Interchanged destiniesby I had no ideaChaptersChapter one: Lost childChapter two: Tonight we dine in CanterlotChapter three: A different perspectiveChapter one: Lost childTo Her Majesty, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Your presence is required in Canterlot General Hospital, on the 5th of this month, at 13 o' clock. Pardon my bluntness, but I can not enclose any further details. Your family had already been informed, and asked consequently to be present also. I cannot press how important this is. Yours sincerely, Health Care Head nurse of Canterlot General Twilight was standing in front of the large white building, her birthplace, and since she received the letter last Tuesday, a place of dreadful curiousity. Her mother, Velvet, placed a hoof on her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, my little princess. We're here, there is nothing you need to fear." Indeed, the pale unicorn was right. Nothing could give greater comfort to Twilight right now than her family; her mother, Twilight Velvet, her father, Night Light, and last, but not least, her BBBFF, Shining Armor. She drew reassurance from their presence; suddenly, anything that might have been waiting for her seemed much less scary. Deciding to stop stalling, she stepped into the hospital. What followed was an uncharacteristical silence. The visiting ponies, the hospital staff, even the patients able to move stared at her. Not that it surprised Twilight; her new status as a princess came with ponies suspecting government interests behind her every action, pondering what connection might Equestria's politics have with this feeble hospital. Twilight knew that not mentioning that she is here because of a private issue would leave the ponies guessing, but most importantly, thinking that the princesses oversaw even the most mundane tasks. Twilight smiled. She only became a princess a month ago, yet she grasped many aspects of ruling in such a short time. The ponies' trust is hard to earn, but their curiousity is easily triggered. "Can I... help you, Your Highness?" the receptionist nurse asked, snapping the lavender alicorn out of her musings. "Yes, actually. I am looking for Head Nurse Health Care. We have an appointment." "Certainly, Your Majesty." the mare nodded. "She told me to lead anypony who asked for her to room 213. If you could please follow me..." The Sparkle family was led through the spacy reception hall, barraged by the curious eyes of all present ponies. They were quickly alleviated of that tension when they climbed the stairs; the first floor seemed abandoned compared to the liveliness downstairs. They followed the receptionist to a door labeled 'Meeting room: 213'. She opened the door, and gestured them to move in. "Health Care will be here soon, Your Highness. Please proceed inside to wait for her." "Thank you." The receptionist bowed as the lavender mare entered the room. "Just doing my job, Your Highness. I bid you farewell." She quickly trotted back towards the entrance, leaving the four ponies alone in the corridor. Well, almost alone. "Fancy meeting you here, Your Alicornness." a voice called playfully from inside. Twilight curiously peeked in... just to let her jaw drop in surprise. "Trixie?! What are you doing here?" "A simple 'hi' would have sufficed." she replied smugly. "To answer your question: I was called here by the head nurse to discuss some 'unethical treatment' that I 'suffered through' while I was a patient here. I don't remember them treating me in objectionable ways. Then again, I was only here once, so maybe I just don't have something to compare to." "Umm... what was it? Horn blisters?" Twilight asked politely. "Actually, kidney stones. They told me that my lifestyle caused them to pop up about ten years earlier than the usual patients who have them. Well, that's how I quit eating fast food." "All right, this conversation is clearly amusing to just listen to, but I don't intend to just stand around in the corridor. Comin' in!" The other three marched in, looking curiously at the azure mare. Velvet turned to her daughter. "Aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?" "S-sure. Mom, Dad, Shining, this is Trixie. She's an..." "Acquaitance." Trixie finished. "Pleased to meet you. I am, as you might know, THE GRRREEEAT, AND POWERFUL TRRRIIXXIIEEE!" "I am s-sorry, can't say I had the pleasure before." Velvet replied weakly, startled by the sudden outburst. "Think Twilight, think! What are you supposed to ask somepony who nearly destroyed the town twice?" "Uuuhm, how have you been since we last met?" she blurted out. "Well, after you freed me from the Amulet's control, I was contacted by the mayor of Ponyville. Apparently, they recovered some of my stuff that I... left behind after my first visit. So, after a brief community service in the public lavatories, she gave me back most of my stuff from my broken trailer. I certainly missed my cape." A polite cough could be heard from the door. Turning around, they saw a pink unicorn with gray mane and a pair of red hearts as a cutie mark. Satisfied that she got their attention, she closed the door, and moved behind a rather large, and sturdy desk. "Good afteroon, fillies and gentlecolts. I apologise for the secrecy of my actions, but you will see that what I am about to share with you simply cannot be transmitted through a letter. Please, take a seat, all of you." She paused until they complied, then she took out a parchment from one of the drawers. "Recently, one of our nurses has passed away. Her name was Brave Heart." Velvet and Night Light gasped in surprise. "The one who...?" Care nodded. "Yes. She was the one to help deliver birth to your daughter. However..." She paused, unfolding the scroll. "She also left her last will and testament as a testimony to a terrible sin she had committed on that day." "T-terrible sin? W-what might you mean?" Health Care raised the scroll further. "Every question you might have will be cleared up once I read this out loud. Please, listen well." _________________________________________________________________________________ I, Brave Heart, former nurse at the Canterlot General Hospital, swear that I am of sane mind, and every word of what I am about to confess is true. Many years ago, I worked at the maternity ward, helping out Doctor Gentle Hoof as his main assistant. We both took our shares of foalbirth, and considered each and every newborn a blessing. Because of that, every time a young one was born dead, we mourned just as much as the parents did, cursing our inability to save innocent foals. It was the same on that fateful day. There were an unusual amount of births that day; the doctor and I had our hooves full. That is when I had met them. A blue, calm stallion, and a pale purple mare, looking forward to all the joys of foalbirth. This was her second, so they weren't as worried as many couples. They were kind, and cooperated with me, as I had to lead her to a rather faraway room; the hospital was stacked full. As soon as I confirmed that she was comfortable in her bed, I set out to seek the doctor. I found him in the newborn's room, gently placing a filly into one of our small beds. I had the worst premonition. The newborn's room was only used if something went wrong; sick, hurt, and deceased foals were all brought here. I asked if the filly was hurt in any way. "No," he replied, "but I am afraid her mother has passed away." He let out a long, exasperated sigh. "She was a very brave mare. She had a terminal disease—we knew that foalbirth would likely cost her her life. Still, she opted to give birth to this foal, in favour of her own life. She also took care of adoption—the paper-pushers should be here in an hour. If I don't meet them, please have them sign the papers, and take the filly away. She needs attention, and we just don't have the staff for it right now." I nodded. "Of course, Doctor Hoof." He smiled relievedly at me. "Thank you. I am afraid I must go now to another patient. I trust you to take care of things." Before I knew it, he was gone. I hesitantly looked at the lone foal; she met my gaze with her magenta eyes. I immediately felt sorry for the poor thing. Losing your mother without even knowing her is a harsh, and unjust punishment. I shook my head. It was not my decision to put her up for adoption, but her mother's. She must've had her best interests in mind. "Nurse! Please! My wife...!" a nervous voice called out. I immediately left the room, and found myself face—to—face with the blue stallion. "My wife—she's gone into labour!" I ran back to the pale unicorn, noticing that her water indeed broke. I won't divulge the details here; let it be said that it was a long, and painful birth. Also, a very sad one. For when I held up the baby, she was of a weird purple colour; it might have fooled her parents, but not me. The filly was not purple, but originally blue, and all the blood tangled into her fur made her look a deep shade of magenta. My worries were further confirmed when she didn't cry out after traditionally slapping her flank. I held a dead foal in my magical grip. "Stay here!" I shouted, running out of the room, trying to spare them from the sight of my tears. For I knew, if I let them see me crying, they would realise their foal was dead. I blindly ran on, until I noticed I somehow stubled into the newborn's room. I gently placed the foal in one of the containers, pondering what to do. Considering she didn't cry out, and all the blood, I came to the conclusion that her lungs have bursted somehow. My reasoning at that time was hazy at best, and utterly confused at worst. The couple left such a sweet impression on me, that I couldn't bring myself to disappoint them. I just couldn't. I raised my teary eyes, and then something just clicked in my head. We had a couple with a dead foal. We also had a foal without parents. I realise I had absolutely no right to—but my mind was set. I picked up the orphan filly, and wrapped her into a blanket. When I entered the room, the couple looked at me nervously. I smiled at them, and levitated the foal to the mother. The relief could've been touched in the room. "I... there... Everything is fine now." I stammered, struggling to say the words. Looking at their happy faces, however, I knew I did the right thing. ________________________________________________________________________________ Silence loomed in the room. Finally, Twilight gathered the courage to speak up. "So... So I'm not their real daughter?" she asked, her voice trembling. "I'm afraid not. Not biologically, at least." Health Care replied sympathetically. Twilight broke out in tears, but her mother and father hugged her strongly. "No matter what happens, you'll be our little princess, Twilight." Velvet cooed. "The fact that we love you will not change." "T-thanks, Mom." the alicorn sniffed. Trixie fidgeted around her seat nervously. "Not that it wasn't a stunning story, Miss Care, but I think it would've been better if you didn't disclose the details to me. It feels... wrong to intrude into their private life so much." "Ah, but you see, Miss Lulamoon, there is but one slight problem with that. To understand what happened that day concerning you, you had to know what happened previously." The head nurse raised the scroll again, and continued reading. _________________________________________________________________________________ Soon after I delivered the foal to them, I excused myself, however. The mare insisted on giving me a small trinket—a single blue gem, encrusted in a light frame. The mare offered it to me as a gift, for helping their daughter in her hour of need. I nearly broke out in tears myself, but I couldn't refuse the trinket without causing suspicion. I stuffed it into the pocket of my coat, unable to say anything. To my great surprise, they left the hospital immediately. To my question, the receptionist explained that they have an expert friend in foalcare, who gladly offered her help to the couple. I was relieved, for if they left, they would never find out what I've done. And if I had only done that, this confession would have never seen the light of day. Alas, I hadn't. For I was drawn back to the newborn's room. I could only curse myself for my failure; a foal who has left the world of the living before even trying it. I looked at her bloody body, and felt the need to at least clean her wounds, to let her decaying form retain some dignity. I grabbed a towel, and gently rubbed her body, cleaning up the blood, and revealing her true, light blue colour. Then she moved. I was startled so much, I jumped back. The foal I believed dead has yawned, and opened her eyes. Her beautiful, magenta eyes. I realised at that instant that I had made a terrible mistake. The blood was not her blood, but her mother's, and the reason she didn't cry out... To be honest, I was utterly confused about that. The only explanation I can give—which I would like to believe in my better moments—is that she had so strong willpower at such a young age that she could shrug off her first encounter with pain. I believe that she is strong, for it helps me rationalise what I'd done to her. For I didn't return her to her parents. No. Instead, I just stared at her, until a voice called out behind me. "Miss Heart? I am here on behalf of the Better Life Orphanage. Where is the foal we are supposed to take?" I turned, and looked confusedly at the stallion. Had they not been notified? The foal— Of course he didn't know. I alone acted on a whim when I gave the orphan to the family, without consulting with anypony else first. No living soul knew of it. And I admit it, to my shame, I intended to keep it that way. I saw the hand of a god in these coincidences, and I firmly believed it was supposed to be this way. I gave the filly to him. That is right, I singlehoofedly decided to deny the poor filly the chance of a normal family, which she had in the first place. I also gave the trinket to the stallion, explaining that her mother wanted her to have it. The stallion nodded, and took the foal away—and with that, it was done. Nopony knew about it—except me. I realise this is a meager excuse, but I believe I have done the right thing. I also know it was a cowardly thing not to reveal this until now, but I was afraid. Yet, I cannot leave this world without confessing my single, most terrible crime. The crime of denying the truth: that the mother on that day, Twilight Velvet, did not bear Twilight Sparkle as