I was telling you about?" he said to Fancy, who nodded sadly.
"She's still young Zephyr - she's still growing up," Twilight spoke up, unimpressed with her husband’s outburst.
"If I may say something" said Fancy sliding into the conversation. "I think, well, partly think that Skylar's behavior is normal for a mare of her age. However, if I can be so bold as to suggest something, maybe you two should get her into a school sooner. If I didn't know any better, I would say she was only acting up because she was bored. You two do work extremely hard and for long periods, maybe a school would be good for her? She and Ro could board together, if you take my advice, of course" the forever charming unicorn said.
"You know what? Maybe you’re on to something" Twilight smiled. "Are you sure it would be alright for Sky to board with Ro; they're both still so young ..." Twilight trailed off as she looked at the two friends, who were still talking about the academy.
"I thought we had agreed to send her to Celestia's school" Zephyr interjected.
"As much as I admit I loved and enjoyed my time there, I don’t think it’s really the place for Skylar. Tell me, Fancy" said the lilac Princess looking to Royal’s father. "Does the school Ro go to offer etiquette classes?" she asked.
The unicorn pondered for a moment before answering. "Why yes, they offer several and Ro's enrolled in all of them" he said.
"And would those classes help sort out Skylar's 'unfavorable ' habits?" the Crown Princess asked.
"Yes; remember how Ro used to eat anything ?" Twilight nodded. "Well, thanks to the classes, I am pleased to say she has stopped doing that" he smiled.
Twilight smiled and looked at Zephyr, who sighed. "Fine" he groaned. “But can we do it tomorrow? The schedule is already full" he joked and cracked a small smile.
The three adults jumped as the wheels of the chariot suddenly came to a stop, in other words they had arrived. Royal and Skylar pushed open the chariot's door and leaped down to the concrete floor below. Skylar groaned as soon as she saw the waiting press, who were just ahead of them with their cameras and notepads ready. The three adults and Aura followed after that, making sure that their offspring were all looking 'presentable'. Twilight pulled Skylar back as she finally managed to get a knot out of her daughter's mane that had spoiled her otherwise perfect mane for months.
"Is everypony ready?" Fancy asked the young ponies, and in response they all nodded.
"THERE THEY ARE!" the voice of a mare screeched as cameras clicked and pencils scribbled.
"Lord Fancy!" a stallion called out and Fancy trotted over to meet him.
"Hello, my dear fellow" the white unicorn smiled.
"How do you feel about the Soleils being pictured with 'Snow White'?" the pony asked, pushing the magazine clipping in Fancy's face. The white unicorn smiled as he scanned over the article; it would seem that the rumours and gossip were true, there really was a “Snow White”. He had been reading small clippings on the topic for little over a week now. At first he had thought it was nothing, but now he felt a sense of pride rush into him.
"W-why I couldn't be happier" he stammered. “It’s about time, I think, to forgive and forget" he smiled as he moved on to where Zephyr now stood, much to the pony’s dismay.
"Zephyr" Fancy hissed. "Who exactly is this Snow White?" he asked his friend.
"Oh, you mean Ivory. She's Twilight's student” the pegasus said as he smiled for photographs, “For the time being, anyway."
"You didn't tell me about her" Fancy said, sounding a little hurt because he and Zephyr had always told each other everything.
"I was going to, but everything at the time was stopping me; I really was going to tell you” the Crown Prince assured as he looked behind him to see his wife stuck talking to a group of school-aged ponies. "Can we talk about this later?" he asked.
"I suppose so; just don't forget about it, Zephyr" Fancy said as he, Aura and Zephyr entered the main building of the Crown Prince's school
"I thought I was going to die for a few seconds back there. Thanks for backing me up" Zephyr acknowledged to his friend.
"No problem" he smiled as Twilight and the two friends entered.
"Alright, Twilight, Sky you wait out here" Zephyr commanded. "Royal, want to come along?" the Crown Prince asked his close friend’s daughter.
"No thank you, your Highness, Skylar and I still want to chat" the mare said politely.
"Okay, then. To your left is a place where you three can wait" Zephyr said, pointing to the allocated room. "Now, let's get you settled in" he smiled at Aura, who smiled back weakly. It was no secret that Zephyr had always wanted a son, and indeed in many ways he was Aura's surrogate father. If Fancy had to perform his duties as Lord of Canterlot, he was always more than happy to foalsit the young Lord.
Chapter 8 - The sun's dark side (Revised)
Author's Note
A chapter that's more so meant to be a 'set up' for the next chapter. A special thank you again to Bronynxy for proofreading and adding some parts to it.
Chapter 8 - The sun's dark side (Revised)
Crown Princess Twilight and Crown Prince Zephyr Soleil smiled as they entered the Crystal Manor, Zephyr's foal-hood home and former bachelor pad. The lilac alicorn smiled at her daughter, Princess Skylar, as she dragged herself into the manor house, annoyed that she had to have said goodbye to her good friend, Lady Royal Blue Fancy-Belle, and equally annoyed that she had to spend a night in the manor house.
It wasn't like she didn't enjoy it, but the house felt daunting and intimidating to her. Sometimes she felt very small in it and sometimes she felt too big in it; sometimes Skylar could even swear that the house had a mind of its own. As the family of three finally made their way into the dining room, Twilight pulled Zephyr to the side, making sure Skylar was distracted.
"I think we should make the decision right now" Twilight suggested. "Sky's obviously bored for most of the day; she needs to get out of the house and start making friends with other young mares of her age, ones that aren't just her cousins" Twilight stated, looking sympathetically towards her daughter.
The deep blue stallion sighed and looked over at their daughter, who was now walking on the table. "You’re right Twilight, but I think she should start next term. To start right now would be a little too much for her, I think" he added quickly.
"The longer we put it off, the more badly behaved Sky will be. Please Zephyr, let's make the decision now. For her sake and for ours" the alicorn confessed. "I want her to start in a couple of days, while we are still in Canterlot, so we can quickly arrange the press to come to Sky's first day of school" she added.
"Twilight, you know how much I despise these social events. I felt like I was dying out there today" the pegasus shot back. “We both know I've gotten better over the years, but, I'm not ready for something on that scale" the Crown Prince added quietly.
"I'll be with you through it all. It will be fine" she smiled as she trotted over to her daughter. "Sky, come with me" she smiled.
The mother and daughter came to a halt just inside one of the spare guest rooms of the manor house. Twilight sighed deeply as she tucked a single strand of Skylar's golden and deep purple mane back into its place. "You were very well behaved today, my Sky" Twilight cooed to the alicorn, "But, I think it’s time we have a chat. Remember how earlier we were talking about different schools?" The young mare quickly nodded as she sat down on the floor, expecting this to be a long 'chat'.
Twilight continued as she bit her lip slightly, just enough to be seen. "Well, would you like to go to Royal's school or my school, or even Aunt Celestia's school?" Twilight asked Skylar, who tilted her head in response.
"I would like to go with Ro" the young Princess answered. "But, don't you two want me to go to Aunt Celestia's school?" the light purple mare asked. “You and father do talk about it a lot" she added.
"Yes, but that was before. Now ... now we want you to make your own decision. I've sent your father to go and unpack, so he won't be trying to persuade you to do what he wants" the Crown Princess added quietly, as she puffed a string of her purple mane out of her face,
"I would really like to go to school with Ro,” said Skylar, “But, what about Wanda?"
Twilight raised an eyebrow.
"What are you talking about, Sky?" the lilac mare asked, very unsure about what her daughter was talking about. "Wanda's my student, so she can't really go with you," Twilight said, putting the pieces together for the young mare as best she could.
"That's what I meant" Skylar stated.
"Oh, okay ... then, did that solve your question?" Twilight asked.
The young alicorn shook her head and puffed up her cheeks. "No, not really ... it's just when I went to her room this morning, she wasn't there. I was just going to ask her if she wanted to come, since she hasn't met Ro yet" Skylar stated, looking up at her mother.
