Chapter 4 - Realization

"My little ponies, do you have any information on this Miss Twilight that you would care to share with me?" The Monarch of the Sun spoke in a regal tone, magenta eyes soft and encouraging, and wearing a bright smile.

In the crowded Carousel Boutique, Princess Celestia sat still upon a padded seat, gazing expectantly at the three fillies and two mares.

"Ta be honest yer highness, Rares an' ah don' really have any proper encounters with tha mare, but from wha ah've heard, she seems ta have no bad intents." Applejack was the first to speak up, shuffling her hooves awkwardly on the pillow Rarity had gotten for her.

The Regent of the Sun quirked an eyebrow, a clear invitation to speak.

"Well you see Your Majesty, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were actually the first to meet the dear," the fashionista explained, "They've probably seen her without her coat too, she was pulling her hood up when I encountered her after all."

All the mares in the room, including Princess Celestia, turned their attentions to the Crusaders, who had sheepish smiles and shy eyes.

"Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, do you fillies have anything you would like to explain?" The white alicorn asked kindly.

"Well.." Scootaloo drawled, looking to her friends for help.

"Ah think that if Twiligh wants us t' stay outta tha forest, then its probably for a good reason." Apple Bloom reasoned, looking hopefully up at Celestia.

"And why do you say that my little pony?" Princess Celestia questioned, wondering as to how their trust had developed.

"She saved us all! From the monsters in the Everfree!" Sweetie Belle blurted out, remembering her savior's awe inspiring actions.

"Oh? How so?" A twinge of curiosity leaking into the monarch's neutral tone.

"It was so awesome! You should have seen her Princess Celestia! She didn't even touch them!" Scootaloo recalled eagerly, "She just told them to let us go!"

"She commands these creatures?" Celestia wondered out loud, Some sort of hypnotism? "And how do you know Miss Twilight?"

"I was the first to see her Your Majesty! She was..."

"And then she just asked the wolf to show Rarity and us out of the forest!" Scootaloo finished, wearing a small grin along with her friends, oblivious to the blushing Rarity in the corner.

"Did you fillies see her cutie mark? Or underneath her hood?" the Princess inquired, intrigued by the identity of 'Twilight'

Apple Bloom furrowed her brows together before responding, "Ah didn't really get ta see her cutie mark tha well, but it was pink..." her friends nodding in agreement.

"Oh but her mane! It was so beautiful!" Sweetie Belle gushed with wide eyes, "It was all sparkly! And it was flowy like yours Princess!"

"An ethereal mane?" Celestia's eyes also widened, while the two mares beside her gasped, Nopony I've ever known has an ethereal mane except for my sister and Twilight was going to develop--. "Colour! What was the colour?" She blurted out, startling the ponies present in the room.

Scootaloo recovered from the Princess' outburst first, "Uh.. Blue! Dark blue with stripes of pink and purple!" She added helpfully.

The ponies looked at the harbinger of the sun confusedly as she stood up suddenly, thanking them and trotting hurriedly towards the exit without another word.

As Princess Celestia, flanked by four guards, drew nearer to the Everfree Forest, she felt her heartbeat accelerate.

Could it really be Twilight? My Twilight? My student, friend, surrogate daughter and.. the one I betrayed?

'No.. I saw her get hit... hit by me...'

But her body was never found! And the loyalty of the timberwolves, surely that can't be a coincidence?

'What about the other creatures?'

... Maybe a result of her influence over the wolves...

'Oh how I've wronged my Twilight! I need to apologise!'

Does she even want to see you?

Celestia halted near the timberwolves who were watching her every movement, 'Would she want to see me?'.

She remembered her accusations of her friend, calling her a traitor, a disgrace and a monster...

'No, I have to try at least.'

The Princess of the Sun walked up to the nearest creature, a manticore, and readied her horn to throw up a shield as her guards spread out in a semi circle when the creature approached the princess.

"Princess." The guards gave the manticore a stern glare upon seeing the lack of respect, but the animal seemed unfazed as he continued, "As you know, our Mistress has warned you herself, our home is currently not safe for your kind, alicorn princess or otherwise, please turn around before you get hurt."

