Alicorn: The Lost Princess

The Alicorns sped through the forest, steering clear of any potential hazards. “The castle cannot be far now, all the stories said it was at the heart of the forest.”

Cadence brushed her legs off as they reached the clearing “and how can you be sure we’ve reached the heart? We only have a hastily drawn map and no idea how big the forest really is.”

Celestia looked up to the sky, the sun was directly overhead and peering through the leaves. It was mid-day now. “She’s right. We’ve been walking for hours.” It was impractical for them to fly, the forest floor was the clearest as it had been traversed by Earth Ponies far more often than any other.

“We’re nearly there, I’m sure.” Twilight said, sprinting ahead to a tall bunch of bushes. Blasting the hedge with a fine pin of magic, she cleared an opening. Beyond this stood an old castle. Black in color, but that was likely due to its age. “The Alicorn Castle…” she said, it seemed to even shock her. Despite her seemed certainty, it was still astonishing.

Trixie and Starlight walked proudly into Ponyville as the sun beat down on them. It was a hot day, and they’d been traveling for days. “We need to stop for food and rest.”

Eyeballing a bakery in the town center, the pair made their decision. ‘Sugar Cube Corner’.

Upon entry, they were greeted by the most enthusiastic pink bundle of curls. “Good afternoon!” She shouted as she sprung up from behind the counter. “Welcome!” It was clear she was taking stock of the unicorns with her eyes. “What brings you in today, ladies.”

Starlight trotted up to the counter nonchalantly, as she was actually not up to something for once. “We would like two sandwiches, please.” She said simply.

“Two sandwiches coming right up, anything from the desert case? We are world famous for our baked goods.” The pink pony reported.

Trixie hopped from side to side. “I want a raspberry balloon tart with mascarpone and marshmallows!”

Starlight shot her a glare, holding out a few gold bits, just enough for the sandwiches. “How much for… whatever that is?”

The mare punched something into the cash register. The old machine making strange dinging and chiming sounds. “How about ten?”

Starlight narrowed her eyebrows “if the sandwiches are five…”

“Yeah I know. You can just have it for free!” She said happily. “I get a couple snacks for free each day so you can just take one of mine.”

Starlight’s face eased up, hearing the sound of happy hopping from her partner behind her. “So what did you punch into the register?”

“Oh nothing, I just like the singing sounds it makes!”

The trio approached the castle. It was crumbling, charred from long-ago fire. And rusted from years of rain. It was a shell of what it must have once been. Entering from the opening, where the door once stood, the pair scanned the massive foyer.

“They said the last Alicorns lived here?” Celestia asked, stepping ahead of the others. “Do you know what happened to them?”

Twilight shook her head. “All I know is that when the Alicorns disappeared, their royal family fled to this forest. The forest and its creatures protected them, until one day they were just gone…” she swallowed, looked at the older mare before her. It was evident that this was a lot for Celestia. “That’s just the story they tell, of course. We may never know what really happened to them.”

Cadence elbowed Twilight, sending a reminder that the supposed ‘last’ Alicorns could have very well been Celestia’s birth family. “They could’ve gone some place else.”

Celestia’s eyes welled with tears, approaching the steps of the throne room. Behind the four thrones hung a large tapestry with the sun and moon embroidered into it. “Hey… that looks just like your cutie-mark!” Cadence said, pointing up. It was true, the sun emblem was identical to the mark on Celestia’s flank.

Celestia smiled through the tears. “I knew it meant something… why else would I not have gotten it until adulthood.”

Cadence trotted up beside her now. “I didn’t get mine either.”

Twilight stood back. Now well that she’d gotten her cutie mark earlier than everypony her age. “What do you mean…”

Celestia raised her wings “my mark… it must be familial… important to the Alicorn kind-“

Cadence spun to see her own flank. The crystallized heart shape hadn’t meant much to her before, but now she wondered what it could be. Twilight reviewed her own. “Perhaps I was never meant to become an Alicorn… if you both only just received your cutie marks…”

They both turned to her. “Perhaps you were born ready.” Celestia smiled. “It just took us two time to find ourselves…”

Twilight hummed a tune of uncertainty.