her second foal; and that I smuggled out their true daughter, and put her in an orphanage. I hope the stars will have mercy on my soul. Signed: Brave Heart. _________________________________________________________________________________ Everypony stared at Health Care with disbelief. It was Trixie who broke the silence. "You can't be serious. You cannot be bucking serious." "I am afraid I am." "Well, you're wrong! I was born in April!" "You are mistaken, Miss Lulamoon. Your actual birth date, as listed in your birth certificate, is on the tenth of October." "This still doesn't mean anything!" the showmare argued. "Also, we took the liberty and compared the blood sample we took from you earlier to Mrs. Sparkle here. It is a match." She looked deeply into the azure unicorn's eyes. "I am glad to be able to introduce you to your real family, Miss Lu--, no, Miss Sparkle.." The only sound heard was the thump of two fainting ponies hitting the ground. Chapter two: Tonight we dine in Canterlot"Shining, could you get a glass of water for your father and Twilight?" Velvet asked. His son nodded, but he was stopped by the head nurse's outheld hoof. "Leave it to me. I imagine you want to talk." She gracefully trotted out of the room, leaving the confused ponies inside. Shining scratched his head. First she says Twilight is not related to him, then she says somepony else is. He glanced at his newly acquired sister. She seemed awfully calm, given the circumstances. "You seem awfully calm, given the circumstances." he voiced his concerns. "Believe me, there is a storm of chaos going inside." Shining blinked. The way both mares replied to him at the same time was a bit uncanny. Needless to say, they were surprised by it, too. Velvet smiled shyly at her long-lost daughter. "This was unexpected." "Quite." she agreed. The fact that she didn't elaborate was a sign that she was deeply shaken. The usually loud and boastful mare was in the process of making sense about all of this. She hardly could. Thankfully, Twilight had come to, giving a reason to ignore the problem, if only for a minute's time. "Are you feeling all right, sweetie?" Velvet asked her. The dazed alicorn nodded, her eyes darting around the room like a frightened deer. Velvet pulled her into a hug. "Shhh." she cooed. "Don't be afraid. We will make this work out. We love you, and we're not going to abandon you after all these years." The lavender mare cried into her chest, shuggling closer with every sob. Trixie wore a sorrowful smile, unbeknownst even to her. She stood up, determination in her eyes. "Excuse me for a moment. I think I have to step outside for a while, to get some fresh air." "Sure." Making sure Twilight was all right, Shining's brain had finally caught up with him. She realised what Trixie was going to do. He darted out of the room without a word, nearly trampling over the startled Health Care, who arrived with a jug of water. "S'ry" he mumbled, dodging ponies through the corridor. By the time he arrived outside, the azure mare was already halfway to the corner of the street. "Wait!" he cried. Trixie didn't seem to notice it, (or maybe she outright ignored it), so he was forced to pull a mean one. The showmare suddenly noticed that her hooves have kissed goodbye to the ground, as she was levitating in a bubble a foot above ground. "Where do you think you're going?" he demanded. "Somewhere. Anywhere. I don't know! What did you expect? A random old mare says 'oh, hey Trixie, you suddenly grew a family', and I'm just supposed to act like nothing happened?! Like we haven't been apart for all these years?! I don't know any of you! I'm just a stranger to you! Why would you care?" "Because you're family! You belong with us!" Trixie rolled her eyes. "Oh please, that's such a cliché. We haven't met for seventeen years, and now you suddenly act like I'm instantly accepted into the circle? I highly doubt it." "Circle? What circle?" "The circle of having parents. There was a time time when I yearned for that, but that time is over! This mare is on her own, and she likes it!" "You are lying." Shining stated softly. This seemed to put the showmare off-track. "I'm sorry?" "You're lying." Shining repeated. "You only say that because you want us to think you are a horrible pony, and we'd be better off without you. You think that if you don't get close to us, neither of us will get hurt... or, at least not that much. You want to leave before you cause any damage." Trixie stared at her silently. "I know you are planning this," he continued, "because I would do it, too. If I found out that my parents were not my real parents, I'd keep it a secret. Because I wouldn't want to hurt them." "Hrmmrmm mmrmmmrm hrr." Trixie mumbled. "I beg your pardon?" "I said 'put me down before you attract the whole street'! Geez!" Shining blinked, then with cheeks burning red, he carefully put Trixie down, and let his shield dissipate. Trixie looked in his eyes, uncertainity and sadness written all over her. "I saw how your mother looked at you. I saw how much she cares for both of you. We're just strangers to each other, if I leave now, you can all pretend it never happened. Maybe it'd have been the best if all this nonsense never saw the light of day." The stallion stepped closer. "The fact that she cares for us doesn't mean there is no room in her heart for you. Maybe we are strangers now, but I know I fully intend to change that. Give us a chance." He stopped for a moment, realising something. "Also, not my mother. Our mother." His last words crushed her meager resistance. She sniffed, and looked at him with watery eyes. "Okay, I guess I can give it a shot." "Are you crying?" "N-no, it's just... crystallised relief." Shining let out a small chuckle. The mare eyed her with suspicion. "What's so funny?" The stallion shook his head with a smile. "You know, we might be more similar than you would ever guess." ________________________________________________________________________________ By the time they arrived back, Night Light was back in action. His mane was also wet for some inexplicit reason. Trixie gulped as everypony stared at her, nervous for being in the spotlight the first time in her life. The one to break the silence was Velvet. "You were both out for quite a long time. Is everything all right?" "Yeah," Shining replied, "we just... got a headstart on bonding, yep." "That is nice to hear, dearie. Now, Trixie, I wonder if you would like to join us for dinner?" Trixie averted her gaze, not daring to look into her eyes. "Dinner... sounds... nice, I guess?" Tw—her mother nodded, gesturing the others to get going, too. The nurse was nowhere to be seen, and to be frank, neither Trixie nor Shining had the urge to meet her soon. It was probably because of her job, but the elderly mare seemed distant and detached. Maybe after seeing so much in her life, she became fazed at even the weirdest acts of the fickle fate. The way they retreated from the hospital would have made Fluttershy envious—if she would be capable of feeling that emotion—considering they carefully avoided eye contact, and just sneaked out in a back door, all under a minute. Finally on the street, Trixie let her mind wander. She had been to Canterlot a few times, but she never really explored it. The street they currently trotted on had small apartments stacked in a neat row; with the cobblestone road, it was cut off from vehicles, forcing anypony who wished to go that way do so on hoof. Not that there was anything wrong with that. What the houses lacked in size, was compensated by the fact that each of them was unique. Some had stone underlay for the windows, some were painted in every colour of the rainbow, and some were covered by various types of plants. Suddenly, she felt envious of these ponies; they had a place to live, and by the look of it, neighbours with a hint of artistic sense. Some of her annoyance has been mirrored on her face, which Tw—her father noticed, but completely misunderstood. "Don't worry, we'll be there soon!" he said, trying to reassure her. She mentally slapped herself. Way to give second impressions. "No, I'm just..." "Just what? You don't even know." she thought. "You're just trying to take your mind off of it; to face it as late as possible. Reeeeal mature, Trixie." "... I guess I do want to arrive as soon as possible." Night Light nodded. "Just around the corner, dear." Ugh. If there is something to be said about her, it's the distinct lack of cheesy nicknames flying around her. Trixie would be fine, or daughter, or 'yo wassup', but she just can't cope with expressions like dear, darling and such. Speaking of names, isn't she technically Twilight Sparkle now? "We've arrived." Shining said, interrupting her dangerous trail of thought. The house they arrived to wasn't fancy, or abnormally large; yet it had a strong presence to it. A simple brick house, with stone foundations up until eye level, overgrown with vines here and there. The flora was clearly a part of it's design, for it had the most beautiful pink flowers Trixie ever saw. It was in no way menacing, yet Trixie wished to be someplace else right then; even facing an Ursa seemed like a good idea, as long as she didn't have to go inside. "Come right in!" Tw—her mother nudged her. She carefully trotted inside, making sure to clean her hooves on the doormat. The first word that came into her mind upon seeing the interior was 'cozy'. Signs of wealth popped in here and there, but the whole place practically screamed 'we thought it would look good'. From the soft blue carpets to the ancient wardrobes, everything was hoofmade, and personal. There weren't any walls without pictures, trophies, diplomas or such; every little inch of this place was filled with memories. Memories she wasn't part of. She felt her gut churn again. This place was so intimate, so...them, that it felt wrong to tread into as an outsider. Maybe she should leave before something eventually goes wrong. She turned back, only to find a white stallion blocking the front door, while whistling innocently. "What are you doing there?" Trixie hissed. "Well, Twilight still hasn't finished taking down her horseshoes, so I'm kinda stuck here until she's done." he explained with a straight face. "You try putting one of these on!" the alicorn retorted. "I swear, if it wasn't necessary to wear these, I'd throw them away at once! Gah!" "Try twisting it vertically." the showmare interjected. Twilight gave her a suspicious look, but she complied; and lo, the excruciating object immediately came off. She gave her... nemesister? a weak smile. "It's just something I picked up in Trottingham." The lavender pony repeated the process three more times, and when she finished, she had the look of utter bliss on her face. "Thanks, Trixie. These things are driving me crazy!" "No big deal." she answered hesitantly. She wasn't used to casual conversations like this. Thankfully, as soon as Twilight finished, Velvet called out to them from another room. The trio trotted towards their tender mother, who already laid out most of the tableware. The table itself was actually large enough to seat eight ponies; with a steaming pot on top, it looked very inviting. Twilight sat on the middle seat of one side, with he—their mother on her right, and father on her left. Trixie took the seat opposite of Velvet; Shining grabbed the one beside her unceremoniously. The pale unicorn levitated the pot's cover away. "I am afraid the food is a bit simple, Trixie. You see, we weren't expecting guests today, so I just made an everyday meal for us. I hope it's not too disappointing?" The showmare waved her hoof. "Oh, not at all, don't be silly. I'm glad to be finally able to eat homecooked food." Tw—her parents shared a concerned look. "You mean you were starving?" "No, not exactly. You see, I can cook, it's just... I didn't really have the time or the ingredients to do it in quite some time." she explained. The last month was... hectic at best, to say. After she was finally freed from the Alicorn Amulet's corruption, she decided to just wander around Equestria. It was a small miracle that Health Care's letter reached her. Whether it was agood miracle or a bad miracle remains yet to be seen. Meanwhile, Velvet finished poring soup for everypony. Trixie looked at her plate with curiousity. The soup was orange-ish red, with massive amounts of potato. Potato soup it is, then! She picked up her spoon, and took a sip of it. Any doubts she had were instantly cleared away. The taste was simply wonderful. She forgot all her manners, and started scarfing down the soup, spoon after spoon. Only after she made the whole dish disappear did she look up. Everypony was staring at her. Twilight with a small frown, her pa—everypony's parents with concern, and finally, Shining with a slight smirk. Realising the attraction she made of herself, she quickly became the Red and Embarassed Trixie. "Uh... sorry. It was very good?" she offered with a weak smile. Impressions were not going too well today, were they? Velvet looked horrified. "Dearie, you can't tell me you weren't starving! You tore through that soup faster than a parasprite!" "No, no! Really, it was just the soup that was too good. No starving whatsoever." Her words didn't seem to convinve the older uni—her parents. Regardless, the dinner continued at a much calmer pace; Trixie slowed down, and let the others catch up with her. For a few minutes, nothing could be heard but somepony's teeth clattering occassionally. Surprisingly, it was Night Light who broke the silence. "You two act like you've known each other. How did you meet?" Trixie looked at him with confusion. "Didn't Twilight tell you?" she asked. Twi—her father shook his head. The azure unicorn glanced at the alicorn in question, only to find her averting her gaze. She didn't tell them. The only reason to do so was to protect her, Trixie, because she was the only one to receive punishment for her misdeeds. Yet this pony kept it a secret, for a reason Trixie could only guess—maybe to give her a second chance. She felt herself fill with warmth. Still, they deserve the truth. The whole truth. She cleared her throat. "It all began three years ago, when I arrived into Ponyville..." _________________________________________________________________________________ "...and finally, I've been freed of the Amulet's control." Trixie finished her story. The Sparkle family sat baffled. None of them suspected what transpired between the two mares