"Err, what do you mean she wasn't there?" Twilight asked as her eyes widened.
"She wasn't in her room, so I just thought she had gone to a lesson," Skylar said.
Twilight smiled weakly. "Alright, it's getting late. Come on, I'll tuck you in" Twilight said as she and Skylar walked away.
. . .
Hours had passed since Twilight and Skylar had spoken. It was early in the morning now; Twilight was sure of this, she could just feel it, yet the lilac alicorn found herself unable to rest or sleep for that matter. Huffing and rolling her eyes, Twilight rolled over to face the back of Zephyr, who made not so much as a sound. Sitting up, Twilight shook the dark blue pegasus' shoulder, receiving a small groan in response.
"Zephyr?" Twilight hissed quietly.
"Sky … go back to sleep" said Zephyr, half asleep and rolling over to face Twilight.
"Zephyr!" Twilight hissed more loudly this time, causing him to wake up and grab her, a habit from his from his days in the Equestrian military.
"Tw-Twilight?" He studied her worried face. "What's wrong?" he managed to ask, releasing her from his grip.
She peered up to face him, still unsure if anything was, in fact, wrong or not. "Can I ask you something?" she winced.
"Err, Yes, of course," the pegasus rolled over and turned on the bedside light his side. "Tell me whatever it is. You have been acting strangely ever since we got back from my school" he paused as he scrunched up his face.
Her face went blank, trying to think of what to say. "Skylar told me something," she said. "And, well, it's not 'settled' with me" she added as her eyebrow dropped down.
"What did she tell you? She has been known to over exaggerate in the past" he said, letting his eyes roll.
"I don't think she was doing anything like that" Twilight sighed, "She told me that when she went to see Wanda, she wasn't there. She presumed I had asked somepony to look after her, but I'm just confused now." Twilight looked to the white stallion who wore a puzzled look on his face.
"So ...?" Zephyr asked, still half asleep.
"Well, before we left, I didn't leave Wanda any work, or anypony to look after her" Twilight stated, her eyes telling a different story to her calm face.
"Nopony?"
"Nopony."
Twilight's mouth turned into a tight line and her eyes glanced up, only to fall back down again.
"Twilight, if you're really so concerned about this, maybe we should go back a day early?" Zephyr faked a smile, but he really did not want to leave Canterlot so soon.
"But, you were so looking forward to staying in Canterlot and playing polo with all your old friends." Her eyes closed.
"I ... I do want to stay, but, you can go back" he smiled.
"But, what if this is nothing?" the alicorn said, "Just Sky's imagination?" Twilight questioned her eyebrows knitting.
"If you really do feel like something's very wrong, then go Twilight. I'll stay here with Sky and do everything we were going to do together" Zephyr said. "It's already seven in the morning. If you hurry, you might be able to fly there" he said as Twilight got out of the bed and trotted over to the balcony to her left.
. . .
Many hours before the small family had left Ponyville, Ivory Wand had sat on her small, white bed. She huffed and looked back down at the small picture she held in hooves. She breathed in deeply, feeling her whole body shake. She managed to look back down at the picture. It was of her and her mother, Trixie Lulamoon, sitting next to each other, happily smiling and laughing. One of the few truly happy times she and her mother shared together.
Suddenly, and without any warning, a blast of bright crimson light flooded into the small room. Ivory quickly covered her eyes and jumped down to hide under her bed, peeking out just as a golden-shoed hoof touched the ground. Ivory gasped as she rushed forward and bowed, her nose touching the ground.
"Q-Queen Celestia!" she gasped, surprised that the white alicorn mare would come to see her of all ponies.
The Sun Queen looked down at the mare and scowled. How could Twilight have chosen this thing? She kicked the same question around in her mind for the one-hundredth time. The Sun Queen began to walk around the room, like she was stalking something, leaving the light blue unicorn still with her nose touching the ground. "Tell me, Miss Lulamoon" the Sun Queen spoke suddenly. "What have you learned so far?" she questioned as she turned around to face the unicorn.
Ivory's eyes danced up to look at the white mare. "So far?" Wanda repeated back.
The alicorn nodded. "Yes, or have you not learned anything yet?" Celestia replied coldly.
"N-no! I have learned something ..." the unicorn cried as she looked up.
The Sun Queen's eyes focused on the unicorn. "I didn't give you permission to rise, Miss Lulamoon," she said bitterly. Ivory dropped back down and glued her face to the floor. The Sun Queen rolled her eyes as she continued, "So, you have learned very few things then?" Ivory nodded. "You know, Miss Lulamoon, when Twilight, my former student was your age, she was already using magic meant for an adult unicorn?" Celestia asked as she looked down at the unicorn.
"No ..." the unicorn trailed off.
Celestia nodded. "And did you also know that her daughter is on her way to be just as powerful as her mother? Perhaps even more powerful?" the white alicorn added.
"Sky is ... strong, Your Majesty" Ivory replied quietly.
"And what have you learned, Miss Lulamoon?" Celestia forced Wanda to look at her using her hoof. "The answer: nothing" Celestia hissed. Ivory whimpered as she fought back tears. "Twilight deserves so much more, can you understand that?" Celestia confronted the unicorn. "She has access to some of the most promising unicorns in all of Equestria! And now, look at yourself! Do you honestly think you look like the student of a Princess?" Ivory shivered and shook her head.
"Oh, of course, you don't. You lack everything a student requires, and you know it! Twilight knows it too" the Sun Queen sneered. "But" Celestia continued, "Miss Lulamoon, I am willing to give you an alternative plan, a way to make a clean slate" Celestia's tone shifted quickly, sounding more comforting now.
"A clean slate?" Ivory said and tilted her head.
"Yes, this is the Phantasia Pendant" Celestia explained, holding out the hauntingly beautiful necklace to Ivory. "This will help you will move around as if you were nothing but a phantom, hence its name" Celestia stated. "If I give this to you, you must think of where you would want to be at this very moment." The Sun Queen levitated the pendant over to the unicorn. "Take it" she demanded. "Go and take it, just be gone." The Sun Queen levitated it downwards.
Ivory shook her head as she looked back up at the alicorn Queen. "But, what about Skylar? Won't she be unhappy to see me gone?" Ivory questioned.
"No, if anything she will be relieved" Celestia lied. "So, go on, Miss Lulamoon ... don't you want Skylar to be happy? Or Twilight, or Zephyr?" The Queen of the sun mocked. "Don't you want to go back to your mother and see what’s become of her? If she's even still there at all? No doubt ashamed her daughter has abandoned her without so much as a second thought?" the white alicorn mare taunted.
Ivory huffed and looked back up at the Sun Queen. "I'll do it."
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Chapter 9 -The disappearance of Ivory Wand, part 1 (Revised)
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Chapter 11-The disappearance of Ivory Wand,Part 3 (Revise)
Ivory Wand dashed around the halls of the Canterlot Palace. Her face was bright red now and her legs ached as she tried her hardest to calm her racing heart. Had she really just seen what she thought she had seen? She questioned herself madly; in all truth, she wasn't completely sure herself. If she was right, then she had just seen the dark King talking with her mother, and if she wasn't, had she just been dreaming? Or worse, had she just imagined the whole thing? The light blue unicorn came to a sudden and abrupt halt just as a trio of Royal unicorn guards began walking towards her. She caught her breath just as she remembered she was still wearing The Phantasia pendant. Feeling almost instant relief, the young unicorn silently stayed close to the side of the wall as the trio passed her.
Breathing out quietly, Ivory continued on her undecided path; she had never been to this part of the Canterlot Palace and noticed that it was far grander than where she usually was. She paused as she came to one of the numerous balconies in the Canterlot Palace and smiled as she met a cool breeze from the night air. She had never been allowed out onto the balconies when she 'lived' in the palace; she was much more of a servant really than a 'guest'. Clearing her throat and wiping the sweat from her forehead, the light blue unicorn wandered out onto the balcony. She realized extremely quickly that the balcony was really much more like a bridge. She smiled as she stood on her hind legs and looked down below to where a small pond lay. It glimmered in the moonlight like it had hundred shimmery fish in its water.
