The Alicorn: Skyla's Beginnings

Chapters

A Story Begins
Lessons In Life
This World

A Story Begins

I stood straight; trying to look strong. Taking into consideration that I had been walking for 4 days without food or rest, I bet I'm the strongest filly in all of Equestria!
But none of that mattered now. I was far away from Equestria; I was in the Valley of the Changelings. Finally, Queen Chrysalis and her son Prince Charger took their seat on the cold stone throne. The throne room was cold with grey stone walls, old stained glass windows and the old grey stone throne. Not very interesting to me.
It was very different than the life I had been living last year, but I was no longer there. The booming voice of Queen Chrysalis shook my very innards.
She yelled "Why is the princess of all ponies here? Do you want us to believe that this small filly is the princess known as Skylee?"
I tried to respond but collapsed and cried "I am the fourth Alicorn princess of Equestria! My name is Skyla, not Skylee, and I know not why I am here! If you would please listen to my story, the story of how I came to be in this place!”
I looked around the best I could, (since I had collapsed and no one seemed to even notice) no one said anything in reply and so I began to remember.

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I was born in the east wing of Canterlot Castle on the first day of the year. I received gifts from each of the Alicorns: from Celestia, The power of the sun, from Luna, the power of the moon, and from my mother: immense love! The gifts were enough to help me in my life, but not enough to control any of these things.
From the moment I was born, I was supposed to be the best. I was an Alicorn, but I had the strongest of all wings, the wings of my great aunt Celestia and supposedly, a greater knack for magic than my aunt, Twilight.

I lived in Canterlot for over half of my life with my father, mother, and brother Dueling Blades. He was a very powerful unicorn and talented swordsman, his cutie mark was two crossing swords.
Back then, all I really cared about was finding out who I was, like all fillies do. I made it my mission to become the best at everything, to be the greatest pony ever. The best flier and magician, all in hopes of getting my cutie mark; hopefully one that would prove to my mother..... I mean, prove to myself that I was special.
Once, when he was practicing his skill, he saw me looking at him. "Skyla!" he called "What’s the urgency?"
It took me a few moments to ask what I had come for, "Do you think you might be able to help me learn some magic big brother?”
I closed my eyes and hopefully waited for the answer. He replied, "Of course Skyla, anything for my little sis" He grabbed me and gave me a huge hug.
A few minutes after finding my brother, I went to find my aunt Celestia. I was determined to learn to both fly and learn magic so I could get my cutie mark; start learning to rule Equestria, and help all of my subjects the way my cutie mark told me.
I found her on her throne with guards surrounding her, she was writing a letter, to Aunt Twilight I supposed. She looked up and welcomed me warmly, after I stood for a moment, she asked me what I wanted.
I said, "PLEASE teach me how to fly! You are the only one with the same wings and I don’t even know how to flutter like Pegasus fillies!" I was not young at that time. Winter had been wrapped up 8 times since I was born, soon to be nine.

She looked on with a face in mid laugh and called out, "Guards, check the calendar and put down a flight lesson for the next open spot."

My eyes were huge! It seemed all my wishes come true. I supposed I could find any earth pony to teach me how to grow things, and that meant I was almost a full Alicorn! I knew that was not the only thing an Earth pony could teach me, but that’s all I needed at that time.
I dashed out the door to prepare all I thought I needed to help me at the class.

But then, I ran into my mother, Cadance. She eyed me angrily; she was always like this. I had heard from others that she had once been the princess of love, a kind and caring mare beloved by all. Aunt Twilight used to say that she changed when my father died. Now she was a callous, unfeeling creature who was determined to make my life miserable.

"Oh where is the little filly of Canterlot going now?" she lashed in a voice I can’t begin to describe. I cowered down while she made her pass by. She turned back and threw me a snarl. I cringed and she said "You may not leave to see Celestia without my knowledge!"
She had changed after my father died defending us. ‘Brave to the end,’ that’s what I always heard about him. I was not old enough to remember anything about him.