who were only supposed to meet today, and on the day of their birth. The showmare could feel disappointment in the air. "Pardon me, I need to use the restroom." she excused herself. Velvet pointed upstairs, and with a quick nod, Trixie left the table. She found the bathroom immediately (two stylised ponies spitting water from their mouths—how cheesy is that?), and closed the door silently after herself. She wasn't going to use the facilities, she just wanted to decide her next step. She sat upon the closed lid of the toilet, and absent-mindedly checked out her surroundings. Her parents acted kind to her, even though they never met her. They radiated an aura of trust and love whenever they looked at anypony from the five present ponies. That is why their disappointment hurt her so much. "Are you all right, Trixie?" She didn't even notice when Velvet entered the room. The older mare was watching her with a worried expression. "She just found out that I wronged the pony she believed to be her daughter, and yet she comes to comfort me? What is wrong with her? Surely she didn't start to love me more than Twilight just because we're the same blood?" "You are not all right, I gather." continued Velvet. "I was afraid you might try something stupid." "Stupid? What, suicide? I am not one to give up." "Not necessarily hurting yourself," the pale unicorn said, as if following her trail of thought, "but escaping mostly. I just want you to know we don't blame you." "Why?" Trixie asked in a wavering voice. Velvet was thrown off-track. "I'm sorry?" "Why don't you blame me?" the showmare repeated. "Why don't you hate me? I wronged Twilight many times, I humiliated ponies at the drop of a hat, and to top it off, I enslaved a whole village! What else could I do to make myself more despicable?" "But you regretted it, right? It doesn't make it acceptable, but it makes your actions understandable. Besides, I could see you're hurting, dearie." "Oh really?" Trixie asked sarcastically, though she felt a tear roll down her muzzle. "I guess it's because we're mother and daughter, huh?" To her surprise, the pale unicorn shook her head. "No. I know it because I raised two foals. I know when somepony tries to show themselves stronger than they are. Yes, we were disappointed. Yes, we think that what you did was wrong. But we saw that Twilight did not hold a grudge; and I trust her judgement. You made a mistake, and I think you've suffered enough for it." Velvet stepped closer. The trails of tears were now clearly visible on her daughter's fur. She took her into her forehooves, and held her firm, just like a foal who got scared of the thunder. "I don't deserve you." Trixie muttered. To her surprise, Velvet pushed her away, and glared at her with a sudden chill. "Don't you ever say that! Nopony in the world deserves solitude. Are we clear?" Still bewildered, she could only nod. The sternness immediately disappeared from her mother's face, and she gently nuzzled her. "We're waiting for you in the dining room. Clean up, and come, we're curious about you." She left. She left, and Trixie was at a loss for words—something that only happened to her once in her life: when she faced the Ursa Minor. She had so many things to say—but too cowardly to actually form the words. "Thank you." she whispered to the door. _________________________________________________________________________________ After refreshing herself, she felt confident enough to step into the spotlight again. Years of showmareship taught her quite a few tricks about hiding emotions, and their consequences. Red eyes, for instance. After a few well-delivered splashes of water, the redness in her eyes subdued. She knew deep inside that families should not be ashamed of each other's tears—but she didn't feel ready yet. She trotted back to the diner, noticing that Twilight was talking to Shining. A new thought entered her mind. How would the alicorn feel herself? She found out that her parents weren't hers, after all. A pang of guilt struck her chest. Surely, Twilight must be as confused as she is... yet she didn't make a scene out of it. Two scenes, to be precise. Trixie shot them a nervous smile, and sat back to her seat. Was it frown upon their faces when she entered? Was it pity? The guilt struck again. It wouldn't be this bad, only if they weren't this likeable! Each time they saw their sad faces, a knife struck into her heart. Damn! "How has life been treating you up until now?" Night Light asked. Trixie took this chance to examine her father's features more thoroughly. He seemed young, only a pair of wrinkles under his eyes betrayed his true age. His mane seemed to be tidy, despite all the surprises of this day. He was not frowning anymore, he was... what's the word? Trixie didn't know what to call it, but it reminded her of something warm, and long lost. "Life? I guess I... well... I mean..." She let out an exasperated sigh. "I'll have to start at the beginning. I'm going to warn you, though, it's neither interesting, nor happy." "My first memory of the orphanage is me getting scolded. I remember that we broke something while playing, a vase or such, and got grounded for a week. To tell you the truth, I don't really like to talk about my life there. Our matron was indifferent towards us; she wasn't outright cruel, she just didn't care about us. No feat worthy of her praise." "I had a friend back there, by the name of Luck Striker. Got adopted later, though. Oh yeah, I was also a student in Celestia's School of Gifted Unicorns." "Really?" Velvet asked with curiousity. Trixie nodded with confirmation. "Really. For about seventy-five minutes, until it turned out I wasn't good enough for them. Biggest letdown in my life up until then. I was eight, if I remember correctly." Her voice was distant, recalling mistakes past. "After that, I was hauled back unceremoniously to the orphanage. Needless to say, the matron wasn't too happy. Thought she got rid of me once and for all." "After that, not much. When I was fourteen, I was finally discharged to roam as I see fit, and I took the chance. A few months later, I met Twilight. End of story." "Trixie," Velvet began, opting to choose her words carefully, "you barely told us anything about yourself. Couldn't you give us just a little more to go on?" "...I'm sorry. I'm not ready yet." "We understand." Night Light interjected. The azure unicorn locked gazes with him. She tried to figure out the message in those jonquil eyes, to catch any kind of ill will. She couldn't. All she saw was a quiet stallion, who seemed interested in her, as a father. She didn't know why. Nothing she said cast her in a positive light; nothing she did would earn his trust. Why? Why is he willing to give her a chance, when there were ponies who chased her around Equestria because of petty reasons? Is a family really like this? ...She didn't even notice when the others left. Breaking their connected gaze, she noticed the emptiness of the room, acknowledging it with a slight snort. "Is it your turn?" she asked rudely. The blue stallion blinked. "My turn? What are you..." Realisation dawned upon him, eliciting a small smile. "Oh, you mean that everypony talked to you? I assure you, we didn't plan to take turns talking to you... at least, not intentionally. I just stayed because you looked like you wanted to say something to me." "How does it feel?" Trixie demanded, with barely contained emotions. "How does it feel that the genius alicorn, who rose to the rank of a princess by her own power is not your child, but instead a ruthless, egotistical loner, who couldn't make friends if her life depended on it is? How does it feel that you traded the most powerful unicorn turned alicorn to a fraud who can barely cast spells?" Her tone was bitter, recalling all the times she was made fun of because of her magic. "I was laughed at even as a foal, not chosen by the monarch of Equestria herself to become her private pupil! What could I possibly offer to fill the gap left by her?!" "Trixie, this is not a contest." her father stated gently. "Being part of our family is not a race; you don't need to be a genius, or a scholar to be accepted. We only want to know you better. You're surely not making this any easier." The showmare looked away in shame. "I know, and... I'm sorry. I know it's selfish, I know you're just as new to this situation as I am, yet... I cannot help but ask for your patience. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I don't know how I'm supposed to behave. I don't even know how I feel right now. All I need is a little time." Her father nodded with great understanding. "New situations always bring out the worst of our nerves. Don't fret, though, nopony is perfect. Tell you what, I'll tell you about the time Twilight turned me into a plant, so you won't feel that we're perfect." "Thank you, I..." Her brain finally processed the implications of her father's words. "Twilight? That Twilight? Turning you into a plant?! Surely you jest!" "Actually, no. It was on the day she had her tryouts for Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, and boy, was she nervous! There we stand, watching her from the sidelines, in front of a stern commitee. Suddenly the room lits up! The next thing I knew I was absorbing sunlight through the window." The azure mare smiled. Somehow, her father had a... vivid way of presenting things. His humour was not lost on Trixie. "Feel any better?" "A little." she answered. "Come then. I'm sure Shining would be eager to tell you about his wedding." Trixie hung her head. "He's married? By the stars, I've missed out on so much..." Night Light raised her chin with a hoof, while giving her a reassuring smile. "Well then, it is time to start catching up, don't you think?" Chapter three: A different perspectiveHow would you react to your world crumbling? Twilight Sparkle reacted with shame. To be precise, she was ashamed from being relieved from feeling shame. What does it mean? Only Twilight knew this, and she kept it to herself. All her life, she felt ashamed, because she looked at Celestia as a sort of a mother figure, too, not just at Velvet. When she had heard that they are not related by blood, in addition to fainting, she felt a huge wave of relief wash over her. And now that she is awake, she is ashamed of that notion. The hospital office room feels suffocating now. She wants to run, to get out... but where to? Twilight knew that running away would just make the situation worse. "Twilight Sparkle, listen to me at once!" Her mother's voice snapped her out of it, making her realise she'd been ignoring her for a while now. Her ears flattened. Another reason to be ashamed. Seems like Velvet knew what was going on in her head, because she pulled her into a tight hug. "Come on, dearie. It's all right." "B-but she! And Trixie! And foalbirth!" Words have already failed Twilight. Her mother gently patted her back. "Shhh." she cooed. "Don't panic. Nothing bad happened." "Nothing?" Twilight's voice was nearly hysterical. "We just found out that you and I are not related!" "So? What does it change? We will still love you; only the number of our daughters increased, the way I see it. And when your father comes to, I'm sure he will feel the same." Twilight stared in disbelief. "That's it? You're willing to disregard it so easily? You're telling me nothing will change?" Velvet still hadn't let her go; a fact that the lavender alicorn was very grateful for. She could feel her support practically pouring through her grip. Her voice was calm, and soothing to Twilight. At least this didn't change. "Twilight, dearie, the only thing changing will be Trixie becoming a part of our life, too... provided your brother can hunt her down. She seemed like the athletic type." Twilight snorted, recalling the times the showmare left town in a hurry. Indeed, she was the athletic type, instinctual, unlike her. Her mind wandered off. Really, she should have seen it coming. Personality-wise, she didn't really resemble any of her family; each and every one of them was outgoing, even Night Light, in his quiet, shy way. To say she was a turn-in, would be an understatement... at least until she met her friends. Would they be Trixie's friends instead? As things were now, it was hard to imagine, but it was not out of the question. Maybe. A pang of guilt ran through her. She took Trixie's place, and had a wonderful life instead of her. Maybe she wouldn't be such a... boastful mare? Then again, maybe Twilight would be like her, if things went differently... A polite cough startled them, prompting them to release each other. "I have brought water." Health Care waved the jug she carried. Velvet took it from her... and unceremoniously dumped it on her husband. "Wake up already!" Twilight could witness the rare occurence of somepony trying to get up while not fully in control of their body. Night Light did something that could be called with a little bit of goodwill, somehow throwing himself over the sofa he was lying on, banging his head with the head nurse. His little stunt made her huff with indignity, and storm out of her own office. The blue stallion slowly rose up, hiding part of his face in embarassment. "Well, that went exceedingly well." he noted sarcastically. He rubbed his head where they collided. "On the upside, I believe I know which hospital I mustn't get incarcerated in from now on." "Dad..." Something popped into Twilight's mind. "Wait, should I call you Night Light from now on?" The stallion shot her a menacing smile. "Only if you want me to call you 'your princessessessessness'. Don't go assuming that everything should change just because I fainted from the incredible stress of this revelation and your mother didn't!" "What does this have to do with me?" Velvet demanded. "Oh, nothing." the stallion replied. "Sometimes I wish you were more womanly in some aspects." "Well, you took care of that, didn't you?" Twilight calmed down a little. Conversations like this were hardly considered rare, her parents loved these mental contests and verbal jabs. They loved each other enough that they never took offense to anything the other said. The alicorn couldn't help, but feel a little jealous of them. As if to a cue, the door opened, revealing Shining Armor and an unusually meek Trixie. Twilight could swear her eyes were red... what in Equestria happened outside? She stayed silent as her mother invited Trixie to their home. The way she accepted it, and later the way they sneaked