Suddenly, a bright flash of white light appeared behind Ivory. She gasped as she turned around, still standing on her hind legs, using the sides of the bridge to steady herself. The light disappeared quickly and changed into the shape of a beautiful dark blue alicorn, Princess Luna . Ivory raced to the floor, doing the same respectful bow she would do if it was the Sun Queen. The dark blue alicorn sighed and used her hoof to make the unicorn look at her.
"Why do you do that?" The alicorn mare asked calmly, "There is no need to bow, for only I can see you and only you can see me."
"W-what do you mean, Princess?" Ivory asked, looking up into the mare’s beautiful eyes.
"The pendant around your neck hides you from the light and the sun, but you can be seen in the dark, and I, as Princess of the Night can see you, Ivory" Luna explained. "I am where the shadows go to hide when my Sister's light comes and everything that lives in shadows lives in me" she smiled.
"I ..." Ivory trailed off. "What are you doing here?" she asked quietly.
Luna stepped forward and sighed slightly. "I sensed that a foal of my night was in trouble. You are still very much a foal, and so I can still sense you. Yes, the connection is weak, but I can still hear you. Tell me Ivory, what is it that worries you so?" the alicorn asked.
"Are you going to tell the Sun Queen?" Ivory asked, worry written on her face.
"I will not tell my Sister, I promise," pledged Luna, "So, what has led me to you?"
Ivory looked down to the floor of the bridge and sighed. "I ... I can't be sure if I saw what I think I saw" she admitted. The dark blue mare bobbed her head, signalling Ivory to continue. "Well, I - I think I saw my ma talking to the dark King ... King Sombra" Ivory stated as she rose to a stand.
"King Sombra?" Luna repeated back with a small chuckle. "My dear foal, he has been sealed away in the Shadow Realm for nearly eight years now, perhaps more" she stated confidently. "And, as we all know, only a pony who fully, and wholeheartedly accepts the consequences of what they have done can be set free from such a place" Luna explained with a small smile on her face.
Ivory shrugged and twisted her lip into a wiggly line. "Well, you see Princess, I don't know if I even truly saw him" she admitted, "He came out of a sort of sceptre thing that was hidden under my mother's bed. He said some really weird things."
"What sort of ‘weird things’?" Luna asked, raising an eyebrow and tilting her head.
Ivory nodded as she continued. "He said something about his resurrection and his army" Ivory paused, looking up at the dark mare. "And how there were going to be more members in his army soon, that would be willing to die for him ... and a few other things" Ivory said.
"Did he say anything else?" Luna closed her eyes, deep in thought, "What you have heard could be very important Ivory, so is important you tell me everything."
"My ma said something about your old home, your Highness ..." Ivory trailed off as the dark mare's eyes widened.
"I was afraid something like this would happen" Luna sighed as she looked down defeated. "Ivory, did he say anything that had to do with using the untouched magic there?" Luna asked, closing her wings.
Ivory simply nodded and tilted her head to the side. "He ... he did, your Highness" Ivory sighed.
Luna breathed out of her nose and closed her eyes. "Thank you, Ivory ... it is important you come with me now. Did Sombra or your mother see you?" Luna asked as she motioned for Ivory to follow her.
"My ma did" Ivory answered.
"The dark King didn't?" Luna asked surprised. "He must not be at his full strength yet. If he was, he would have been able to see you. He is a being of darkness, like myself" the Princess theorized. "Come quickly Ivory, I need your help to find your mother ... if what I think is going to happen will happen, we need to find her, and quickly ..." Luna said as she and Ivory trotted over the bridge and crossed to the other side.
. . .
It was close to midnight now. It had taken forever for Lord Fancy Pants and Crown Prince Zephyr to get their daughters under control. The two stallions eyed each other as the two young mares, Lady Royal Blue Fancy-Belle and Princess Skylar tried to reason with their fathers again. Fancy sighed and cleaned his monocle. "Ro, darling, we still don't understand what you are talking about" Fancy sighed as he finished cleaning his monocle.
"We've already told you!" Royal stated, her voice pleading and desperate.
"We have!" Skylar chimed in, stepping forward, shadowing the white unicorn mare.
Zephyr shook his head. "Skylar, what your saying doesn't make any sense ... please, try to explain it to us again" the pegasus begged as his daughter groaned. "We really can't understand you two" he added as he stroked his temples.
"We think Wanda's in trouble" Royal spoke up, pushing Skylar to her side, hoping the alicorn would stay quiet while she told the story. "Before Sky left home, she went to ask Wanda if she wanted to come along to Canterlot, to meet me, I think. When she knocked on the door, there was no answer, and, well, now that the Crown Princess has gone back to Ponyville, we think something might have happened to her" Royal tried to explain, her hooves flying all around the place.
"Do you mean to tell me, you dragged the both of us out here on a hunch?" Fancy questioned, his voice irritated and annoyed; the two had come to him screaming and shouting just as he was about to give a speech.
"Yes!" Skylar yelled, immediately regretting doing so as Fancy frowned and shook his head.
"Ro, I really expected more from you than following a rumour blindly like this" Fancy hissed at his daughter.
"But -"
Fancy trotted forward, veins popping out on his forehead. "- That's more than enough from you, young lady " Fancy said as Royal felt tears form in her eyes.
She lowered her head. "You never listen to me!" Royal suddenly screamed, scaring the three others half to death. It wasn't like her to scream or even raise her voice over an 'appropriate' volume.
"Royal " Fancy hissed as the white mare screamed and ran off, pushing past Skylar.
"Ro, wait -"
"- Don't think you're going with her!" ordered Zephyr as he stood in front of the light purple alicorn Princess.
"But ..." Skylar sighed and closed her eyes.
"Come now, let's go home" he said calmly as Fancy trotted after his daughter. "Fancy, I'm going to take Sky back to The Manor" the Crown Prince called out as the stallion nodded and hummed in response.
"Err, excuse me, your Highness." Zephyr and Skylar turned around to see a young unicorn guard standing behind them, embarrassment suddenly written all over both of their faces. "I have a letter from The Crown Princess Twilight Soleil" he said as he levitated the letter over to Zephyr, who seized it and ripped it open quickly.
"Dear Zephyr and Sky ... Wanda is ... gone ?" the blue pegasus questioned.
"Read on, read on!" Skylar demanded, fearful of what may have happened.
"Queen Celestia was at our home when I arrived " he read out aloud, "She told me Wanda had gone missing. I fear she may have something to do with this as she has never 'enjoyed' Wanda's presence. Tomorrow I will come back to Canterlot to regroup and try to find out where Wanda’s gone ..." Zephyr paused and looked to his daughter. "Sky, I ... I think we may owe you and Royal an apology" he said.
. . .
Crown Princess Twilight paced back and forth, nervously awaiting a reply from her husband and her daughter. She had managed to get her mane under control, for the most part. Strands of mane at the back of her head were still very much standing on edge, but Twilight thought, at least now she looked 'presentable' and no longer like she just did a nose-dive into a bird’s nest and then into a pigpen. The alicorn flinched as she heard a door behind her open. She smiled as she saw the familiar white mare walk towards her.
"Rarity!" Twilight smiled as she embraced the white unicorn.
Rarity ended the embrace and looked at Twilight, who was now the same height, perhaps even taller than her. Rarity had been the third tallest of the group when Twilight was still a unicorn, but now the Crown Princess towered over all the other ponies in the group including Rainbow Dash and Applejack.
"What are you doing in Ponyville?" Twilight asked, confused by the unicorn's sudden and unexpected appearance.
"Well, darling," Rarity spoke, "Fancy asked me to go and check on you. Zephyr explained to me what had happened to your poor student; her name was "Wanda", right?" Twilight nodded quickly. "Well, Ro and Sky have come up with this 'theory' that something has happened to the poor mare. Are they right about this, Twilight?" Rarity asked.