Lessons In Life

I felt my mother was unreasonable by saying I could not even travel beyond my next door to see anyone.
The week passed and I went to Celestia for my first lesson. She gazed on me as if I was not supposed to be there.
I asked "Are you ready to teach me how to fly?"
I hoped she would say she was so happy but she replied calling "Skyla, I have much more important things to do. I wish you would stop pestering me!" She turned around and left, I tried to follow her but decided not to find any answers.

I sat for a while and then remembered that my brother promised that he would help me. I hoped it was a promise that HE would keep. But oh, did I ever receive a shock. As I ran to my brother's training area I cried "Dueling Bla-" but I never finished for I realized we were not alone. A mare turned to me and smiled in a way that brought vomit to the recesses of my throat. I knew it was hatred at a moment’s glance.
My brother looked up and said "Oh-a Skyla, hey! This is Shimmering Arms, she's a swordsman too. I met her at my jousting competition." He glanced at her and then me, but I never took my eyes off her. She seemed like a terrible disease, beginning to wither me away.
"Skyla" my brother yelled disapprovingly. "I'm kind of busy, so I can't do the magic lessons for a few weeks." My head flipped and my eyes bulged. I was surprised when Celestia left me, but my BROTHER!? My BBBFF?
It broke my heart in a way that no one can begin to understand.
I dashed out the door, I knew for the final time in my life, where I was going.

I decided to see the one person now who gave me comfort: My Aunt Luna. Little did I know that it could very well have been the last time I would ever see my brother. Up until now at least, that was my last contact with him.
I learned something that day, not how to fly or any magic, but a lesson in my life: Promises will be broken, and you will be hurt by the ones you love.
I ran for what seemed like hours to find a bit of comfort in the cold world. I was blinded by the tears streaming down my face and the terrible thought of my brother, both of which only made me run faster. I reached the tower that my Aunt Luna slept in during the day to rest for guarding the night. Although she requested no one wake her, the guards knew it was different for me. They let me pass as always. Still running, I skid to a stop inside the room. I crashed into a wall which made me cry even more.
Aunt Luna awoke and saw me crying she flew off her bed and with her loving look said “What’s wrong Skyla?” she was the only person who ever showed care about how I felt.
“My brother and Aunt Celestia were really mean to me!” I said, choking up between my words. She wrapped her wing around me and held me close.
I felt warmer and not so alone. She looked around after a while and said “How about if I arrange for you to go to a town? You could be around other ponies that way, maybe make some new friends. Maybe you’ll even get your cutie mark.” I could only nod from crying but was a bit happier. She said I should go arrange my things and I was so happy running back to my room. But then I stopped.
I realized something and I now know I had said it out loud “Sweet Equestria! My mother!” I knew she’d never let me go, because it would make me happy.

As I tiptoed to my room I realized that Aunt Luna had already given her suggestion to my mother, for she stood in my doorway with a smirk on her face and her eyes in an evil squint. A shiver rushed down my spine and I swallowed hard as I walked forward to make contact with her. I was extremely scared; little did I know that it would change my life forever, in ways I could not even imagine. I am still not aware of the numerous more ways it will continue to do so.

“Princess Luna has spoken to me of your wishes to leave royal Canterlot for the time being. I have packed your bags with everything you will need for your journey.” my mother told me.
I waited happily surprised but started to have second thoughts ‘This can’t be, she’d never let me go, she knows it will make me happy, what is her motive?’

Those thoughts raced through my mind as I wondered how long she would keep up this cruel joke. I replied, hoping to receive an answer if it was real “So am I going to Manehatten, Phillydelphia, Los Pegasus, or Applewood?” I gave a little giggle but it didn’t last long.
She gave me the look of death and smiled, “No, you are going to Ponyville.”
Any happiness melted away, “Ppppppponyville?” I finally stuttered out in the most flabbergasted voice even I could not believe it.
She nodded and smirked again.

I stuttered out again, “With the dirt roads and earth ponies and stores in the street and…” dizziness overcame me and I felt so ill. I saw blurry and then nothing.