"It's alright guards," Celestia nodded to the guards who saluted hesitantly before adopting a cautious stance behind the princess, "I wish to speak with Twilight, it is of utmost importance."

"You may leave your message with us and I will make sure our Mistress receives it. But her orders are to keep ponies out of the forest, and we shall do everything in our power to obey her command." A timberwolf appeared at the manticore's side, staring at the Sun Princess suspiciously.

"This is something I want to speak with Twilight alone" Celestia paused, before testing her suspicions,"Tell me... does the name Sparkle mean anything to you?"

The guards pointed their spears at the creatures in a threatening manner as more animals suddenly bared their teeth and came out of the shadows to create a barrier between the forest and the alabaster alicorn.

"Do not speak of what our Mistress wishes to be forgotten" The manticore snarled, "Our Master is currently preoccupied, you cannot see her."

What she wishes to be forgotten? Does that mean... is she really my Twilight Sparkle then?

"Please, sirs" Started Princess Celestia in an almost desperate tone, "I need to see if she is somepony very dear to me."

The Princess' personal guards all exchanged a look, 'did their sovereign know the mare protecting the monsters?'

"Nothing will stop me from making things right."

In a blaze of sheer power, blinding all ponies and creatures alike, the Goddess of the Sun was gone. Chaos erupted.

Frantic guards arrived as backup, proving to be no match against the ferocious inhabitants of the forest.

Creatures prowled the forest for any sign of the white alicorn.

Two mares and a trio of fillies arrived at the scene, staring wide eyed as the fight unraveled before them.

In a flash of bright light, Princess Celestia felt damp moss underneath her golden horseshoes, staining them with wet grass and mud, but the regal alicorn seemed unperturbed as she cast several layers of her invisibility spell around herself and shielding her body from view.

I just have to find my former student, apologize, and hope for the best.

'Can't be that hard, right?'

Oh dear, was it a mistake to leave my guards to fend for themselves?

'Stop fretting Celestia! The quicker you get to Twilight and talk it out, the quicker you can get to your little ponies!'

I still don't even know if she is my Twilight!

'Well then what are we waiting for? I can sense a powerful pool of magic nearby, it must be the mare! Just go and confirm it yourself!'

A faint shuffling caused the Princess of the Sun to whip her head around, staining her ears for the slightest hint of life, a few moments later, a faint voice echoed from a nearby cave.

As Celestia approached the cave entrance, she heard a sharp yell, causing her to step behind a patch of thick foliage, secluded from view and away from dangers of the forest.

Or so she assumed.

"Snap!" A twig snapped under the weight of a creature.

The Princess swiveled around in alarm, horn ready and wings flared, looking for the intruder with narrowed eyes, she came face to face with an infant.

An infant cockatrice.

Celestia quickly cast a cockatrice safe shield around herself and dispelled the invisibility wards, before preparing to step forwards, horn charged and scare the half chicken, half snake newborn away.

Except she couldn't.

The alabaster alicorn bought her gaze to her disobeying hooves, refusing to move, and saw that they were transforming into stone, the rough, grey substance travelling up her body rapidly.

Her shield had been activated a moment too late.

Power gathered violently at the tip of her horn, forming a bright, sizzling orb of power before being released, the full brunt of attack crashing down onto the frightened animal, and in an instant, the only sign of a struggle being the darkened, burnt patch of grass.

As the stone reached the great Goddess of the Sun's jaw, she shut her eyes tight, lighting up her horn in a panicked attempt to teleport, dissolve, levitate or destroy, anything to stop the spread, but to no avail.

Ha! The invincible Regent of the Sun, whose defeated countless evils without batting an eye, destroyed by an infant! Oh stars above, my little ponies are not going to take my... situation well... I'm so sorry Luna, Sunset, Twilight, I never got the chance to apo--

"Cele- Celestia!"

If she could, the large alicorn would have jumped out of her fur, but being immobile, she only managed to open her eyes a fraction, catching a large purple blur before grey clouded her eyesight.

Author's Note

I know it's a short chapter and probably a bit rushed, any suggestions to improve are welcomed! I'll try harder next chapter, hope you enjoyed nonetheless!

-Meowofy