"They are right" the alicorn said bluntly, "She's gone, she isn't here."
"Well, come along now!" Rarity cheered, pushing Twilight along.
"Wait, where are we going?" Twilight questioned as she stopped the unicorn.
"To Canterlot, so we can hopefully make a plan to find Wanda" the white alicorn explained.
"But, what if she's somewhere out here?" Twilight reasoned. "I was just about to go to Canterlot myself, but now I'm not so sure I should go ... what if she comes back to find nopony here?" Twilight said. "She doesn't know Ponyville that well" she added.
"Twilight, if you found yourself in an unfamiliar land, what would you want most in the world?" her friend asked. Twilight shrugged. "Wouldn't you want to go home?" Rarity smiled as the alicorn's eyes widened.
"OF COURSE!" Twilight shouted, her voice the sound of thunder, making the unicorn cover her ears with her hooves. "How could I not have thought of this?" Twilight asked herself.
"I haven't the slightest clue!" Rarity joked as she led Twilight out onto a platform where a chariot stood waiting.
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Chapter 12-The disappearance of Ivory Wand,part 4 (Revised)
Princess Luna carried the light blue form of Ivory Wand on her back, both looking for any signs of the unicorn's mother, Trixie Lulamoon. They had been searching for some time now and the Princess of the Night was beginning to feel the first signs of tiredness, so she knew soon she would have to land and rest. She sighed as she made the trip back around the Canterlot Palace and found a place to land.
"Um, Princess Luna?" Ivory asked once they were on the ground and she had dismounted. "Yes, Ivory?" replied the Princess, as the unicorn walked round to face her.
"I was just thinking, maybe we are looking in all the wrong places, or rather wrong place ... like, what if my ma's gone somewhere else to get the dark King's army and bring back the King himself?" Ivory questioned.
"Hmm, interesting idea, Ivory," Luna said. "Where do you think your mother would have gone to do something like this?" she asked, holding her wings close to her body.
"Somewhere ... dark. Very dark and 'private', I think ... maybe an abandoned building or some ruins" Ivory suggested.
"I have an idea" Luna offered, "Would your mother know anything about the Everfree Forest?" Ivory nodded. "Alright, this is worse than I first thought, perhaps even worse than my first idea ... if she is going to the Castle of the Two Sisters, she may be trying to use some of the untouched magic that lives there" Luna stated.
The dark blue Princess made a scroll of yellowing paper appear out of thin air. "I am going to send my sister a note, so she knows where we are just in case she comes here instead" Luna explained just as she finished writing. "Quickly Ivory, we must go now" Luna commanded as she levitated the unicorn onto her back once more.
. . .
It was now midnight, and the lone figure of a mare could just be seen dashing away from the bright lights of the city of Canterlot. Trixie galloped through the small woodland that stood before the famed Everfree Forest. She had managed to get the inhibitor ring off of her horn using a red-hot iron and hammer and currently held in her magic the same sceptre she had used earlier to summon the dark King in her magic.
She gasped and eased into a trot as she entered the imposing forest. She looked behind her and could now just make out the figures of other unicorns coming closer; one in particular catching her eye. This unicorn had a dirty sand colored coat with a mane of bronze and smelled distinctly of burning coal.
Trixie smiled weakly and walked over to announce herself. "Lovely to see you showed up" Trixie said coldly as the sand colored unicorn threw off the dark trench coat she had been wearing.
Trixie looked up into her toxic, yellow eyes that stared back into her own. "I only came here for the King, not you, dear sister!" she spat.
"The King only cares for me, Mysteria" Trixie spat back, looking smugly into her younger sister's yellow eyes. "Besides, you should be happier" Trixie smiled sickly. "You're going to be an aunt again soon" Trixie said as she turned to leave.
"Trixie, you didn't?" Mysteria gasped as she grabbed her sister’s foreleg with her own. "Swear to me you didn't!" she begged, praying to the high heavens and even the Sun Queen herself that her sister hadn't been so foalish again. "Swear to me on our mother's grave you didn't!" she shouted. "First that Prince, now this ..." she trailed off.
Trixie raised an eyebrow at the other mare. "Oh, my dear lil' sister," Trixie cooed sickly to her younger sibling. "I am doing what I need to do, the King has promised me a place by his side, as his Queen" Trixie announced, pulling her foreleg away from Mysteria. "And you will be given a place as one of my ladies-in-waiting" Trixie added.
"What about Ivory, huh? What about your daughter?" Mysteria questioned, teleporting in front of her sister. "And what makes you think I want to be a servant to you?" she said bitterly.
"What about her?" Trixie laughed.
"You can't just … just forget about her!" Mysteria protested.
Trixie shook her head. "She is no longer mine. That ‘Crown Princess' took her to be her student" Trixie mocked.
Mysteria sighed and shook her head. “Trixie, what if you're making a mistake by leaving Ivory?" she observed. "She would still love you, even if she was now Twilight's student" Mysteria said, not allowing her sister to pass.
"Mysteria, what would you know about what Ivory does and doesn't love?" Trixie asked sickly-sweetly. Mysteria took a step back and snorted at her sister. "I mean, we both know you'll never have your own foals, so what would you know?" Trixie smiled as she walked away, leaving Mysteria to be swallowed by the group of unicorns advancing into the Everfree Forest.
. . .
"Skylar, Wait!" Crown Prince Zephyr shouted as he and his daughter stood out on the concrete runway.
"I can see her! She's coming, father!" Skylar called back as the chariot that held Crown Princess Twilight and Lady Rarity Fancy-Belle came into view.
Skylar flew into the air as the chariot landed with a small bump, then she turned round as the left side door flung open. First to emerge was Twilight, who then helped Rarity down. The lilac Crown Princess smiled as she saw her husband and daughter. "Oh, Skylar!" she cheered as she hugged the light purple Princess.
"Where are Royal and Fancy?" Rarity asked as she stood next to Twilight and her daughter.
"Royal's with Fancy. She got a bit upset earlier" Zephyr chipped in, bobbing his head to the white unicorn mare. "Oh, Twilight? The Sun Queen sent this to you, we just got it" the pegasus levitated the scroll over to Twilight, who held it without bothering to read it.
"Whatever did Royal get upset at?" Rarity asked, turning to face the Crown Prince.
"Well, before we got Twilight's letter, Fancy and I both thought the girls were just ... overreacting” he explained as they began to walk away from the runway.
"Oh, I see ... thank you for letting me know" Rarity smiled at the Crown Prince as she quickened her pace.
"Come on, we have to get back soon; I think Uncle Fancy's nearly at his wit's end!" Skylar said as the group stopped while Twilight and Rarity cast a teleporting spell.
. . .
Queen Celestia sighed as she looked out across the city of Canterlot. She shook her head as she retreated back into her bedroom, closing the glass French doors behind her. Suddenly, the Queen gasped as a scroll of paper fell down in front of her. Embarrassed by her own reaction, Celestia regained her composure and picked up the scroll in her golden magic. She cleared her throat as she began to read.
"Dear Tia, I have found Twilight's student, Ivory Wand. I believe there is grave danger nearly upon us, Sister. Ivory saw her mother, Trixie, speaking to The Dark King. Trixie is going to the Everfree Forest - to our old home to be exact - to try and bring The Dark King back to life. She has also rounded up the King’s remaining followers to assist with his return. I wish for you to let Twilight and her family know that Ivory is safe. Princess Luna.
Celestia looked back down at the letter and read it again. Had Ivory ran to Luna? she asked herself. In a way, the Sun Queen was relieved. After her talk with Twilight, she had somewhat 'come to her senses', although she would not admit this, not to herself, nor to anypony else, not even her sister. Grunting, she took out her quill pen along with her signature golden scroll and began to write to her nephew, who she knew would be at the Manor House.
. . .
Princess Luna and Ivory Wand landed just at the edge of the Everfree Forest. The dark blue mare paused and looked around, scanning for any danger. Then she looked down at the young mare that was dwarfed next to her and smiled as the unicorn looked up at her. "Is she here?" Ivory asked, concern bleeding into her voice.
