Author's Note

Hey, everyone! Sorry yesterday's chapter was so rushed. As I stated in the comments and in my blog post, I've been sick, but I think I'm doing better! So, without further ado, I give you the next entry in The Town of Friendship! Enjoy!

The Daughters of Evil

Twilight lighted back on the ground and folded her new wings. They felt amazing pressed against her flank, and she suddenly felt as if the possibilities for her life were endless. Her future looked incredibly bright, and she reveled in her apparent victory over the evil queen and her traitorous brother. She also realized the huge responsibility she now shouldered in continuing to forge the path that Starlight Glimmer had begun. She shed a few tears at the memory of her fallen friend and turned to her body, still laying just a few paces away.

“We will hold a memorial for her,” she said, “and then we’ll decide what to do next.”

Suddenly, Applejack spoke up. “Uh, Twi?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t ya think that was a little too easy?”

Twilight stopped and pondered the query. True, it had been incredibly simple to defeat a regime that had held Equestria in its iron grip for many years. The best rebellions had been completely snuffed out, and she realized that Applejack’s question made sense. The ending to the story felt incredibly abrupt. But, still, she didn’t see any signs that the evil presence was still there, and, by her personal logic, if she couldn’t see it, it didn’t exist.

“Yeah, it was easy,” she said with cautious optimism, “but the power of friendship is strong enough to defeat anything! We all know that!”

“Yeah, sugar cube, it is,” AJ responded, “I believe that more’n I believe in the cycles of the apple harvest! Even so, don’t y’all think it might be best if we checked around?”

Twilight recognized the wisdom in Applejack’s words, and she was about to call a team together when a tiny voice sounded from behind her. “Help! Please!” It said, “Our mommy and daddy are gone! We don’t know where we are! We’re scared!”

Twilight immediately knew that these were the voices of very young fillies, and she turned around. Her fears were confirmed when she saw two frail, helpless young ponies standing there, shivering with fright. Their tiny mouths were quivering, and their mane hair stood on end. One of them was pure white, with an orange mane and eyes of the same color. The other was darker, with a blue mane and blue eyes. They huddled together, trying to look brave, but failing in every aspect.

Twilight smiled and had great compassion for these fillies, because she knew right away that they were the offspring of her brother and Queen Lilly. If they’re taught about friendship, she thought, they could grow up to be great assets to everypony! She trotted over and leaned down to greet them. “Hi, there,” she said softly, so as not to spook them, “my name’s Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends.” She pointed to the gathering behind her, who quietly waved at the small ones. “What are your names?” Twilight asked.

“I’m Blaze,” the white one said, “and this is my baby sister, Frostbite.”

“I’m not a baby!” The darker one squeaked in defiance.

Twilight stifled a smile. “I’m sure you aren’t,” she said. She then suddenly wanted to confirm the assumption she had about the small ones' parents. "Tell me, what are the two of you doing here? You said your mother and father were gone. Where are they?”

“We don't know!” Blaze said, “we just followed them in here and hid where they told us to hide. Then, there was this big white light, and when we came out, they were gone!”

Both fillies burst into tears, and Twilight softly curled them into a loving embrace, without pressing the issue any further. She felt a motherly side to herself that she hadn’t felt before, and she was suddenly determined to keep these two safe. They’re so small, she told herself, so unbelievably small. They wouldn’t last a minute out there without an adult pony around. They’d be killed in an instant!

Their soft coats were rather warm to the touch, and Twilight felt a deep connection with them. It was almost as if they reminded her of herself when she was that age. She had been very small as well, and her brother had sworn up and down that he would protect her. But that promise had been laid to waste quickly, when Shining discovered Lilly and the power that came with serving her. He put his own selfishness ahead of his family, and his fellow Equestrians, she thought angrily, I must always remember that, and ensure that nopony else does the same.

She quietly ushered the small ponies into the town hall, where they were tucked into a blanket and allowed to rest. They looked exhausted, as if their small bodies had been magically sapped of all energy and taken away into some limbo between reality and unconsciousness. Twilight determined in her heart that she wouldn’t allow the fillies to be swept away into the dark of the unknown, and she stayed by their side. She didn’t realize it, but she was falling in love with them, and she felt as if they were her own daughters. Something about this is just so enjoyable, she told herself, is this what motherhood feels like?

The next morning, she gently nudged the sleeping foals awake, and they blinked their way back into the waking world. “Good morning,” Twilight said softly, “did you sleep well?”

“Ugh…” Blaze said, shaking her mane a bit, “…I had an awful dream!”

“You did?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I dreamt that Mommy and Daddy were gone, and I was all alone!”

Twilight smiled compassionately and lay on her stomach. “Come on,” she said.

“What’s that for?” Frostbite suddenly asked.

“Climb on my back,” Twilight commanded gently, “and I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

They didn’t say anything, but climbed onto Twilight’s back and nestled into her mane. Once there, Twilight took off and began flying around the Town of Friendship. The foals’ energy was immediately restored, and they laughed and squealed with delight. To them, this was a fun game, a diversion to restore their own senses of life and happiness. To Twilight, this was a learning experience, and she strove to teach them all about friendship and the light and joy it could bring.

“I knew your parents,” she began as they flew along, “in fact, your father was my brother, Shining Armor.”

The fillies, through some humorous synchronization, opened their mouths in shock. “How did you know Shining Armor was our Daddy?” Frostbite asked.

“Because you two look just like combinations of himself and your mother, Queen Lilly. Don’t worry, though. That’s how foals are supposed to look.”

Little Frostbite cautiously peeked over Twilight’s flank and saw the town far beneath them. They were up close to the roof of the cavern, and Twilight allowed them to see out into the open world. With the weather returned to Cloudsdale, it was the first truly beautiful day Equestria had seen in years, and the fillies were awe inspired when they saw blue sky for the first time.

“I didn’t know the sky was blue!” Blaze said in amazement, “I always thought it was a very dull grey!”

Twilight chuckled. “That’s what your mother and father wanted everypony to think.”

“But our Mommy and Daddy weren’t evil…were they?”

Twilight felt like she hit a stone wall. She realized that Shining and Lilly had put on completely different faces when dealing with the foals. They had lied to them about their true maliciousness, and the tiny fillies idolized them. They were the smallest victims of the evil couple’s propaganda, and Twilight felt her anger beginning to rise again. Lying to everypony in Equestria is one thing, she said to herself, but lying to my nieces?! That’s a line that you just don’t cross!

She quickly flew them back down and lighted in front of the Town Hall. “Now, then,” she said as her small passengers disembarked, “I want you two to stay put. I’m gonna go find my friend Fluttershy to watch you.”

“Watch us?” Blaze asked.

“Yes,” Twilight said.

“Aw,” Frostbite complained, “but we wanna spend time with you, Twilight!”

Twilight smiled and bent down to allow the foals easier access to her cheeks. Blaze and Frostbite wouldn’t stop nuzzling her, and she found that their touch flooded her heart with warmth and delight. I know I’ve only known you for one day, she said, but…I love you. We’re family, and nothing will ever change that.

She was about to go and find her yellow Pegasus friend, when suddenly, screams abounded from the eastern portion of the village. She spread her wings and went to take off, but Applejack came running in from the direction of the outburst. “TWILIGHT!” She screamed in a voice that made Twilight go pale, “YOU’VE GOTTA HELP US! SHININ’ ARMOR AND QUEEN LILLY ARE STILL ALIVE!”