out of the building was so uncharacteristical for her, that Twilight began to suspect that this maybe wasn't even Trixie. She waved the stupid thought away. Up until they finished dinner, she didn't really enter the conversation. Trixie was on the spot, every Sparkle wanting to hear her life story, Twilight included. Despite that, Trixie wasn't too keen on disclosing too many details, only of what she already knew: the two catastrophic visits to Ponyville. Somehow, it felt like the showmare wanted to avoid talking about the orphanage; bad memories, or shame, perhaps? After dinner, her mother disappeared for a few minutes, then reappeared in a complete get-go. This usually signalled a family program, yet this time only her parents and Twilight went out. They trotted silently down the street, with the alicorn wondering about their destination. Neither Velvet nor Night Light gave her a hint, they just chatted about non-committal things. Finally, they arrived at Cartwheel Confectionery. Twilight liked the place, not only because it was usually less crowded than Donut Joe's shop, but the ice-cream was exceptionally good here. A thought crossed her mind. "Wait just a minute..." she stopped, looking at the older unicorns with suspicion. "Are you trying to bribe me with my favourite ice-cream?" "Yes." Night Light confirmed. "Oh, okay then." _________________________________________________________________________________ "...And then he screamed 'WHAT IN THE NINE HELLS WERE YOU THINKING?!', and slapped Helmet so hard he flew through the window!" The last time Trixie laughed this hard was... well, actually, never. Somehow, her newfound brother also had a knack for telling stories; even if his talent was protecting. She felt a little bit proud for the resemblance. "Ah, it was priceless. We were stuck cleaning the toilets for a month, though." Shining finished his story. Somehow, it felt like they knew each other for a long time. "I've got a question, though." Trixie interjected. "You've probably told me a dozen stories by now. If all of them are true, how did you even get promoted from being a private? Not to mention guard captain... Don't get me wrong, but after all that shenanigans, who would even consider it? The promotion, I mean." Shining leaned back on his seat, pondering. "Well, if I have to guess, I think it was General Supply Line that noticed me. Contrary to his name, he usually monitored recruits, not supplies. Once he stumbled upon us during combat simulation, and... well, I don't mean to brag, but he saw me fending off five fellow soldiers, and then he kind of noticed me." "Yeah, so he saw your combat prowess. Still doesn't explain the promotion, though." Trixie pointed out. Shining straightened up, looking at her with a serious expression. "Actually, it does. I got into a group of defense specialist, whom I trained together with from that point onward. Our leadership skills were tested, too. Somehow, it turned out I'm somewhat good at organising our defenses." Shining paused, his expression becoming somehow even more serious. Trixie suddenly felt that this might had been important to him. "But the main thing is," he continued, "that they always believed in me. My family, my friends, my instructors... they all believed that I was set for greatness. While I have my doubts about it, I can't deny that their trust gave me power. Any time I was feeling weak, or miserable, somepony would've come to snap me out of it. Either with kind words... or fifty laps around the castle." The siblings let out a quick laugh, but it was short-lived. Shining got lost in his thoughts about the past, while Trixie felt a little bit of doubt nagging at the corner of her soul. Were her actions really justified? Just because she was alone, did she really have to behave like she did? Casting off all relations, constantly mocking and looking down on ponies, living off of lies and deceit... What would have happened if she had a family to encourage her? Somepony to practice magic with? A home that would welcome her with open hooves? Parents that would care about her? A big brother, who would've protected her from bullies? Somepony to tell— "Are you all right?" Shining's voice took Trixie by surprise. She looked at him with a half-guilty expression, trying to shoot a smile—and utterly failing at it. "Uh, nothing, just thinking about...stuff." she lied. Shining did not budge an inch. "Trixie," he began with surprising softness, "you're crying." The showmare unconsciously raised a hoof to her eyes, and indeed she felt a damp patch of fur under them. She quickly tried to rub it off, to no avail. "I just... I just..." she stuttered. "I was... thinking about what would have been if I grew up here..." She hung her head, bitterly reproaching herself for her outburst. This had nothing to do with— Her thoughts were interrupted by a warm, soft, yet firm feeling. She looked up, seeing her brother nuzzle her gently. The white stallion noticed her attention, and pulled Trixie into a hug. "Don't try to hide your feelings. A family is about care, and understanding. You don't need to be strong for our sakes." Trixie broke out in tears, finally closing her hooves around her brother. A few moments passed before she could muster the courage to speak up. "Why? Why are you all so nice to me? Just because it turned out we're family, why are you all so accepting?" Her trembling voice became stronger with each word, leaning into hysteria. "I did terrible things, some of which even on purpose! I humiliated ponies, I ran away from the orphanage, I stole food a few times, I enslaved a town, and now I'm chasing Twilight away! How?! How are you able to accept me for what I am?!" "First of all, like we already said, we decided to give you a chance. The past is over, we don't need to dwell on it... since you clearly regret it. As for the enslaving... weeeell, I'm really not the one to speak lowly about those under mind-control, since I fell for it so easily. As for Twilie... Didn't you notice? Mom and Dad's gone out with her... probably drowning her in the 'Twilie Special'." Trixie couldn't help, but feel curious. "What is a 'Twilie Special?'" "Throughout her life, there were a few times when the situation called for celebration. When she got her cutie mark, when she graduated from the school, et cetera. Mom and Dad would always take her to the Cartwheel Confectionery, for a special ice-cream. I think it would be a nice gesture, to represent that nothing's going to change." "So I won't be a part of the family?" Trixie asked, finding her normal teasing tone. Shining got thrown off-track, blushing a little. "Wait, I didn't mean—" He noticed his sister's smug expression, and loosened up. "Ah, I get it. Still, it's a good thing you can joke about it already." The azure unicorn took a deep breath, finally calming down a little. "Yeah, I guess all this stuff was new to me, so I panicked a little." Shining nodded sagely. "Well yeah, new faces, new stories..." "All the hugging and stuff..." Trixie finished. Shining's lips began to curl upward, but then he realised she wasn't joking. "Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean 'hugging and stuff?'" Trixie's cheeks reddened, and she pawed at the ground nervously. "Well, you all hugging me, and being close, and things like that. I'm a bit embarassed." Shining raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Hugging is perfectly normal." "I dunno." Trixie mumbled. "Never did it." The stallion stared at her in disbelief. "Wait, you're trying to tell me you never once came into physical contact with anypony?" "That... would have been a sign of weakness." The showmare noticed her brother's shocked expression, and let out an exhiliated sigh. "Look, let's just... drop it. Why don't you tell me more about the 'Twilie Special' instead?" _________________________________________________________________________________ The most marvelous piece of confectionery laid before Twilight Sparkle. A large, glass cup, twice the size of her muzzle, filled to the brim with chocolate ice-cream; on top of it, a layer of six different flavours: vanilla, green apple, stracciatella, melon, maracuja, and kiwi. Decorated on the sides with whole bananas, and topped with whipped cream and sliced strawberries, it could easily substitute a meal... for a smaller family. This was called the 'Twilie Special', her only weak point in a relatively modest life. As usual, any attempt by her parents to steal a bite with their spoons were met with a fierce spoonfight from the alicorn's side, unwilling to let go her valued prize. "Have you cooled down a bit?" her mother asked. "Yesh." Twilight nodded with her mouth full, and tongue half-frozen. " 'bout ten Shelshiushes." Her parents calmed down. This was the Twilie they knew; scarfing down large quantities of cold that would make a fire freeze over, and making jokes nopony could possibly understand. "What are you planning on doing?" Night Light asked. Twilight stopped her crusade against the cold confectionery, and leaned on her front right hoof. "Well, I... I think I'm going to..." "...Tell it to your friends?" Velvet finished. Twilight nodded, then shook her head vigorously. "Yes. No! Yes! I don't know! What if they would hate me for it? What if I lose them?" "Dearie, you're being irrational again. They are your friends! They wouldn't care if you would be the daughter of Chrysalis and Nightmare Moon, I'm sure of it." Night Light looked at his wife, puzzled. "How the hay would that even work?" he asked with suspicion. Velvet shooed him. "It was a figure of speech. My point is: you have already proven yourself, dearie. You've been with them through fires and storms, and you fought hard for their friendships. Do you think that they would think any less of you if you were adopted?" "No..." the alicorn trailed off, absent-mindedly looking around the shop, "It's just so weird... I don't know if I'm overreacting, but I fear something might change." "Dearie, let me just point out one more thing." the older mare interjected with a gentle smile. "If you think about it, there is one part of the family that wasn't connected to us by blood from the start, and yet we thought no less about him for that." Twilight furrowed her brow. "Him? But I'm not a co— Oh, you mean Spike!" The alicorn blushed furiously. "Oh my gosh, how could I forget about him?" "You didn't forget about him, you forgot the fact that he was adopted, too. That is precisely why we can accept you as our daughter; real bonds are not predestined. He is just as much family as you are... or Trixie, or Shining." Twilight's eyes lit up with determination. "You are right. I will tell it to Spike, my friends, and the Princess. Nopony else needs to know, because it doesn't matter. Thanks, Mom." Velvet and Night Light pulled their daughter into a collective hug, releasing her a minute later. To their surprise, the alicorn, contrary to her previous claims, sat back to her seat. She noticed their confused reaction, and flashed them a sheepish grin. "Well, I can't exactly let this go to waste, can I?" _________________________________________________________________________________ Half an hour later, she was trotting down the main street of Canterlot. Sure, it would have been faster to just fly to the castle, but she needed time. She thought long and hard about presenting this to her mentor and close friend, the Sun Princess, Celestia. Although she insisted on being referred to simply as 'Celestia', Twilight had a hard time wrapping her head around that thought. They shared many memories, yet she couldn't treat herself as an equal to somepony she'd looked up to all her life. More the reason to present this matter without inciting wrong conclusions. Plans flashed back and forth through her mind, but neither of them satisfying enough. As she cursed herself for her indecisiveness, she noticed she'd arrived to the castle. A quick nod to the guards was all the confirmation they needed to let her through. Come to think of it, the situation was pretty much the same back then, before she met her friends. "Guess being a princess comes with less perks than one would think, huh?" she thought. She found the princess in the throne room, as usual. Celestia had a strong belief that if something was deemed important enough to try and get a personal meeting with her, it must be taken care of as soon as possible. This had the mixed result of a certain cook always coming in to discuss details of the night's meals at the most alien times. Some ponies were simply not intimidated by royalty, it seems. "Twilight! What a pleasant surprise! I thought you would spend this month in Ponyville! What brings you here today?" Twilight gulped nervously, all her carefully planned speeches suddenly becoming unvoiceable for her. She recognised the guards on duty as the biggest rumour-mongers in the Guard—so, in a burst of panic, she cast a deafening spell, surprising not only them, but the Sun Princess as well. "Twilight, what--?" she began, only to be cut off by a panicking purple pony. "I'm adopted!" Superficial observers would describe the white alicorn's expression as 'mild surprise', but Twilight knew her better. A little muscle twitching told her that Celestia is indeed shocked by this revelation—which made her feel a little calmer. Before doing anything, Celestia gently flickered her magic, undoing the spell Twilight had cast hastily. She gestured her to follow, and turned around, knowing that her old student would comply. They trotted silently through a long corridor, into a very familiar room. From the cushions on the floor, through the desk swarmed with parchments and ink, to the balcony that overlooked Canterlot, everything was filled with memories and nostalgia. When Twilight was accepted as Celestia's personal student, she had her sleep in the same room until she could safely control her magic, to avoid further accidents. Just standing here gave the young alicorn a warm feeling inside. "Now, Twilight, could you please explain to me what happened to make you so upset?" Celestia asked, dragging her out of Memory Lane, and into Reality Road. She noticed that Celestia sat down upon the cushions, as they did when she was little; with a small hint of happiness, she did the same. "Well Pri—I mean, Celestia, I better start at the beginning. Two weeks ago, we got a letter...." _________________________________________________________________________________ Author's Note Sorry for the delay! I get awfully slowed down by heat (I'm a snowman), but here's a chapter!