"I do not know, Ivory," Luna stated, a kind smile on her face.
"What if something's happened to her?" Ivory asked the Princess of the Night as she began to look deeply at the forest's edge.
"Nopony would do that, Ivory" Luna cooed, smiling at the young unicorn mare.
Turning quickly to face the Princess, Ivory fixed her with a stare. "You would have!" Ivory shouted. Instantly regretting her decision as the alicorn looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. "I-I mean in the past you would have ..." Ivory trailed off. "Sorry, your Highness" Ivory whispered.
"It is okay, Ivory" Luna smiled as she closed her eyes. "In the past, I was angry at many ponies and not just your mother" she explained. Ivory smiled weakly as she and the dark blue mare moved into the Everfree Forest.
. . .
Crown Princess Twilight, Crown Prince Zephyr, Princess Skylar, Lord Fancy Pants, Lady Rarity and Lady Royal Blue approached the edge of the imposing and threatening Everfree Forest. The unicorns all shivered as a gash of cold, winter-like wind blasted them. Twilight looked over at her daughter, who looked horrified at the forest. The purple alicorn sighed gently and trotted over to her daughter, placing a wing over her body.
"It's okay, Sky" Twilight cooed and smiled as she looked down at her daughter.
"I just hope Wanda's okay" Skylar sighed. "If anypony's hurt her, I don't know what I'll do" Skylar admitted.
As Twilight sighed and looked forward, Royal Blue walked over to the two alicorns. "It's okay, Aunt Twilight, I'll stay with Sky if you want me to." She smiled.
"Thanks, Ro ... but I think Sky will want to come along, "Twilight said as the younger alicorn nodded in response.
"Okay, I'll still be here just in case" Royal replied as she smiled.
"Well, come on!" Rarity trilled, her voice tinged with a hint of fear; she could never truly shake the dread away that the Everfree drilled into her. "I'm not getting any younger by just waiting out here!" she chirped as she trotted in, her head held high.
"Well, come along everypony!" Fancy smiled, slightly bemused by his wife's behaviour.
At this, the other members of the party fell in and trotted after the white stallion.
. . .
Trixie came to a stop right in the exact middle of the castle that formerly belonged to the two Royal Sisters. The light blue unicorn mare felt her chest fill with pride, she had completed her task at long last! Now, she would be granted everything she had ever wanted - no, everything she ever deserved was finally within reach. The unicorn huffed and turned around to see an ocean of other followers loyal to the dark King standing behind her. She could see her sister standing in what had become the 'front row'. Even now, she looked so disgusted with Trixie, she even shook her head. How pathetic! Trixie thought angrily. She could not even be bothered to fake happiness about this.
Huffing, she trotted over to where a sort of medieval 'stand' stood in the middle of an imposing stage that had a curve at its 'brim', where the 'front row' including her sister were. Trixie levitated the sceptre to the stand and locked it in place. She smiled wickedly to herself as the eyes of the dark King himself became visible, but only to her. Trixie was surprised as she was under the impression that the dark King was 'far too weak to do this'.
"My King, is something wrong?" she asked quietly as the low hum of ponies' voices began to fill the old castle, "Trixie could go and fix it!"
"I sense somepony near" the dark King spoke. "Somepony who was not invited to our little party" he added with a hiss.
"Trixie will send others to check and deal with our unwelcome guest!" the unicorn promised as she signalled for three armor-glad unicorns to move out of the castle. "See?" she confirmed to the dark King.
"That will not be enough, my dear. For you see, I sense many unwelcome ponies closing in ... I also sense somepony who ... 'reminds' me of you" the dark King said. "She is close, with another mare. Ah" Sombra smiled malevolently, "It would seem that it is dear Luna."
Trixie's heart sank. Ivory had brought the Moon Princess along, she thought, how dare her daughter even know of the Princess who rejected the dark King! Trixie thought. "I ... will deal with them!" she said.
"No, you will not ... it would be a waste of our strength. You have already sent three followers away" Trixie's ears folded against her head. "We must act right now" the dark King declared as he sank back into the sceptre.
Trixie moved back to the edge of the stage, gaining all of the unicorns' attention as a small reward. She cleared her throat and made a small spark with her horn. She smiled as she finished her spell. Her voice would now only be heard by her fellow followers and none of those uninvited guests. It would also be louder, so every member heard it loud and clear. "FOLLOWERS OF THE KING SOMBRA!" Trixie addressed everypony. "THE TIME HAS COME FOR OUR KING'S GLORIOUS RETURN" she declared as she took a moment to look across the faces of all the unicorns; they were looking at her, not with a cringe or amusement, but with respect. Trixie guessed they all already knew she would be their Queen.
"YOU WILL ALL PLEDGE A PART OF YOUR SOUL SO THAT OUR KING WILL HAVE HIS STRENGTH!" Trixie commanded the others. "ANYPONY WHO DOES NOT TAKE THE PLEDGE WILL BE DESTROYED" she warned. A few unicorns took half a step back, but they quickly resumed their places. She smiled as she made a small spark appear from her horn. "I COMMAND ALL OF YOU TO JOIN ME, AND USE YOUR MAGIC TO HELP OUR KING RETURN!" The unicorns all cheered and made the same small spark appear from their own horns.
Within seconds, the whole room was filled with brilliant light. Trixie managed to open one of her eyes and looked behind herself, to where the body of Sombra’s form began to rise into the air. She smiled wickedly as the King's infamous eyes began to burn from out of the form, followed by his head, legs, body, and ... wings? Trixie gasped as the dark King finally emerged, fully presented.
Trixie shook her head and spoke. "B-BEHOLD! THE DARK KING!" she announced.
. . .
Outside the castle, Princess Luna and Ivory Wand stopped dead a few metres from the entrance to the castle. The dark blue mare looked down at the young unicorn mare who gazed back up at her. She sighed and shook her head. Suddenly, there was the sound of hoofsteps close behind, Ivory and Luna turned their heads towards the sound as three armor-clad Royals Guards appeared, their faces stony and heads pointed down low.
"What are you doing here?" Luna demanded. The guards didn't respond, but only continued their approach. Luna made her own horn sparkle; she knew she was outnumbered, but maybe if she could buy a few minutes for Ivory, this could be stopped. "I command you to tell me why you are here!" the Princess shouted to the numbed guards. She looked behind her to Ivory, who tried to make her small spark somehow seem threatening. "Ivory, go - go to the castle!" Luna hissed.
"But, what about you?" Ivory questioned as she took a step back.
"Go on, I will be fine" Luna smiled weakly as Ivory nodded and began to gallop away.
The three guards jumped into the air, their horns pointed at the Moon Princess' neck. Suddenly, there was a bone-shattering sound just ahead of the alicorn mare. The Princess gasped as she opened her eyes and found the three guards knocked out just in front of her hooves. "What in Celestia's name ..." the Moon Princess trailed off as the forms of six ponies appeared moving forward.
"Princess Luna!" Luna smiled as the lilac Crown Princess trotted over to her. "We got Celestia's message! You found Wanda!" she gasped.
"Yes, I did" Luna smiled.
"Where is she?" Skylar chirped with Royal hiding behind her. "Is she okay?" the young Princess asked.
"I ... sent her ahead" Luna said quietly.
"Pardon, Princess?" Rarity questioned.
"When the guards showed up, I told her to go to the castle" Luna explained as she looked out to the castle, where she could just see Ivory jumping into the building.
"Alone?" Zephyr and Fancy asked in unison.
"Y...yes, I thought that if I could fight off the guards and give Ivory a chance to get to her mother or the dark King ..." Luna trailed off as all of the small company moved forward to get a view of where the castle stood.
"We have to help her" Skylar said.