I remember where I am now, in the palace of the Changelings. I tell myself, “All of that is gone, it doesn’t hurt anymore.” But I must have been wrong for I find myself crying and think, 'Real strong Skyla.'
Queen Chrysalis gets up from her throne accompanied by her son and says, “Take the Princess to our chambers. She is very tired and very sick. She will continue her story tomorrow.”
I try to stand as I have been too tired to stand for that part of my story. I look out the window and realize the sun is set and the moon is rising. I think of Luna and break out crying; the changelings lift me and take me away from there into a room with a bed. They lifted the covers and said goodnight.

This World

I’m lying in a stone bed, that’s a new one. The sun is rising, I still feel alone. A single tear falls from my right eye as I look up to remember Luna's lullaby for me. Each morning she would sit with me and sing ‘Now your little eyes will wake, think of all the fun at stake. Sleeping through the day with me, you miss all of the parties.’ The door flies open, I see the queen and her son.

“Glad to see you are up,” said Chrysalis. She turned to her son who was still in the doorway examining my level of threat to his kingdom and gave him what seemed to be a changeling ‘stare’. He stopped staring at me. After a while of my silence, she started to walk away but yelled back “A guard will come to fetch you in fifteen minutes.”

I watched her go; it’s strange how much she seems like Celestia to me. I nod, even though she isn’t even looking at me. “I must be ready to tell the next part of my story” I tell myself. I talk to myself a lot, mostly because I’m used to being alone and having no one listen to me. When the guards come I will be prepared. I am running over the next part of the story of my life, just to remember every detail correctly. There they are, come to take me back.

“Ready Princess?” came a raspy voice from a rather young looking changeling.

“Indeed,” the word came out and almost instantly I slapped my head with a hoof because I sound like a Canterlot snob.
This action must look really strange, for the two changelings are staring rather oddly. I guess I will be quiet. So I start to follow them.

They led me down a long hallway to the room I sat in yesterday. The guards motion for me to move in. Where I sat before is a little pillow, i guess they really did notice I was laying on the floor. I sit, the pillow is soft but it dosen't keep out the cold.
Charger is staring at me again. Why does he do that? Its so strange to me. Chrysalis is nodding her head.
"Please, continue now!" she says.

I guess she was nodding at me. Here goes nothing.

When I awoke, I was lying where I fell, my mother no longer there. Where she was some time ago, was Shimmering Arms, smiling at me with evil hatred again. She spoke as soon as I stirred.

“I hope you enjoy your little road trip; I planned it just for you,” she said, coming closer.

“What do you want from me?” I yearned to know.

She did answer, “Oh, nothing much. Just your power, money, admiration, and...... Your life.” She walked and started again, “I have the beginning of your brother’s love. It may be fake on my part, but who cares. Your father is dead, your mother hates you, your brother is my puppet, and your aunts just want a mare to pass the crown on to. I am their new ‘little girl’ what I say goes.”

I was standing by then and had fury in my eyes. “Not if I can stop it!” I exclaimed and started to charge toward her. I learned that my brother was right; she was a very powerful unicorn. In a moment, I was pinned by the neck against the wall, being choked as her magic’s grip grew tighter. I couldn't fly or use magic to stop her; I was helpless against a mare that was using charm and lies to turn my family against me. Once I was nearly blacking out, she released the grip, my body thrown to the floor in utter agony.

I couldn’t move from the pain. She walked out of the room, leaving me in my room, alone, hated by the world, and having an evil mare ruin my life. I would just have to foil her plans by going along with them.
The next morning, I was sent off. With one suitcase and a Pegasus guard flying me. One pony was there at my send off: my mother, only to say “The one rule you must follow is to never show anypony that you are an Alicorn.” I was sent in the flying carriage to a place I didn't know. I hoped that Shimmering Arms wouldn’t put anyone else under a spell before my return. That’s all I could do. On my way over, I realized something that made me squirm: Shimmering Arms had a very close resemblance to my father. I was starting to think I was doomed.

Author's Note

This is the end of the prologue. real story is comming