Chapter one: Lost childTo Her Majesty, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Your presence is required in Canterlot General Hospital, on the 5th of this month, at 13 o' clock. Pardon my bluntness, but I can not enclose any further details. Your family had already been informed, and asked consequently to be present also. I cannot press how important this is. Yours sincerely, Health Care Head nurse of Canterlot General Twilight was standing in front of the large white building, her birthplace, and since she received the letter last Tuesday, a place of dreadful curiousity. Her mother, Velvet, placed a hoof on her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, my little princess. We're here, there is nothing you need to fear." Indeed, the pale unicorn was right. Nothing could give greater comfort to Twilight right now than her family; her mother, Twilight Velvet, her father, Night Light, and last, but not least, her BBBFF, Shining Armor. She drew reassurance from their presence; suddenly, anything that might have been waiting for her seemed much less scary. Deciding to stop stalling, she stepped into the hospital. What followed was an uncharacteristical silence. The visiting ponies, the hospital staff, even the patients able to move stared at her. Not that it surprised Twilight; her new status as a princess came with ponies suspecting government interests behind her every action, pondering what connection might Equestria's politics have with this feeble hospital. Twilight knew that not mentioning that she is here because of a private issue would leave the ponies guessing, but most importantly, thinking that the princesses oversaw even the most mundane tasks. Twilight smiled. She only became a princess a month ago, yet she grasped many aspects of ruling in such a short time. The ponies' trust is hard to earn, but their curiousity is easily triggered. "Can I... help you, Your Highness?" the receptionist nurse asked, snapping the lavender alicorn out of her musings. "Yes, actually. I am looking for Head Nurse Health Care. We have an appointment." "Certainly, Your Majesty." the mare nodded. "She told me to lead anypony who asked for her to room 213. If you could please follow me..." The Sparkle family was led through the spacy reception hall, barraged by the curious eyes of all present ponies. They were quickly alleviated of that tension when they climbed the stairs; the first floor seemed abandoned compared to the liveliness downstairs. They followed the receptionist to a door labeled 'Meeting room: 213'. She opened the door, and gestured them to move in. "Health Care will be here soon, Your Highness. Please proceed inside to wait for her." "Thank you." The receptionist bowed as the lavender mare entered the room. "Just doing my job, Your Highness. I bid you farewell." She quickly trotted back towards the entrance, leaving the four ponies alone in the corridor. Well, almost alone. "Fancy meeting you here, Your Alicornness." a voice called playfully from inside. Twilight curiously peeked in... just to let her jaw drop in surprise. "Trixie?! What are you doing here?" "A simple 'hi' would have sufficed." she replied smugly. "To answer your question: I was called here by the head nurse to discuss some 'unethical treatment' that I 'suffered through' while I was a patient here. I don't remember them treating me in objectionable ways. Then again, I was only here once, so maybe I just don't have something to compare to." "Umm... what was it? Horn blisters?" Twilight asked politely. "Actually, kidney stones. They told me that my lifestyle caused them to pop up about ten years earlier than the usual patients who have them. Well, that's how I quit eating fast food." "All right, this conversation is clearly amusing to just listen to, but I don't intend to just stand around in the corridor. Comin' in!" The other three marched in, looking curiously at the azure mare. Velvet turned to her daughter. "Aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?" "S-sure. Mom, Dad, Shining, this is Trixie. She's an..." "Acquaitance." Trixie finished. "Pleased to meet you. I am, as you might know, THE GRRREEEAT, AND POWERFUL TRRRIIXXIIEEE!" "I am s-sorry, can't say I had the pleasure before." Velvet replied weakly, startled by the sudden outburst. "Think Twilight, think! What are you supposed to ask somepony who nearly destroyed the town twice?" "Uuuhm, how have you been since we last met?" she blurted out. "Well, after you freed me from the Amulet's control, I was contacted by the mayor of Ponyville. Apparently, they recovered some of my stuff that I... left behind after my first visit. So, after a brief community service in the public lavatories, she gave me back most of my stuff from my broken trailer. I certainly missed my cape." A polite cough could be heard from the door. Turning around, they saw a pink unicorn with gray mane and a pair of red hearts as a cutie mark. Satisfied that she got their attention, she closed the door, and moved behind a rather large, and sturdy desk. "Good afteroon, fillies and gentlecolts. I apologise for the secrecy of my actions, but you will see that what I am about to share with you simply cannot be transmitted through a letter. Please, take a seat, all of you." She paused until they complied, then she took out a parchment from one of the drawers. "Recently, one of our nurses has passed away. Her name was Brave Heart." Velvet and Night Light gasped in surprise. "The one who...?" Care nodded. "Yes. She was the one to help deliver birth to your daughter. However..." She paused, unfolding the scroll. "She also left her last will and testament as a testimony to a terrible sin she had committed on that day." "T-terrible sin? W-what might you mean?" Health Care raised the scroll further. "Every question you might have will be cleared up once I read this out loud. Please, listen well." _________________________________________________________________________________ I, Brave Heart, former nurse at the Canterlot General Hospital, swear that I am of sane mind, and every word of what I am about to confess is true. Many years ago, I worked at the maternity ward, helping out Doctor Gentle Hoof as his main assistant. We both took our shares of foalbirth, and considered each and every newborn a blessing. Because of that, every time a young one was born dead, we mourned just as much as the parents did, cursing our inability to save innocent foals. It was the same on that fateful day. There were an unusual amount of births that day; the doctor and I had our hooves full. That is when I had met them. A blue, calm stallion, and a pale purple mare, looking forward to all the joys of foalbirth. This was her second, so they weren't as worried as many couples. They were kind, and cooperated with me, as I had to lead her to a rather faraway room; the hospital was stacked full. As soon as I confirmed that she was comfortable in her bed, I set out to seek the doctor. I found him in the newborn's room, gently placing a filly into one of our small beds. I had the worst premonition. The newborn's room was only used if something went wrong; sick, hurt, and deceased foals were all brought here. I asked if the filly was hurt in any way. "No," he replied, "but I am afraid her mother has passed away." He let out a long, exasperated sigh. "She was a very brave mare. She had a terminal disease—we knew that foalbirth would likely cost her her life. Still, she opted to give birth to this foal, in favour of her own life. She also took care of adoption—the paper-pushers should be here in an hour. If I don't meet them, please have them sign the papers, and take the filly away. She needs attention, and we just don't have the staff for it right now." I nodded. "Of course, Doctor Hoof." He smiled relievedly at me. "Thank you. I am afraid I must go now to another patient. I trust you to take care of things." Before I knew it, he was gone. I hesitantly looked at the lone foal; she met my gaze with her magenta eyes. I immediately felt sorry for the poor thing. Losing your mother without even knowing her is a harsh, and unjust punishment. I shook my head. It was not my decision to put her up for adoption, but her mother's. She must've had her best interests in mind. "Nurse! Please! My wife...!" a nervous voice called out. I immediately left the room, and found myself face—to—face with the blue stallion. "My wife—she's gone into labour!" I ran back to the pale unicorn, noticing that her water indeed broke. I won't divulge the details here; let it be said that it was a long, and painful birth. Also, a very sad one. For when I held up the baby, she was of a weird purple colour; it might have fooled her parents, but not me. The filly was not purple, but originally blue, and all the blood tangled into her fur made her look a deep shade of magenta. My worries were further confirmed when she didn't cry out after traditionally slapping her flank. I held a dead foal in my magical grip. "Stay here!" I shouted, running out of the room, trying to spare them from the sight of my tears. For I knew, if I let them see me crying, they would realise their foal was dead. I blindly ran on, until I noticed I somehow stubled into the newborn's room. I gently placed the foal in one of the containers, pondering what to do. Considering she didn't cry out, and all the blood, I came to the conclusion that her lungs have bursted somehow. My reasoning at that time was hazy at best, and utterly confused at worst. The couple left such a sweet impression on me, that I couldn't bring myself to disappoint them. I just couldn't. I raised my teary eyes, and then something just clicked in my head. We had a couple with a dead foal. We also had a foal without parents. I realise I had absolutely no right to—but my mind was set. I picked up the orphan filly, and wrapped her into a blanket. When I entered the room, the couple looked at me nervously. I smiled at them, and levitated the foal to the mother. The relief could've been touched in the room. "I... there... Everything is fine now." I stammered, struggling to say the words. Looking at their happy faces, however, I knew I did the right thing. ________________________________________________________________________________ Silence loomed in the room. Finally, Twilight gathered the courage to speak up. "So... So I'm not their real daughter?" she asked, her voice trembling. "I'm afraid not. Not biologically, at least." Health Care replied sympathetically. Twilight broke out in tears, but her mother and father hugged her strongly. "No matter what happens, you'll be our little princess, Twilight." Velvet cooed. "The fact that we love you will not change." "T-thanks, Mom." the alicorn sniffed. Trixie fidgeted around her seat nervously. "Not that it wasn't a stunning story, Miss Care, but I think it would've been better if you didn't disclose the details to me. It feels... wrong to intrude into their private life so much." "Ah, but you see, Miss Lulamoon, there is but one slight problem with that. To understand what happened that day concerning you, you had to know what happened previously." The head nurse raised the scroll again, and continued reading. _________________________________________________________________________________ Soon after I delivered the foal to them, I excused myself, however. The mare insisted on giving me a small trinket—a single blue gem, encrusted in a light frame. The mare offered it to me as a gift, for helping their daughter in her hour of need. I nearly broke out in tears myself, but I couldn't refuse the trinket without causing suspicion. I stuffed it into the pocket of my coat, unable to say anything. To my great surprise, they left the hospital immediately. To my question, the receptionist explained that they have an expert friend in foalcare, who gladly offered her help to the couple. I was relieved, for if they left, they would never find out what I've done. And if I had only done that, this confession would have never seen the light of day. Alas, I hadn't. For I was drawn back to the newborn's room. I could only curse myself for my failure; a foal who has left the world of the living before even trying it. I looked at her bloody body, and felt the need to at least clean her wounds, to let her decaying form retain some dignity. I grabbed a towel, and gently rubbed her body, cleaning up the blood, and revealing her true, light blue colour. Then she moved. I was startled so much, I jumped back. The foal I believed dead has yawned, and opened her eyes. Her beautiful, magenta eyes. I realised at that instant that I had made a terrible mistake. The blood was not her blood, but her mother's, and the reason she didn't cry out... To be honest, I was utterly confused about that. The only explanation I can give—which I would like to believe in my better moments—is that she had so strong willpower at such a young age that she could shrug off her first encounter with pain. I believe that she is strong, for it helps me rationalise what I'd done to her. For I didn't return her to her parents. No. Instead, I just stared at her, until a voice called out behind me. "Miss Heart? I am here on behalf of the Better Life Orphanage. Where is the foal we are supposed to take?" I turned, and looked confusedly at the stallion. Had they not been notified? The foal— Of course he didn't know. I alone acted on a whim when I gave the orphan to the family, without consulting with anypony else first. No living soul knew of it. And I admit it, to my shame, I intended to keep it that way. I saw the hand of a god in these coincidences, and I firmly believed it was supposed to be this way. I gave the filly to him. That is right, I singlehoofedly decided to deny the poor filly the chance of a normal family, which she had in the first place. I also gave the trinket to the stallion, explaining that her mother wanted her to have it. The stallion nodded, and took the foal away—and with that, it was done. Nopony knew about it—except me. I realise this is a meager excuse, but I believe I have done the right thing. I also know it was a cowardly thing not to reveal this until now, but I was afraid. Yet, I cannot leave this world without confessing my single, most terrible crime. The crime of denying the truth: that the mother on that day, Twilight Velvet, did not bear Twilight Sparkle as her second foal; and that I smuggled out their true daughter, and put her in an orphanage. I hope the stars will have mercy on my soul. Signed: Brave Heart. _________________________________________________________________________________ Everypony stared at Health Care with disbelief. It was Trixie who broke the silence. "You can't be serious. You cannot be bucking serious." "I am afraid I am." "Well, you're wrong! I was born in April!" "You are mistaken, Miss Lulamoon. Your actual birth date, as listed in your birth certificate, is on the tenth of October." "This still doesn't mean anything!" the showmare argued. "Also, we took the liberty and compared the blood sample we took from you earlier to Mrs. Sparkle here. It is a match." She looked deeply into the azure unicorn's eyes. "I am glad to be able to introduce you to your real family, Miss Lu--, no, Miss Sparkle.." The only sound heard was the thump of two fainting ponies hitting the ground.