Chapter 13 - Victorious at dawn (Revised)
Author's Note
Final author's note
Thanks to everypony for reading "A student of her own", I've really enjoyed writing my first chapter fanfic and having so much support and readers and so many upvotes! I want to take a moment to thank everypony who added "A student of her own' to their reading lists, rated it, commented, and enjoying it as much as I have, really thank you all! I'm a little sad that it's ending, but, I'm happy so many of you enjoyed it and upvoted it, so far, it's my most popular fanfic, I can't wait to see how high it can get!
Chapter 13 - Victorious at dawn (Revised)
King Sombra rose high and proud as he looked around at all of his followers; some were lying on the ground, exhausted from giving their magic to him, some were just managing to lift their heads off the ground, only a few were still standing. The dark alicorn stallion looked behind him to see Trixie lying on the floor. Of course she is, she was always a weak mare , Sombra thought coldly.
The dark stallion landed and looked out across all his followers, who struggled to stand up to see their King in his full glory. The King smirked as the front row of unicorns stood and bowed to him, even Mysteria the coward was there! , the king remarked to himself. Then the next row, and the next, and the next, until the whole ocean of unicorns was bowing for their King, some even let tears fall down their muzzles, others kept their faces still and unemotional.
"M-my king!" Sombra groaned internally as he heard Trixie's voice shout out for him. The light blue unicorn scampered over and locked herself onto his left front leg. "Trixie told you she would do it!" she gasped, looking longingly at the stallion. "A-and she did!" she added as her eyes glued on to the dark King's.
"Yes, so it would seem" Sombra said bluntly as he harshly brushed off the mare and walked forward, leaving Trixie with a confused look on her face, his armored hooves clicking along the stone floor. "Rise my subjects!" Sombra commanded. As if a spell was lifted from them, all the unicorns were suddenly able to stand. He looked at all of them, taking his sweet time to remember their faces and their good and bad features; some of them were definitely more unfortunate than others, he noted. Sombra smiled as he came back to the center of the stage, where Trixie now stood next to him. "Tonight" Sombra spoke, "We take back our rightful lands and homes." The unicorns cheered and wept for the King. "Tonight, we rise! Go, make a forcefield around us!" he commanded.
. . .
Ivory Wand gasped as the figure of the dark King launched himself into the air and watched as his 'subjects' began to race out. Is he an alicorn ? Ivory questioned herself, her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide with shock.
She was too late.
Everypony was too late.
The dark King had returned and there was no sign of the Moon Princess or anypony else Ivory knew to be on 'her' side. There was definitely no sign of her teacher or Skylar, perhaps they were happy with her not being with them anymore.
Ivory's ears pricked up as she saw a small band of green, white, and red unicorns coming her way. Thinking quickly, she used the Phantasia Pendant and disappeared, holding her mouth shut with her hoof as the hordes of unicorns surged past her. Once the 'first wave' was gone, Ivory raced forward and ducked behind a cracked pillar. She peeked forward and saw her mother and Mysteria, Ivory's aunt, speaking with the dark King.
"We must think of where to conquer first!" Mysteria commanded, her yellow eyes serious. "We can't just rush in blindly!" she said, her comments having added weight as her past as a trainee guard was known to both Ivory and Sombra.
"No" Trixie burst in. "We should make this our new home, Sombie" She cooed to the dark King as she snuggled up to him.
The stallion brushed her off once again and walked over to Mysteria. "The castle is far too close to Twilight, Luna and Celestia; we must move forward and go somewhere else" Sombra stated.
"But, Trixie thinks -"
"- It doesn't matter what you think!" the dark King screamed as he and her sister started to corner her.
Ivory felt her heart race as the dark King forced her mother up onto her hind legs. "D-d-did Trixie do something w-w-wrong?" she stuttered.
"Wrong?" Sombra chuckled.
Mysteria stepped backward as the King advanced on Trixie and soon she galloped away, leaving her sister to Sombra, passing a still invisible Ivory in her haste. The young unicorn then looked forward once again, only to see her mother's body thrown to the ground mere inches away from her. Ivory stopped a gasp from coming out as the King appeared, standing over her mother's shivering body.
"M-my-King -" The dark King stood on Trixie's neck, stopping her from speaking. Ivory felt her blood boil as the dark King smiled wickedly at her mother’s plight, her hooves kicking madly.
"Everything you have done has been a mistake, in one way or another" Sombra said. "You blindly followed me, and your family blindly loved and adored me ... you were a puppet, Trixie. You were never my 'right-hoof mare', just a weak mind pony who followed whoever was in power. In summary, you could never rule as a Queen by my side!" Sombra hissed as he kicked Trixie in her back. She grunted but did nothing else, her eyes frozen open. "You are just some dumb 'great unicorn wannabe ' ... you are a parasite with no respect or dignity for yourself. Really, I'm surprised you didn't have more foals like that Ivory Wand of yours" Sombra hissed as he kicked her again.
. . .
Meanwhile, just outside the castle, Princess Luna accompanied by Crown Princess Twilight, Crown Prince Zephyr, Princess Skylar, Fancy Pants, Lady Rarity and Lady Royal Blue watched as a tide of unicorns flowed past them, their horns ablaze. The lilac Crown Princess huffed as she looked at Skylar and Royal, both of whom looked very uncertain. Looking at her husband, Twilight sighed and walked over to him. "Zephyr, I need to talk to you" she whispered.
The white stallion raised an eyebrow before following the alicorn over to a small clearing. "What is it, Twilight?" the blue pegasus asked.
"I want to talk to you about you something" Twilight stated.
"What is it?" he asked again and looked around, making sure there was nopony around who could overhear.
"If Trixie has joined Sombra's side again, what do you think would happen to Wanda?" Twilight asked him, her eyes uncertain.
Zephyr shrugged and spoke. "Well, I think Wanda would be sent back to Canterlot" he reasoned, “Why do you ask?"
"If Trixie has brought Sombra back and has joined him" Twilight paused and looked down to the ground, "I want to adopt Ivory." Twilight looked back up at her husband with determination in her eyes.
"Twilight, this is a big thing to bring up at a time like this, and a big thing to do ... and how would ponies react to us bringing Ivory into our home?" he questioned. "What if we can't adopt her? What if Celestia forbids us to adopt her?" Zephyr shook his head.
"It doesn't matter, Zephyr. We have to do what is right for her. She can't just be a servant for the rest of her life, Ivory is worth so much more than that" Twilight stated as she put her hoof down.
Zephyr looked at his wife. "Twilight, if we do this there may be an outcry, we may become unpopular ... But, to hell with it! We're doing it anyway!" he smiled.
"Zephyr! Twilight!" the voice of Fancy suddenly came rushing forward, the noble unicorn stumbling as he reached the couple.
Trotting forward, Twilight help the unicorn up. "What is it, Fancy?" she asked.
The stallion puffed heavily as he cleared his throat. "Unicorns ... coming" he said plainly.
"Coming? Coming here? " Zephyr raised his eyebrow.
"Yes! They came from the castle. They've started to form a sort of forcefield around us and about half of the Everfree" Fancy explained, wiping sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. "There's no way in or out ... but, I think we might be able to teleport out of here if we're quick enough" Fancy added as he tidied himself up and fixed his mane.
Twilight looked to Zephyr, who huffed and nodded. "Let's go!" They rejoined with the Moon Princess and advanced towards the castle. "Wait" Twilight spoke up, “Are you sure you all want to do this?" Everypony nodded.
. . .
Trixie lay unresponsive on the floor, only a few steps away from Ivory. The dark King trotted around the castle's hall and stared up at the stand which still held the sceptre. Ivory watched as the dark alicorn began to walk forward to where she and Trixie were. "I can feel your presence" the dark King suddenly spoke, turning his face towards the pillar. He sent ice-cold chills down Ivory's spine. "There is really no point in hiding anymore ... come out, little one" the King asked kindly.
Ivory suddenly found herself moving forward, but quickly stopped herself and went back to hiding behind the pillar. "I feel you. You are brave to come here" the alicorn continued. "Many ponies would sooner run away than try to defeat me, which I guess you are here to do ... Why must we fight?" Sombra asked with a smile, staring right at Ivory. Can he see me? Ivory asked herself. "We are one and the same, dear child."