The three stood and stared now in silence. The moon emblem standing out against the blue fabric. “Do you think your sister will be the moon?”

Celestia sat on her flank. “I’m not sure… I’m not even sure she’s here… The Great One said there would be one from each tribe, what other tribe of ponies could she yield from?”

Cadence used her wing to wrap around Celestia in an attempt at comfort. “Perhaps the Alicorn tribe? Is that not why we came here?”

Celestia hummed out a half-hearted sound of agreement. “Yes, but now that we’re here I’m not so sure… I always thought the Alicorns were not their own race, but an amalgamation of all things…”

Twilight sighed, “I guess my plan was a bit of a dud-“ she said, until the footsteps were heard.

The trotting seemed so soft and comfortable, but in the dreary castle, they were severely unsettling. Glued to each other. The trio walked hip-to-hip. Slowly approaching the source of the noise…

“So, what brings you to Ponyville?” The pink pony asked as she delivered the sandwiches and the fancy dessert.

Trixie happily snatched the sweet treat from her hoof and began to dig in. Starlight, on the other hand, was a little less eager. Though she was definitely getting pretty hungry… she wanted to get on the road. “What makes you assume we aren’t from around here. I know this place lets anypony move here… even if it is mostly Earth Ponies.”

The clerk turned waitress smiled. “I know every pony in town, and I think I would remember a unicorn couple with such brightly colored coats and personalities.”

Starlight huffed, “we are not a couple, and if you must know: we are on business for the Unicorn King. He doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

The other pony’s smile soon fell, and in an unsettling turn of events her bouncing curls turned to deep-pink straight strands. It was as if the color had been ripped from her at the sound of her words. “The Unicorn King?” She asked.

Trixie turned her head up, mouth covered with pink frosting. “Yes, real important business. We’re bounty-hunters.”

Starlight waved her hooves, signaling her partner to stop, having become discomforted by the sudden change in the server. “What she means, is that… well…” she stammered. “That we’re looking for someone in particular.”

The pony turned, slowly, deliberately. The pair of unicorns could’ve sworn the lights flickered… until another patron entered the shop. Instantly, the pony turned chipper again.

The new face was an orange mare with golden blonde hair, topped with an old cowboy hat. The pink one turned to tend to her, saying some inaudible nonsense that couldn’t have been heard or even understood by Starlight or Trixie, and without purchasing anything… the mare booked-it out of the sweet shoppe.

As the footsteps approached, Twilight, Cadence, and Celestia took the corner with caution. Creeping side-by-side to find the creature that had made the noises.

A white mare with red and purple in her mane sat on the castle floor. She looked so content, reading her book. Twilight bolted ahead of the others as soon as she came into view. “Moondancer?!” It was evidently a unicorn known to Twilight.

The mare looked up from her book, half amused. “Twilight Sparkle?” She rose, closing the book, and setting it down. “What are you doing all the way out here?”

Slowly the other two took the corner and trudged over. “I could ask the same of you?” Twilight replied awkwardly. “You disappeared from our classes weeks ago… is this where you’ve been?”

Moondancer laughed a strange far-off laugh. “Of course… when the rumors began to spiral about the return of the Alicorn race, I came here, to see for myself.”

The three looked on with hopefulness. “And what did you find?” Celestia asked eagerly.

“The Queen of the night!” Moondancer declared, proudly. “The bringer of eternal night!”

The three exchanged confused and disinterested glances. “The Queen… of the night…” Celestia asked. While that did sort-of align with their theory. It didn’t seem likely that the pony they were searching for would be ‘the bringer of eternal night’… that sounded like a bad thing… and the pony they were searching for was meant to help them save the world.

“Bringer of eternal night.” Moondancer repeated. “Once her army is complete, we will all be loyal to her.”

“Right…” Cadence began. “And where might this Queen be?”

Moondancer looked around aimlessly. “Don’t know.” She shrugged. “Probably beyond Tartarus, in the land of the malevolent.”