Chapter two: Tonight we dine in Canterlot"Shining, could you get a glass of water for your father and Twilight?" Velvet asked. His son nodded, but he was stopped by the head nurse's outheld hoof. "Leave it to me. I imagine you want to talk." She gracefully trotted out of the room, leaving the confused ponies inside. Shining scratched his head. First she says Twilight is not related to him, then she says somepony else is. He glanced at his newly acquired sister. She seemed awfully calm, given the circumstances. "You seem awfully calm, given the circumstances." he voiced his concerns. "Believe me, there is a storm of chaos going inside." Shining blinked. The way both mares replied to him at the same time was a bit uncanny. Needless to say, they were surprised by it, too. Velvet smiled shyly at her long-lost daughter. "This was unexpected." "Quite." she agreed. The fact that she didn't elaborate was a sign that she was deeply shaken. The usually loud and boastful mare was in the process of making sense about all of this. She hardly could. Thankfully, Twilight had come to, giving a reason to ignore the problem, if only for a minute's time. "Are you feeling all right, sweetie?" Velvet asked her. The dazed alicorn nodded, her eyes darting around the room like a frightened deer. Velvet pulled her into a hug. "Shhh." she cooed. "Don't be afraid. We will make this work out. We love you, and we're not going to abandon you after all these years." The lavender mare cried into her chest, shuggling closer with every sob. Trixie wore a sorrowful smile, unbeknownst even to her. She stood up, determination in her eyes. "Excuse me for a moment. I think I have to step outside for a while, to get some fresh air." "Sure." Making sure Twilight was all right, Shining's brain had finally caught up with him. She realised what Trixie was going to do. He darted out of the room without a word, nearly trampling over the startled Health Care, who arrived with a jug of water. "S'ry" he mumbled, dodging ponies through the corridor. By the time he arrived outside, the azure mare was already halfway to the corner of the street. "Wait!" he cried. Trixie didn't seem to notice it, (or maybe she outright ignored it), so he was forced to pull a mean one. The showmare suddenly noticed that her hooves have kissed goodbye to the ground, as she was levitating in a bubble a foot above ground. "Where do you think you're going?" he demanded. "Somewhere. Anywhere. I don't know! What did you expect? A random old mare says 'oh, hey Trixie, you suddenly grew a family', and I'm just supposed to act like nothing happened?! Like we haven't been apart for all these years?! I don't know any of you! I'm just a stranger to you! Why would you care?" "Because you're family! You belong with us!" Trixie rolled her eyes. "Oh please, that's such a cliché. We haven't met for seventeen years, and now you suddenly act like I'm instantly accepted into the circle? I highly doubt it." "Circle? What circle?" "The circle of having parents. There was a time time when I yearned for that, but that time is over! This mare is on her own, and she likes it!" "You are lying." Shining stated softly. This seemed to put the showmare off-track. "I'm sorry?" "You're lying." Shining repeated. "You only say that because you want us to think you are a horrible pony, and we'd be better off without you. You think that if you don't get close to us, neither of us will get hurt... or, at least not that much. You want to leave before you cause any damage." Trixie stared at her silently. "I know you are planning this," he continued, "because I would do it, too. If I found out that my parents were not my real parents, I'd keep it a secret. Because I wouldn't want to hurt them." "Hrmmrmm mmrmmmrm hrr." Trixie mumbled. "I beg your pardon?" "I said 'put me down before you attract the whole street'! Geez!" Shining blinked, then with cheeks burning red, he carefully put Trixie down, and let his shield dissipate. Trixie looked in his eyes, uncertainity and sadness written all over her. "I saw how your mother looked at you. I saw how much she cares for both of you. We're just strangers to each other, if I leave now, you can all pretend it never happened. Maybe it'd have been the best if all this nonsense never saw the light of day." The stallion stepped closer. "The fact that she cares for us doesn't mean there is no room in her heart for you. Maybe we are strangers now, but I know I fully intend to change that. Give us a chance." He stopped for a moment, realising something. "Also, not my mother. Our mother." His last words crushed her meager resistance. She sniffed, and looked at him with watery eyes. "Okay, I guess I can give it a shot." "Are you crying?" "N-no, it's just... crystallised relief." Shining let out a small chuckle. The mare eyed her with suspicion. "What's so funny?" The stallion shook his head with a smile. "You know, we might be more similar than you would ever guess." ________________________________________________________________________________ By the time they arrived back, Night Light was back in action. His mane was also wet for some inexplicit reason. Trixie gulped as everypony stared at her, nervous for being in the spotlight the first time in her life. The one to break the silence was Velvet. "You were both out for quite a long time. Is everything all right?" "Yeah," Shining replied, "we just... got a headstart on bonding, yep." "That is nice to hear, dearie. Now, Trixie, I wonder if you would like to join us for dinner?" Trixie averted her gaze, not daring to look into her eyes. "Dinner... sounds... nice, I guess?" Tw—her mother nodded, gesturing the others to get going, too. The nurse was nowhere to be seen, and to be frank, neither Trixie nor Shining had the urge to meet her soon. It was probably because of her job, but the elderly mare seemed distant and detached. Maybe after seeing so much in her life, she became fazed at even the weirdest acts of the fickle fate. The way they retreated from the hospital would have made Fluttershy envious—if she would be capable of feeling that emotion—considering they carefully avoided eye contact, and just sneaked out in a back door, all under a minute. Finally on the street, Trixie let her mind wander. She had been to Canterlot a few times, but she never really explored it. The street they currently trotted on had small apartments stacked in a neat row; with the cobblestone road, it was cut off from vehicles, forcing anypony who wished to go that way do so on hoof. Not that there was anything wrong with that. What the houses lacked in size, was compensated by the fact that each of them was unique. Some had stone underlay for the windows, some were painted in every colour of the rainbow, and some were covered by various types of plants. Suddenly, she felt envious of these ponies; they had a place to live, and by the look of it, neighbours with a hint of artistic sense. Some of her annoyance has been mirrored on her face, which Tw—her father noticed, but completely misunderstood. "Don't worry, we'll be there soon!" he said, trying to reassure her. She mentally slapped herself. Way to give second impressions. "No, I'm just..." "Just what? You don't even know." she thought. "You're just trying to take your mind off of it; to face it as late as possible. Reeeeal mature, Trixie." "... I guess I do want to arrive as soon as possible." Night Light nodded. "Just around the corner, dear." Ugh. If there is something to be said about her, it's the distinct lack of cheesy nicknames flying around her. Trixie would be fine, or daughter, or 'yo wassup', but she just can't cope with expressions like dear, darling and such. Speaking of names, isn't she technically Twilight Sparkle now? "We've arrived." Shining said, interrupting her dangerous trail of thought. The house they arrived to wasn't fancy, or abnormally large; yet it had a strong presence to it. A simple brick house, with stone foundations up until eye level, overgrown with vines here and there. The flora was clearly a part of it's design, for it had the most beautiful pink flowers Trixie ever saw. It was in no way menacing, yet Trixie wished to be someplace else right then; even facing an Ursa seemed like a good idea, as long as she didn't have to go inside. "Come right in!" Tw—her mother nudged her. She carefully trotted inside, making sure to clean her hooves on the doormat. The first word that came into her mind upon seeing the interior was 'cozy'. Signs of wealth popped in here and there, but the whole place practically screamed 'we thought it would look good'. From the soft blue carpets to the ancient wardrobes, everything was hoofmade, and personal. There weren't any walls without pictures, trophies, diplomas or such; every little inch of this place was filled with memories. Memories she wasn't part of. She felt her gut churn again. This place was so intimate, so...them, that it felt wrong to tread into as an outsider. Maybe she should leave before something eventually goes wrong. She turned back, only to find a white stallion blocking the front door, while whistling innocently. "What are you doing there?" Trixie hissed. "Well, Twilight still hasn't finished taking down her horseshoes, so I'm kinda stuck here until she's done." he explained with a straight face. "You try putting one of these on!" the alicorn retorted. "I swear, if it wasn't necessary to wear these, I'd throw them away at once! Gah!" "Try twisting it vertically." the showmare interjected. Twilight gave her a suspicious look, but she complied; and lo, the excruciating object immediately came off. She gave her... nemesister? a weak smile. "It's just something I picked up in Trottingham." The lavender pony repeated the process three more times, and when she finished, she had the look of utter bliss on her face. "Thanks, Trixie. These things are driving me crazy!" "No big deal." she answered hesitantly. She wasn't used to casual conversations like this. Thankfully, as soon as Twilight finished, Velvet called out to them from another room. The trio trotted towards their tender mother, who already laid out most of the tableware. The table itself was actually large enough to seat eight ponies; with a steaming pot on top, it looked very inviting. Twilight sat on the middle seat of one side, with he—their mother on her right, and father on her left. Trixie took the seat opposite of Velvet; Shining grabbed the one beside her unceremoniously. The pale unicorn levitated the pot's cover away. "I am afraid the food is a bit simple, Trixie. You see, we weren't expecting guests today, so I just made an everyday meal for us. I hope it's not too disappointing?" The showmare waved her hoof. "Oh, not at all, don't be silly. I'm glad to be finally able to eat homecooked food." Tw—her parents shared a concerned look. "You mean you were starving?" "No, not exactly. You see, I can cook, it's just... I didn't really have the time or the ingredients to do it in quite some time." she explained. The last month was... hectic at best, to say. After she was finally freed from the Alicorn Amulet's corruption, she decided to just wander around Equestria. It was a small miracle that Health Care's letter reached her. Whether it was agood miracle or a bad miracle remains yet to be seen. Meanwhile, Velvet finished poring soup for everypony. Trixie looked at her plate with curiousity. The soup was orange-ish red, with massive amounts of potato. Potato soup it is, then! She picked up her spoon, and took a sip of it. Any doubts she had were instantly cleared away. The taste was simply wonderful. She forgot all her manners, and started scarfing down the soup, spoon after spoon. Only after she made the whole dish disappear did she look up. Everypony was staring at her. Twilight with a small frown, her pa—everypony's parents with concern, and finally, Shining with a slight smirk. Realising the attraction she made of herself, she quickly became the Red and Embarassed Trixie. "Uh... sorry. It was very good?" she offered with a weak smile. Impressions were not going too well today, were they? Velvet looked horrified. "Dearie, you can't tell me you weren't starving! You tore through that soup faster than a parasprite!" "No, no! Really, it was just the soup that was too good. No starving whatsoever." Her words didn't seem to convinve the older uni—her parents. Regardless, the dinner continued at a much calmer pace; Trixie slowed down, and let the others catch up with her. For a few minutes, nothing could be heard but somepony's teeth clattering occassionally. Surprisingly, it was Night Light who broke the silence. "You two act like you've known each other. How did you meet?" Trixie looked at him with confusion. "Didn't Twilight tell you?" she asked. Twi—her father shook his head. The azure unicorn glanced at the alicorn in question, only to find her averting her gaze. She didn't tell them. The only reason to do so was to protect her, Trixie, because she was the only one to receive punishment for her misdeeds. Yet this pony kept it a secret, for a reason Trixie could only guess—maybe to give her a second chance. She felt herself fill with warmth. Still, they deserve the truth. The whole truth. She cleared her throat. "It all began three years ago, when I arrived into Ponyville..." _________________________________________________________________________________ "...and finally, I've been freed of the Amulet's control." Trixie finished her story. The Sparkle family sat baffled. None of them suspected what transpired between the two mares who were only supposed to meet today, and on the day of their birth. The