Ivory gasped as she felt the dark King's warm breath on her muzzle. He towered over her like a giant. The light blue unicorn took a couple of steps back as the King advanced. "We do not need to fight. It would be so very unfortunate if I was forced to destroy you" he warned as he began to force Ivory away from the safety of the pillar. "Reveal yourself to me" Sombra demanded, "Let me see you!"
Ivory screamed as she felt the dark alicorn lift her up with his magic, taking the Phantasia from her neck. "Ah, as I expected!" Sombra remarked as he walked over to where Trixie lay with Ivory in his magic. Pulling the young mare in front of her mother. "Tell me, Ivory" Sombra looked straight at the unicorn, "What do you see in your mother?"
"I-I-Ivory?" Trixie choked out as she lifted her head. "What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Ma ... I -"
"- Answer my question!" Sombra demanded, “What do you see in her? What have you chosen to see?"
"What .. what do you mean?" Ivory asked, her eyes filled with fear as she looked at the dark King.
Sombra sighed and pulled Ivory away from Trixie. "Sombie ...?" Trixie trailed off as she watched the alicorn walk away with her foal in his magic.
"Is she worth saving? I'm giving you a choice here" Sombra told Ivory as he sat down on the throne that used to belong to Celestia and rested Ivory down onto the first step in front of him, "Is she worth anything to you?"
"I don't know what you mean!" Ivory stated. "I don't know what my choice is!" she wailed. “Please, let her go!" she pleaded.
Sombra raised an eyebrow, amused by Ivory’s persistence. "I'm afraid I cannot do that until you answer my question, Ivory" Sombra said as he rested his head on his left forehoof, "What do you see in her? What is your choice?"
"I-I just see her" she answered.
"Look deeper, Ivory ... what do you see in her?" Sombra turned the young mare around to face Trixie, who had crept forward ever so slightly. She looked directly at her mother, who looked back at her. "Do you see anything at all?" Sombra asked the young mare as he turned her back around to face him.
"No, I don't know what you want me to look for" Ivory stated as she tried to pull away from the dark King's grasp.
"So, you see nothing" Sombra nodded. "Oh, well!" he sighed as he released Ivory and let her rush over to her mother.
"Oh, ma!" Ivory wailed.
"Ivory, listen to me!" Trixie choked out as she watched Sombra stalk the pair of them. "Go! Go!" she commanded.
Ivory shook her head and forced herself under her mother's foreleg. "I'm not leaving you here!" Ivory cried. "I'll protect you!" Ivory said as she suddenly stood up in front of her mother, earning a chuckle from Sombra.
"Oh, Ivory" he cooed sickly as the young unicorn formed sparks at her horn. "Why do you waste your strength when you could leave this all behind?" Sombra asked jokingly. "You have a chance to join me; you have a choice, she does not. Choose me, or Trixie" he smiled again.
"I won't let you hurt her!" Ivory hissed as the sparks from her horn gained strength and began to glow brighter.
Sombra chuckled at the unicorn's 'pathetic' sparks. Ivory gasped as she felt the King's own powerful magic mix with her own, forcing her to the floor. "Why are you taking such a stance?" Sombra asked as he advanced on the young unicorn. "Give in; you have no other choice. You are as weak as your mother is. You could never even dream of defeating me!" Sombra mocked.
Suddenly, a violent flash of bright white light appeared in front of Sombra coming directly from Ivory's horn. The King's eyes widened as he watched Ivory's body rise into the air. "Wh-what is this?" Sombra questioned madly as he looked at Trixie, who looked equally confused. "How is she able to use this magic? Trixie! Help me!" The King screamed as the mare began to walk over to Ivory.
"Ma?" Ivory asked as she looked down at her mother, whose eyes went round and watery.
"Ivory ..." Trixie trailed off as she turned towards Sombra and pointed her head down as if she were about to charge. "I choose Ivory!" she screamed as she launched herself at the dark King. She forced him to the floor, holding him down with her cracked hooves.
Ivory fell from the air exhausted, only to be caught by familiar pink magic and placed with care. Trixie smiled weakly as Twilight came rushing forward, followed by Zephyr and Fancy. "Trixie!" Twilight gasped.
"I chose Ivory, Twilight! I chose Ivory!" Trixie said madly as she made her horn sparkle.
"Trixie, wait!" Twilight cried as she raced forward. "What are you doing?" The alicorn stood still as she watched the dark King move forward.
Suddenly the dark King rose into the air and held Trixie mid-air in his magic. "Fool! You think you can defeat me?" Sombra questioned Trixie as she smiled back at him. "I am unstoppable, and it’s all thanks to you! No pony can defeat me!" Sombra bragged.
"I know I cannot defeat you Sombra, so Trixie will do something worse" Trixie screamed as she made her horn glow with the might of the sun, wrapping her and Sombra in its glow.
"What are you doing -" Sombra questioned as he quickly faded from view, leaving nothing behind but a haunting howl and ugly scream lagging in the stillness of the old castle as the Phantasia Pendant fell to the floor in front of all three startled adults. Twilight held her breath, as did Zephyr and Fancy, who stood in front of Princess Luna, Rarity, Skylar and Royal. Had Trixie just banished Sombra? Twilight questioned herself, her eyes blinking with surprise.
"What ... just happened?" Fancy asked hesitantly as he took a well-placed, yet shaking step forward. "Did ... did that mare just do what I think she just did?" he asked as he stood next to Twilight, "Did she banish King Sombra?"
"I ... I'm not sure. I didn't even know a unicorn was capable of banishment magic! I always believed it was something only alicorns could master" Twilight said as she looked heavenward. The sun was beginning to rise, and she smiled as she felt its warmth touch her.
"If she did, what happened to her?" asked Zephyr quietly as he joined Twilight and Fancy.
"I think what she did was" Twilight paused, "I think she banished herself with Sombra. Maybe that was the only way she could do it.”
“Trixie sacrificed herself ... for us" the lilac alicorn trailed off, letting her voice swim in the still air.
"Wanda!" Skylar suddenly came crushing forward and pushed past the three adults. She skidded as she fell down next to Ivory, closely followed by Royal and Princess Luna, who both looked worried, Luna perhaps more so. "Wake up!" the young alicorn yelled as she nudged Ivory's shoulder. The unicorn groaned and shivered as Royal and Skylar gasped in joy.
"Ivory! Oh, my stars!" Twilight cried as she rushed over to her student and knelt down next to her. "Are you okay?" she asked, worry tattooed onto her face.
"It's okay, Princess ... I'm fine," Ivory smiled strongly as she stood up. "Wait" The unicorn looked around. "Where's Ma?" she asked, fear cracking her voice.
"Ivory" Twilight sighed and closed her eyes. "Your mother made a big decision. She banished Sombra" Twilight explained, her mouth in a barely perceptible smile.
"Okay" Ivory said unsurely, "But where is she?"
"What Twilight's trying to say, Ivory" Zephyr suddenly knelt down next to the unicorn mare. "Yes, your mother banished Sombra, but at a price ..." Ivory tuned out as the pegasus continued to explain.
The young unicorn felt waves of tears form in her eyes and racing down her face. "Ma's..... gone?" Ivory asked, barely able to even stop the sobs from coming out. All of a sudden, Ivory reached out and wrapped her forelegs around Twilight and Zephyr and allowed her tears to fall.
"Oh, Wanda," Twilight sighed and she placed a hoof on the unicorn's back. Zephyr quickly copied. "Shhh, it's okay, it's okay." Twilight cooed as she felt another two pairs of forelegs wrap around her and Ivory as Skylar and Royal shared the pain, small tears running down their faces too. Soon, both Rarity and Fancy joined in too.
