Alicorn: The Lost Princess

As everypony climbed into their bed and make-shift pallets. The three Alicorns stayed downstairs.

“I know what you two must be thinking…” Celestia started. Her mind reeling, trying to come up with a nonchalant way of probing to see if Cadence could possibly be her long-lost sister. “I was adopted by the Apple family at a very young age.” She sighed. “It is strange, but The Great One told me my biological family were all Alicorns. Except, I wasn’t.” She confessed.

Twilight sighed, sipping a mug of hot cocoa. “I think adoption is a wonderful thing. Spike is adopted.” She replied, as if him being a dragon had not made that obvious.

Celestia and Cadence exchanged an amused glance. “I was born in Cloudsdale.” Cadence added. “Before I became… well this… I was small and well sick. I was born sick, somehow becoming: what did you call it? An Alicorn? It healed me.”

Celestia placed her mug down on the rug, this confirmed that Cadence could not possibly be a relative of hers. “I’m sorry you grew up sick, Cadence.”

Cadence recalled her loneliness and all that had ailed her. It had always driven her to keep going, to prove herself. “I guess it made me resilient.”

There was a lull, until Applesauce joined them. “I hope I’m not intruding, ladies.”

Starlight groaned as she created a hovering bubble around Trixie and herself. Trixie was skilled in the art of performance, but in actual performance she was lacking. Starlight strained as she lifted their collective weight up towards Cloudsdale.

Their cloaks fluttered in the wind as they rose upwards, not unnoticed by a vigilant flier. “Hey, can I help you?” The rainbow-maned mare asked.

The unicorns glared in their bubble of protection. “No thanks.” Trixie replied as Starlight struggled upwards once more.

“It wasn’t really a question.” The colorful stranger insisted. “We’ve had a bunch of strange horned-ponies coming into town, whatever you’re up to, we’re onto you.”

In an act of aggression, Starlight shot out a blast toward the stranger. “Leave us alone!” She shouted, barely having missed her.

“Yeah, we’re just looking for the Alicorns and Twilight Sparkle.” Trixie confessed with a proud smile.

Starlight sighed, teleporting them up to the cloudscape and capturing them in another bubble. Huffing for breath as she pressed forward.

The mare was beside them in an instant, her speed impeccable, almost impossible. “Alicorns? What are you crazy?” Her tone showed her insincerity.

“You’ve seen one?” Starlight asked through gritted teeth.

“One? Never.” She stated plainly, for this was true. “You guys better get out of here before you get into trouble.”

Trixie chuckled. “So you’ve seen two?”

Starlight shoved her partner, angrily now. “Who’s going to get us in trouble? You?”

It seemed this Pegasus took that as an invitation, given the look on her face. But rather than make a move at them, she flew off without another word.

Applesauce sat down with the three other mares. “Ya’ know, the world wasn’t always this way.” She started. “When I was but a filly, the nations worked together. We Earth Ponies manufactured countless exports and agricultural products… man my ma’ and pa’ sold fruits across the whole place.” She chuckled. “Back then… the unicorns were ruled by a wise woman, young but real wise.” She sighed. “Suppose’ her name was Gusty. Cause her magic was particularly strong during windstorms.”

Celestia recalled her meeting either The Great One, the whirl of wind that surrounded them. It must’ve been the same kind of magic.

“What I’m gettin’ at is that I always wondered when we’d go back to helpin’ one another.” Applesauce said finally.

Twilight leaned forward, “but why did the tribes separate and stop helping each other?”

Applesauce shrugged. “The Unicorn King came from somewhere, no pony knows where… and challenged the order of Gusty.” She explained. “Gusty was a wise mare by then, and far too peaceful to fight. It was a willing abdication.”

“Where did she go?” Cadence asked.

“Why didn’t she fight?” Celestia demanded.

Applesauce waved them off. “Gusty always said that where there is peace, there must also be chaos. For Harmony to exist, we must know disharmony. A weird old sentiment, but she was the all-seeing one.”

A gasp covered the room. “Gusty The Great…” Twilight snapped as the pieces clicked. “She must’ve known there was something far worse coming if she did fight.”

“I guess, I meant to tell you all… there’s still hope, and even in this chaos we can all get back to harmony… someday.”

Starlight and Trixie slowly trudged through the cloud top town, though no pony seemed all that welcoming. “What clues are we even looking for, Starlight?” Her partner asked.

“Well, signs of an Alicorn, obviously.”

A tall slender and greasy looking stallion poked his head out at the mention. “You two are looking for an Alicorn, well it just so happens I know of not one, but two. Yes you heard that right, two. And I am happy to help you find them… for a price.”

Starlight and Trixie exchanged an evil little smile. “Sure thing, we’ve got bits to spare.” She lied.

Celestia packed non-perishable food into a saddle bag. “We won’t be gone long.” She said, but her voice sounded so unsure. “We will be back with the fourth Alicorn as soon as we find her.”

Applesauce nodded, the sun had begun to rise. “Better head out before it gets too hot out. You wanna be in the forest under tree cover so you don’t burn up.”

Celestia embraced her mother with urgency. “I love you.” She said sincerely.

“I love you too, and I know you’re gonna find her.”

As the two girls followed the slimy looking stallion, a sudden burst of circular, rainbow energy filled the air. It was astonishing, the two unicorns had never seen such a sight.

They stopped, dead in their tracks. Staring up at the sky above them. “What was that?” Trixie asked.

Starlight couldn’t look away as the rainbow spread further and further. “Only an Alicorn could do such a powerful stunt!” She insisted. “Thanks for nothing, but we had better go check that out.” She said, the greaseball stammered for words.

Starlight seemed to trip through the field of magic as the long-limbed stallion stuck out his leg. She quickly snapped her attention back toward him, when he only shrugged “my bad.”

Without notice, a sheepish yellow mare appeared before them. In a swarm several small birds dove at the unicorns. It was as if the yellow mare guided them.

The unicorn mares swatted their hooves to shoo the birds away, but they persisted. Thinking quickly, Starlight shot a small poof of magic to scared the birds. In doing so, she took her attention away from the hovering bubble.

Immediately, it was evident that the unicorns were too dense to stand on the clouds. Falling through the watery softness, Starlight blasted Trixie and pulled her toward her, enveloping them in an orb of protection before they hit the hard ground.

Burning with rage, Starlight stretched her hooves, revving her magic, aiming a blast directly up at the city.

Shockingly, a terrible amount of water poured down, drenching them. The rainbow mare jumping on a small rain cloud. “Next time, it’ll be worse!” She said scarily chipper. “Now run!” She said. And they did, as lighting dashed into the ground just before them.

“I forgot Pegasi could control the weather…”

“Or could be so crafty.”