showmare could feel disappointment in the air. "Pardon me, I need to use the restroom." she excused herself. Velvet pointed upstairs, and with a quick nod, Trixie left the table. She found the bathroom immediately (two stylised ponies spitting water from their mouths—how cheesy is that?), and closed the door silently after herself. She wasn't going to use the facilities, she just wanted to decide her next step. She sat upon the closed lid of the toilet, and absent-mindedly checked out her surroundings. Her parents acted kind to her, even though they never met her. They radiated an aura of trust and love whenever they looked at anypony from the five present ponies. That is why their disappointment hurt her so much. "Are you all right, Trixie?" She didn't even notice when Velvet entered the room. The older mare was watching her with a worried expression. "She just found out that I wronged the pony she believed to be her daughter, and yet she comes to comfort me? What is wrong with her? Surely she didn't start to love me more than Twilight just because we're the same blood?" "You are not all right, I gather." continued Velvet. "I was afraid you might try something stupid." "Stupid? What, suicide? I am not one to give up." "Not necessarily hurting yourself," the pale unicorn said, as if following her trail of thought, "but escaping mostly. I just want you to know we don't blame you." "Why?" Trixie asked in a wavering voice. Velvet was thrown off-track. "I'm sorry?" "Why don't you blame me?" the showmare repeated. "Why don't you hate me? I wronged Twilight many times, I humiliated ponies at the drop of a hat, and to top it off, I enslaved a whole village! What else could I do to make myself more despicable?" "But you regretted it, right? It doesn't make it acceptable, but it makes your actions understandable. Besides, I could see you're hurting, dearie." "Oh really?" Trixie asked sarcastically, though she felt a tear roll down her muzzle. "I guess it's because we're mother and daughter, huh?" To her surprise, the pale unicorn shook her head. "No. I know it because I raised two foals. I know when somepony tries to show themselves stronger than they are. Yes, we were disappointed. Yes, we think that what you did was wrong. But we saw that Twilight did not hold a grudge; and I trust her judgement. You made a mistake, and I think you've suffered enough for it." Velvet stepped closer. The trails of tears were now clearly visible on her daughter's fur. She took her into her forehooves, and held her firm, just like a foal who got scared of the thunder. "I don't deserve you." Trixie muttered. To her surprise, Velvet pushed her away, and glared at her with a sudden chill. "Don't you ever say that! Nopony in the world deserves solitude. Are we clear?" Still bewildered, she could only nod. The sternness immediately disappeared from her mother's face, and she gently nuzzled her. "We're waiting for you in the dining room. Clean up, and come, we're curious about you." She left. She left, and Trixie was at a loss for words—something that only happened to her once in her life: when she faced the Ursa Minor. She had so many things to say—but too cowardly to actually form the words. "Thank you." she whispered to the door. _________________________________________________________________________________ After refreshing herself, she felt confident enough to step into the spotlight again. Years of showmareship taught her quite a few tricks about hiding emotions, and their consequences. Red eyes, for instance. After a few well-delivered splashes of water, the redness in her eyes subdued. She knew deep inside that families should not be ashamed of each other's tears—but she didn't feel ready yet. She trotted back to the diner, noticing that Twilight was talking to Shining. A new thought entered her mind. How would the alicorn feel herself? She found out that her parents weren't hers, after all. A pang of guilt struck her chest. Surely, Twilight must be as confused as she is... yet she didn't make a scene out of it. Two scenes, to be precise. Trixie shot them a nervous smile, and sat back to her seat. Was it frown upon their faces when she entered? Was it pity? The guilt struck again. It wouldn't be this bad, only if they weren't this likeable! Each time they saw their sad faces, a knife struck into her heart. Damn! "How has life been treating you up until now?" Night Light asked. Trixie took this chance to examine her father's features more thoroughly. He seemed young, only a pair of wrinkles under his eyes betrayed his true age. His mane seemed to be tidy, despite all the surprises of this day. He was not frowning anymore, he was... what's the word? Trixie didn't know what to call it, but it reminded her of something warm, and long lost. "Life? I guess I... well... I mean..." She let out an exasperated sigh. "I'll have to start at the beginning. I'm going to warn you, though, it's neither interesting, nor happy." "My first memory of the orphanage is me getting scolded. I remember that we broke something while playing, a vase or such, and got grounded for a week. To tell you the truth, I don't really like to talk about my life there. Our matron was indifferent towards us; she wasn't outright cruel, she just didn't care about us. No feat worthy of her praise." "I had a friend back there, by the name of Luck Striker. Got adopted later, though. Oh yeah, I was also a student in Celestia's School of Gifted Unicorns." "Really?" Velvet asked with curiousity. Trixie nodded with confirmation. "Really. For about seventy-five minutes, until it turned out I wasn't good enough for them. Biggest letdown in my life up until then. I was eight, if I remember correctly." Her voice was distant, recalling mistakes past. "After that, I was hauled back unceremoniously to the orphanage. Needless to say, the matron wasn't too happy. Thought she got rid of me once and for all." "After that, not much. When I was fourteen, I was finally discharged to roam as I see fit, and I took the chance. A few months later, I met Twilight. End of story." "Trixie," Velvet began, opting to choose her words carefully, "you barely told us anything about yourself. Couldn't you give us just a little more to go on?" "...I'm sorry. I'm not ready yet." "We understand." Night Light interjected. The azure unicorn locked gazes with him. She tried to figure out the message in those jonquil eyes, to catch any kind of ill will. She couldn't. All she saw was a quiet stallion, who seemed interested in her, as a father. She didn't know why. Nothing she said cast her in a positive light; nothing she did would earn his trust. Why? Why is he willing to give her a chance, when there were ponies who chased her around Equestria because of petty reasons? Is a family really like this? ...She didn't even notice when the others left. Breaking their connected gaze, she noticed the emptiness of the room, acknowledging it with a slight snort. "Is it your turn?" she asked rudely. The blue stallion blinked. "My turn? What are you..." Realisation dawned upon him, eliciting a small smile. "Oh, you mean that everypony talked to you? I assure you, we didn't plan to take turns talking to you... at least, not intentionally. I just stayed because you looked like you wanted to say something to me." "How does it feel?" Trixie demanded, with barely contained emotions. "How does it feel that the genius alicorn, who rose to the rank of a princess by her own power is not your child, but instead a ruthless, egotistical loner, who couldn't make friends if her life depended on it is? How does it feel that you traded the most powerful unicorn turned alicorn to a fraud who can barely cast spells?" Her tone was bitter, recalling all the times she was made fun of because of her magic. "I was laughed at even as a foal, not chosen by the monarch of Equestria herself to become her private pupil! What could I possibly offer to fill the gap left by her?!" "Trixie, this is not a contest." her father stated gently. "Being part of our family is not a race; you don't need to be a genius, or a scholar to be accepted. We only want to know you better. You're surely not making this any easier." The showmare looked away in shame. "I know, and... I'm sorry. I know it's selfish, I know you're just as new to this situation as I am, yet... I cannot help but ask for your patience. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I don't know how I'm supposed to behave. I don't even know how I feel right now. All I need is a little time." Her father nodded with great understanding. "New situations always bring out the worst of our nerves. Don't fret, though, nopony is perfect. Tell you what, I'll tell you about the time Twilight turned me into a plant, so you won't feel that we're perfect." "Thank you, I..." Her brain finally processed the implications of her father's words. "Twilight? That Twilight? Turning you into a plant?! Surely you jest!" "Actually, no. It was on the day she had her tryouts for Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, and boy, was she nervous! There we stand, watching her from the sidelines, in front of a stern commitee. Suddenly the room lits up! The next thing I knew I was absorbing sunlight through the window." The azure mare smiled. Somehow, her father had a... vivid way of presenting things. His humour was not lost on Trixie. "Feel any better?" "A little." she answered. "Come then. I'm sure Shining would be eager to tell you about his wedding." Trixie hung her head. "He's married? By the stars, I've missed out on so much..." Night Light raised her chin with a hoof, while giving her a reassuring smile. "Well then, it is time to start catching up, don't you think?"
Chapter three: A different perspectiveHow would you react to your world crumbling? Twilight Sparkle reacted with shame. To be precise, she was ashamed from being relieved from feeling shame. What does it mean? Only Twilight knew this, and she kept it to herself. All her life, she felt ashamed, because she looked at Celestia as a sort of a mother figure, too, not just at Velvet. When she had heard that they are not related by blood, in addition to fainting, she felt a huge wave of relief wash over her. And now that she is awake, she is ashamed of that notion. The hospital office room feels suffocating now. She wants to run, to get out... but where to? Twilight knew that running away would just make the situation worse. "Twilight Sparkle, listen to me at once!" Her mother's voice snapped her out of it, making her realise she'd been ignoring her for a while now. Her ears flattened. Another reason to be ashamed. Seems like Velvet knew what was going on in her head, because she pulled her into a tight hug. "Come on, dearie. It's all right." "B-but she! And Trixie! And foalbirth!" Words have already failed Twilight. Her mother gently patted her back. "Shhh." she cooed. "Don't panic. Nothing bad happened." "Nothing?" Twilight's voice was nearly hysterical. "We just found out that you and I are not related!" "So? What does it change? We will still love you; only the number of our daughters increased, the way I see it. And when your father comes to, I'm sure he will feel the same." Twilight stared in disbelief. "That's it? You're willing to disregard it so easily? You're telling me nothing will change?" Velvet still hadn't let her go; a fact that the lavender alicorn was very grateful for. She could feel her support practically pouring through her grip. Her voice was calm, and soothing to Twilight. At least this didn't change. "Twilight, dearie, the only thing changing will be Trixie becoming a part of our life, too... provided your brother can hunt her down. She seemed like the athletic type." Twilight snorted, recalling the times the showmare left town in a hurry. Indeed, she was the athletic type, instinctual, unlike her. Her mind wandered off. Really, she should have seen it coming. Personality-wise, she didn't really resemble any of her family; each and every one of them was outgoing, even Night Light, in his quiet, shy way. To say she was a turn-in, would be an understatement... at least until she met her friends. Would they be Trixie's friends instead? As things were now, it was hard to imagine, but it was not out of the question. Maybe. A pang of guilt ran through her. She took Trixie's place, and had a wonderful life instead of her. Maybe she wouldn't be such a... boastful mare? Then again, maybe Twilight would be like her, if things went differently... A polite cough startled them, prompting them to release each other. "I have brought water." Health Care waved the jug she carried. Velvet took it from her... and unceremoniously dumped it on her husband. "Wake up already!" Twilight could witness the rare occurence of somepony trying to get up while not fully in control of their body. Night Light did something that could be called with a little bit of goodwill, somehow throwing himself over the sofa he was lying on, banging his head with the head nurse. His little stunt made her huff with indignity, and storm out of her own office. The blue stallion slowly rose up, hiding part of his face in embarassment. "Well, that went exceedingly well." he noted sarcastically. He rubbed his head where they collided. "On the upside, I believe I know which hospital I mustn't get incarcerated in from now on." "Dad..." Something popped into Twilight's mind. "Wait, should I call you Night Light from now on?" The stallion shot her a menacing smile. "Only if you want me to call you 'your princessessessessness'. Don't go assuming that everything should change just because I fainted from the incredible stress of this revelation and your mother didn't!" "What does this have to do with me?" Velvet demanded. "Oh, nothing." the stallion replied. "Sometimes I wish you were more womanly in some aspects." "Well, you took care of that, didn't you?" Twilight calmed down a little. Conversations like this were hardly considered rare, her parents loved these mental contests and verbal jabs. They loved each other enough that they never took offense to anything the other said. The alicorn couldn't help, but feel a little jealous of them. As if to a cue, the door opened, revealing Shining Armor and an unusually meek Trixie. Twilight could swear her eyes were red... what in Equestria happened outside? She stayed silent as her mother invited Trixie to their home. The way she accepted it, and later the way they sneaked out of the building was so uncharacteristical for her, that Twilight