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Chapter 10-The disappearance of Ivory Wand, part 2 (Revised)
It dawned almost immediately on Trixie what her daughter could now do with what she had seen. Questions lingered over the unicorn’s head, like what was her daughter doing there? How did she even get in here? It wasn't like Ivory had a key. The door didn't even have a lock ! These questions came with few answers, and pretty soon it seemed like there was no answer. The blue mare gulped down air as she again pulled out the sceptre and smiled weakly at the 'calming' red glow.
"Trixie?" the voice of Sombra asked. He didn't appear in his true form this time, most likely trying to save his strength. "What is it my darling?" he asked.
"My daughter ... Trixie thinks she might have heard everything" the blue mare told the dark King.
Sombra groaned slightly and the red 'smoke' thickened. "I think you know what you have to do" he said, his voice sounding unusually blunt to Trixie compared with the way he would normally speak to her. The blue mare shrugged it off as nothing more than exhaustion. She looked down at the floor as Sombra's words sunk in. "Do you understand, Trixie?" he asked, sounding impatient. "She is a danger to everything we have worked for, everything we have worked for together , my darling" Sombra reminded the blue mare.
"But, it's my daughter we’re talking about ..." Trixie trailed off. Deep down, Trixie really wished to say "our daughter" but she knew that wish would never come true.
"So?" Sombra questioned coldly, raising an eyebrow at the unicorn mare.
"I ... I love her, and she loves me." Sombra erupted into laughter, shattering Trixie into tiny pieces. "Why do you laugh?" Trixie asked him.
"Oh my dear, can't you see what she's done to you?" Trixie shook her head. "She's bewitched you!" Sombra replied.
"How?" she questioned.
"I knew from the very first time I was made aware of her existence that she would be strong, strong in magic" the dark King added. "I knew she would eventually prey on you, my darling, and it hurts me to see you, to hear you like this." The mare couldn't help but blush, the dark King always had a certain way with words that calmed her down immediately, even though other ponies would normally be creeped out by it. "Unfortunately, when you told me that horrid 'Princess of Magic' had taken your daughter to be her student, I knew it was far too late to try and make her see the other side ... but you …” Sombra's physical form suddenly materialised next to the mare. Trixie gasped as the dark King seized her in his magic. "You still have a chance to be by the side, in more ways than one , my darling" Sombra cooed as he whispered into the mare's ear. She could just feel his sharp-shoed hoof tracing the inside of her left hindleg.
"M-M-MY KING!" Trixie screamed as she felt blood trickle down her legs. Sombra then dropped the mare from his magic, allowing her to drop to the floor and disappeared back into the sceptre.
. . .
Crown Princess Twilight Soleil soared high above the town of Ponyville, looking desperately for any traces of her student, Ivory Wand. The alicorn came to a stop and hovered in one place for a while. She tilted her head and squinted ... was there a scorch mark on the ground? Possibly caused by a pony teleporting? The mare swooped down to the spot in question and examined it. Indeed, she was correct, it was a scorch mark. A deep and 'angry' one, she noted as she looked around, trying to see any traces of her student.
She snorted and raced back up into the air. Twilight twisted around and looked back to where she had come from. She had to have missed something, surely, she had to have. There was no sign of Ivory, she wasn't even sure the scorch mark was from her student. She hated to admit it, but she knew her student was most certainly not capable of teleportation. She sighed and glided off, going back from where she had come from, hoping to see something.
Back at the Castle of Friendship, Queen Celestia trotted from side to side of the little waiting room Twilight had left her in. Had she made the wrong choice? No, of course not! She shouted to herself, she was not wrong, she could not be wrong! The white mare snorted as she shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts; what Twilight had said to her earlier had stuck to her like a glue. Could she really have misjudged Ivory so cruelly? Had she been so jealous?
The white alicorn turned her head to the left as she heard a knock at the side of the doorway. She found Twilight standing there, her mane looking more like a birds nest and there was a small puddle of sweat forming on her forehead. The Queen of the sun gulped as she turned to face fully the young purple alicorn.
"Did you find her?" Celestia quietly asked.
Twilight shook her head sombrely. "No, all I found was a scorch mark that looked like it had been caused by a unicorn teleporting ... and I know for a fact Wanda could not have done that, she’s nowhere near that level yet" Twilight explained.
"Twilight, have you told anypony yet?" Celestia asked as she walked forward, "Have you even told Zephyr or Skylar?"
Twilight's eyes looked into the Queen's. "Zephyr knows, but, Sky ... I don’t think she has any idea about this; she's actually the one who mentioned Ivory missing to me" Twilight said.
"Skylar ... told you she was missing?" The Sun Queen questioned, her tone deep with worry.
"Well, yes and no, she just mentioned to me Wanda wasn't in her room when she went to see her" Twilight explained. "Why do you ask? You sound a bit worried" Twilight mentioned casually.
"Well, I, you see …" Celestia trailed off.
"Are you feeling alright?" Twilight asked, concerned by the white mare's sudden quietness.
"No - Yes!" Celestia answered quickly. "I'm just ... concerned for you" she answered.
Twilight raised her eyebrow doubtingly, but brushed it off quickly. "I want to send out a search party. It’ll be useless if only one pony is out there looking for her" Twilight stated.
"I suppose we could do that. Did Zephyr end up hiring those new guards who came out of his school?" Celestia asked, relieved to change of the subject.
"He did" Twilight replied, "I'll ask them."
"Good" the Sun Queen said quietly. "If you need anything, I'm only one call away" she said as she walked away sombrely.
. . .
Princess Skylar sighed as she stood next to her father, Crown Prince Zephyr. He, on the other hoof stood tall and proud, his expression unmoving from a small smile. The light purple mare looked around behind her to see her friend, Lady Royal Blue Fancy-Belle, smiling sweetly at her. Skylar quickly smiled back just as the sound of a band started up and everypony cheered loudly. The young Princess turned her head forward as the Royal Canterlot Guards began their routine. Skylar looked behind her again to Royal, who smiled and motioned her to look forward again. Skylar begrudgingly did as her friend had prompted.
"Skylar" Zephyr spoke. "You know, when I was a young stallion, I was in the Canterlot Guard? Your Uncle Fancy was in it too" the pegasus stallion stated.
"You never mentioned it, father" the Princess replied.
"I always imagined my own foals would walk in my hoofsteps" the Crown Prince stated.
"What exactly are you saying?" Skylar questioned.
"Well, I was thinking of seeing if I could get Aura in ... what do you think?" the pegasus asked happily just as a small group of pegasus guards flew over the small tent that covered Zephyr, Skylar, and Royal.
Skylar shook her head. "Aura's not really that sort of pony, father" Skylar answered. "He didn't really seem too happy to be going to school" she said quietly.
"Really? I thought he should have been over the moon" he blinked in surprise. "Perhaps you should ask his sister? She's right behind us, right?" Zephyr suggested.
Skylar smiled and nodded. She turned around to look at Royal, who nodded back. The young Princess walked back to where Royal stood. "Hi, Ro." Skylar greeted.
"Sky" Royal smiled as she and Skylar walked out of the back of the tent. "Where's your mother? I would've thought she would be here" Royal asked, looking back at the tent as they both exited it.
"She had to go back home to check on Wanda" Skylar said as they trotted up to where a large, dark green tree stood on the top of a hill. The two friends sat down next to each other.
"Why would she have to do that?" Royal questioned, raising an eyebrow at the alicorn.
"I don't really know, Ro. She just left" Skylar sighed as she looked out across the land.
Royal touched Skylar's shoulder. "Skylar, what if something happened to Wanda?" Royal said in a whisper.
"What do you mean?" Skylar asked as her eyes widened and she stood up.
Royal quickly copied Skylar and stood. "Well, what if she's gotten hurt or lost? I saw the Royal chariot leave Canterlot Palace this morning; do you think the Queen is there right now?" Royal asked.
"I ... I didn't think of that!" Skylar shouted. "We have to go help!" she said.
"Wait, Sky!" Royal screamed. "We-we can't just run off!" the white unicorn mare stated.
"Right, let's go ask our fathers! Now, come on!"