began to suspect that this maybe wasn't even Trixie. She waved the stupid thought away. Up until they finished dinner, she didn't really enter the conversation. Trixie was on the spot, every Sparkle wanting to hear her life story, Twilight included. Despite that, Trixie wasn't too keen on disclosing too many details, only of what she already knew: the two catastrophic visits to Ponyville. Somehow, it felt like the showmare wanted to avoid talking about the orphanage; bad memories, or shame, perhaps? After dinner, her mother disappeared for a few minutes, then reappeared in a complete get-go. This usually signalled a family program, yet this time only her parents and Twilight went out. They trotted silently down the street, with the alicorn wondering about their destination. Neither Velvet nor Night Light gave her a hint, they just chatted about non-committal things. Finally, they arrived at Cartwheel Confectionery. Twilight liked the place, not only because it was usually less crowded than Donut Joe's shop, but the ice-cream was exceptionally good here. A thought crossed her mind. "Wait just a minute..." she stopped, looking at the older unicorns with suspicion. "Are you trying to bribe me with my favourite ice-cream?" "Yes." Night Light confirmed. "Oh, okay then." _________________________________________________________________________________ "...And then he screamed 'WHAT IN THE NINE HELLS WERE YOU THINKING?!', and slapped Helmet so hard he flew through the window!" The last time Trixie laughed this hard was... well, actually, never. Somehow, her newfound brother also had a knack for telling stories; even if his talent was protecting. She felt a little bit proud for the resemblance. "Ah, it was priceless. We were stuck cleaning the toilets for a month, though." Shining finished his story. Somehow, it felt like they knew each other for a long time. "I've got a question, though." Trixie interjected. "You've probably told me a dozen stories by now. If all of them are true, how did you even get promoted from being a private? Not to mention guard captain... Don't get me wrong, but after all that shenanigans, who would even consider it? The promotion, I mean." Shining leaned back on his seat, pondering. "Well, if I have to guess, I think it was General Supply Line that noticed me. Contrary to his name, he usually monitored recruits, not supplies. Once he stumbled upon us during combat simulation, and... well, I don't mean to brag, but he saw me fending off five fellow soldiers, and then he kind of noticed me." "Yeah, so he saw your combat prowess. Still doesn't explain the promotion, though." Trixie pointed out. Shining straightened up, looking at her with a serious expression. "Actually, it does. I got into a group of defense specialist, whom I trained together with from that point onward. Our leadership skills were tested, too. Somehow, it turned out I'm somewhat good at organising our defenses." Shining paused, his expression becoming somehow even more serious. Trixie suddenly felt that this might had been important to him. "But the main thing is," he continued, "that they always believed in me. My family, my friends, my instructors... they all believed that I was set for greatness. While I have my doubts about it, I can't deny that their trust gave me power. Any time I was feeling weak, or miserable, somepony would've come to snap me out of it. Either with kind words... or fifty laps around the castle." The siblings let out a quick laugh, but it was short-lived. Shining got lost in his thoughts about the past, while Trixie felt a little bit of doubt nagging at the corner of her soul. Were her actions really justified? Just because she was alone, did she really have to behave like she did? Casting off all relations, constantly mocking and looking down on ponies, living off of lies and deceit... What would have happened if she had a family to encourage her? Somepony to practice magic with? A home that would welcome her with open hooves? Parents that would care about her? A big brother, who would've protected her from bullies? Somepony to tell— "Are you all right?" Shining's voice took Trixie by surprise. She looked at him with a half-guilty expression, trying to shoot a smile—and utterly failing at it. "Uh, nothing, just thinking about...stuff." she lied. Shining did not budge an inch. "Trixie," he began with surprising softness, "you're crying." The showmare unconsciously raised a hoof to her eyes, and indeed she felt a damp patch of fur under them. She quickly tried to rub it off, to no avail. "I just... I just..." she stuttered. "I was... thinking about what would have been if I grew up here..." She hung her head, bitterly reproaching herself for her outburst. This had nothing to do with— Her thoughts were interrupted by a warm, soft, yet firm feeling. She looked up, seeing her brother nuzzle her gently. The white stallion noticed her attention, and pulled Trixie into a hug. "Don't try to hide your feelings. A family is about care, and understanding. You don't need to be strong for our sakes." Trixie broke out in tears, finally closing her hooves around her brother. A few moments passed before she could muster the courage to speak up. "Why? Why are you all so nice to me? Just because it turned out we're family, why are you all so accepting?" Her trembling voice became stronger with each word, leaning into hysteria. "I did terrible things, some of which even on purpose! I humiliated ponies, I ran away from the orphanage, I stole food a few times, I enslaved a town, and now I'm chasing Twilight away! How?! How are you able to accept me for what I am?!" "First of all, like we already said, we decided to give you a chance. The past is over, we don't need to dwell on it... since you clearly regret it. As for the enslaving... weeeell, I'm really not the one to speak lowly about those under mind-control, since I fell for it so easily. As for Twilie... Didn't you notice? Mom and Dad's gone out with her... probably drowning her in the 'Twilie Special'." Trixie couldn't help, but feel curious. "What is a 'Twilie Special?'" "Throughout her life, there were a few times when the situation called for celebration. When she got her cutie mark, when she graduated from the school, et cetera. Mom and Dad would always take her to the Cartwheel Confectionery, for a special ice-cream. I think it would be a nice gesture, to represent that nothing's going to change." "So I won't be a part of the family?" Trixie asked, finding her normal teasing tone. Shining got thrown off-track, blushing a little. "Wait, I didn't mean—" He noticed his sister's smug expression, and loosened up. "Ah, I get it. Still, it's a good thing you can joke about it already." The azure unicorn took a deep breath, finally calming down a little. "Yeah, I guess all this stuff was new to me, so I panicked a little." Shining nodded sagely. "Well yeah, new faces, new stories..." "All the hugging and stuff..." Trixie finished. Shining's lips began to curl upward, but then he realised she wasn't joking. "Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean 'hugging and stuff?'" Trixie's cheeks reddened, and she pawed at the ground nervously. "Well, you all hugging me, and being close, and things like that. I'm a bit embarassed." Shining raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Hugging is perfectly normal." "I dunno." Trixie mumbled. "Never did it." The stallion stared at her in disbelief. "Wait, you're trying to tell me you never once came into physical contact with anypony?" "That... would have been a sign of weakness." The showmare noticed her brother's shocked expression, and let out an exhiliated sigh. "Look, let's just... drop it. Why don't you tell me more about the 'Twilie Special' instead?" _________________________________________________________________________________ The most marvelous piece of confectionery laid before Twilight Sparkle. A large, glass cup, twice the size of her muzzle, filled to the brim with chocolate ice-cream; on top of it, a layer of six different flavours: vanilla, green apple, stracciatella, melon, maracuja, and kiwi. Decorated on the sides with whole bananas, and topped with whipped cream and sliced strawberries, it could easily substitute a meal... for a smaller family. This was called the 'Twilie Special', her only weak point in a relatively modest life. As usual, any attempt by her parents to steal a bite with their spoons were met with a fierce spoonfight from the alicorn's side, unwilling to let go her valued prize. "Have you cooled down a bit?" her mother asked. "Yesh." Twilight nodded with her mouth full, and tongue half-frozen. " 'bout ten Shelshiushes." Her parents calmed down. This was the Twilie they knew; scarfing down large quantities of cold that would make a fire freeze over, and making jokes nopony could possibly understand. "What are you planning on doing?" Night Light asked. Twilight stopped her crusade against the cold confectionery, and leaned on her front right hoof. "Well, I... I think I'm going to..." "...Tell it to your friends?" Velvet finished. Twilight nodded, then shook her head vigorously. "Yes. No! Yes! I don't know! What if they would hate me for it? What if I lose them?" "Dearie, you're being irrational again. They are your friends! They wouldn't care if you would be the daughter of Chrysalis and Nightmare Moon, I'm sure of it." Night Light looked at his wife, puzzled. "How the hay would that even work?" he asked with suspicion. Velvet shooed him. "It was a figure of speech. My point is: you have already proven yourself, dearie. You've been with them through fires and storms, and you fought hard for their friendships. Do you think that they would think any less of you if you were adopted?" "No..." the alicorn trailed off, absent-mindedly looking around the shop, "It's just so weird... I don't know if I'm overreacting, but I fear something might change." "Dearie, let me just point out one more thing." the older mare interjected with a gentle smile. "If you think about it, there is one part of the family that wasn't connected to us by blood from the start, and yet we thought no less about him for that." Twilight furrowed her brow. "Him? But I'm not a co— Oh, you mean Spike!" The alicorn blushed furiously. "Oh my gosh, how could I forget about him?" "You didn't forget about him, you forgot the fact that he was adopted, too. That is precisely why we can accept you as our daughter; real bonds are not predestined. He is just as much family as you are... or Trixie, or Shining." Twilight's eyes lit up with determination. "You are right. I will tell it to Spike, my friends, and the Princess. Nopony else needs to know, because it doesn't matter. Thanks, Mom." Velvet and Night Light pulled their daughter into a collective hug, releasing her a minute later. To their surprise, the alicorn, contrary to her previous claims, sat back to her seat. She noticed their confused reaction, and flashed them a sheepish grin. "Well, I can't exactly let this go to waste, can I?" _________________________________________________________________________________ Half an hour later, she was trotting down the main street of Canterlot. Sure, it would have been faster to just fly to the castle, but she needed time. She thought long and hard about presenting this to her mentor and close friend, the Sun Princess, Celestia. Although she insisted on being referred to simply as 'Celestia', Twilight had a hard time wrapping her head around that thought. They shared many memories, yet she couldn't treat herself as an equal to somepony she'd looked up to all her life. More the reason to present this matter without inciting wrong conclusions. Plans flashed back and forth through her mind, but neither of them satisfying enough. As she cursed herself for her indecisiveness, she noticed she'd arrived to the castle. A quick nod to the guards was all the confirmation they needed to let her through. Come to think of it, the situation was pretty much the same back then, before she met her friends. "Guess being a princess comes with less perks than one would think, huh?" she thought. She found the princess in the throne room, as usual. Celestia had a strong belief that if something was deemed important enough to try and get a personal meeting with her, it must be taken care of as soon as possible. This had the mixed result of a certain cook always coming in to discuss details of the night's meals at the most alien times. Some ponies were simply not intimidated by royalty, it seems. "Twilight! What a pleasant surprise! I thought you would spend this month in Ponyville! What brings you here today?" Twilight gulped nervously, all her carefully planned speeches suddenly becoming unvoiceable for her. She recognised the guards on duty as the biggest rumour-mongers in the Guard—so, in a burst of panic, she cast a deafening spell, surprising not only them, but the Sun Princess as well. "Twilight, what--?" she began, only to be cut off by a panicking purple pony. "I'm adopted!" Superficial observers would describe the white alicorn's expression as 'mild surprise', but Twilight knew her better. A little muscle twitching told her that Celestia is indeed shocked by this revelation—which made her feel a little calmer. Before doing anything, Celestia gently flickered her magic, undoing the spell Twilight had cast hastily. She gestured her to follow, and turned around, knowing that her old student would comply. They trotted silently through a long corridor, into a very familiar room. From the cushions on the floor, through the desk swarmed with parchments and ink, to the balcony that overlooked Canterlot, everything was filled with memories and nostalgia. When Twilight was accepted as Celestia's personal student, she had her sleep in the same room until she could safely control her magic, to avoid further accidents. Just standing here gave the young alicorn a warm feeling inside. "Now, Twilight, could you please explain to me what happened to make you so upset?" Celestia asked, dragging her out of Memory Lane, and into Reality Road. She noticed that Celestia sat down upon the cushions, as they did when she was little; with a small hint of happiness, she did the same. "Well Pri—I mean, Celestia, I better start at the beginning. Two weeks ago, we got a letter...." _________________________________________________________________________________ Author's Note Sorry for the delay! I get awfully slowed down by heat (I'm a snowman), but here's a chapter!
