The Federation of Equine nations had had a mostly peaceful existence since their inception a little under three centuries ago. For the time being all was well, though the griffons threatened the north eastern border of Equestrian lands that was Pegasus territory and of little concern to the Unicorn nation in the southeast quadrant of the land. Though as a member nation of the equine federation the unicorns and the earth ponies were both helping the pegasi with their negotiations for a longer term peace. And as long as all three pony nations came together and renewed their vows of peace and friendship every year at the stone hearth where they were originally made by the founders of the equine federation, the winters were not to long and harsh to prevent the population from prospering though one could usually gauge the severity of the coming winter by the political climate of the land and how much arguing had gone on between the pony nations as the windigos had not yet been fully driven off.
Such was the state of the day when Dawn-born queen of the Unicorns great great granddaughter of Queen Platinum gave birth to twins. The elder was a pure white coated golden maned filly she named Celestia. The younger by several minutes was a dark coated silver maned filly that was named Luna their birth was celebrated thru out all the unicorn lands as a herald of a new time of increased unicorn prosperity. In all the excitement and celebration it was hardly noted when the second daughter of an offshoot branch of the unicorn royal line ran away out of Equestrian lands and was not seen nor heard from again
Time passed and the two young fillies grew they were quite close oh they had their occasional spats but by and large relations between Tia as she preferred to be called by her close friends and Luna were warm and close. Celestia kept a much needed stabilizing hoof on her carefree younger sister while Luna prevented Celestia from being too solemn and somber a young mare. Together they filled the palace with laughter and energy seldom seen within the normally too serious unicorn court.
One day a messenger came out of the eastern wild lands, his news threw the court into a terrible uproar and the twin princesses wondered what news it could be though any time they inquired or sought to find out on their own they were stopped and rebuffed being told that they would be told all in due time. Though one night some days after the first messenger Luna on one of her nightly forays managed to catch a glimpse of a carriage entering the palace walls and two figures leaving it before she had to leave or risk being caught and getting punished. The next day the unicorn court positively boiled with barely restrained intrigue and rumors. Tia and Luna determined not to be kept in the dark any longer listened to half whispered conversations and made their own plans. Knowing their best chance to overhear anything worth while was in their mothers private study they hid themselves in there in the small spaces only a young limber filly could fit.
Queen Dawn-born was in an uproar. While normally she kept a firm hoof on the reigns of her temper she was well known for having them but this, this was a full blown galloping fit that threatened to consume anything in its path. “What was she thinking!” thundered the queen. “Coming back here with that... that child!” she spat the last word venomously. “If word of this gets out we will be the laughing stock of the Federation! And nopony makes a laughing stock of the Unicorns!” The queen paced muttering to herself for a moment longer. In their hiding spots Tia and Luna giggled softly to one another still not fully understanding what their mother was on about but finding amusement in her antics nonetheless. The door burst open again and the twin mares covered each others mouths with a silencing hoof to observe the new development.
An unbelievably aged stallion entered the room with a mane and beard whiter than snow, both so long they dragged the marble floor as he walked. He wore the trappings of a master magus of the unicorns though the cut of his cloak and hat were severely out of date with current fashions. For all his apparent age and strangeness the stallion stood with his head held high and firm deep set eyes that shone with wisdom. His stance was the confident stance of a powerful pony in the midst of much weaker lower ranking pony's who must defer to him in almost all matters. Which made no sense what so ever to the fillies. They were in their mothers private study, she was queen, no one held higher rank than her here or as much power. The queen whipped herself around to fix the intruder with one of her fiercest glares. He would soon learn the mistake of his presumption.
“Who dares enter the queen's private chambers unannounced, unasked for and uninvited! We shall have you clapped in irons and left to rot in the dungeons for this affront to our dignity.” The queen bellowed in the traditional royal voice at the aged stallion. It was easy to see from this display where Luna got her flair for the dramatic from. The elder pony just scoffed as though he was unimpressed with the tantrum of a filly. “Dawn-born I had white in my mane when your great great grandmare Queen Platinum was no more than a filly. Do not presume to threaten me. Now I had come to see if my presence could help protect pony-kind from the dark days I see coming ahead though if they haven't yet learned to let go of the strife that destroyed their first homelands and nearly prevented them from finding these new lands then perhaps they don't deserve the help of Star-swirl.” The magus turned as though to leave “Wait M-master Star-swirl don't leave yet!.” called the Queen to him, he stopped, from their position the girls could see a small smirk on his face before he turned back.
The two twins were wide-eyed! The strange pony was Star-swirl the bearded!? How? He had died shortly after the founding of the Equine Federation or so everypony claimed. Even his own successor Clover the Clever had attested to this and she was decades in her tomb as well. The queen looked as though she'd been slapped at the news even as she called for him to hold. “Everypony has thought you centuries dead though had we known you were alive and coming here....”
“Yes, yes had you known I was coming you would have thrown a grand fete whilst sneering at me behind my backs, or you'd have thrown me out as a charlatan. Don't you see young mare I came the only way I could that would convince you of the reality of who I am. Unannounced and unasked for. For who but the one of the greatest magi to ever live as well as the only master of temporal magic living could have made their way here without being caught first. Now quit fawning, quit whining and listen!” He stomped his hoof on the ground for emphasis, a crackle of pure magic radiating out from where he struck the marble floor. The sight caused Luna to squeal aloud in shock giving away the twins position. The Queen and Star-swirl both turned to look, Luna jumped up onto a pillowed chair to escape the dying magic wave. Tia just sighed and removed herself more slowly though didn't bother to try hiding as she knew it would be pointless. Star-swirl was smiling while Queen Dawn-born looked mortified. It was the queen who spoke first. “You foolish foals! What were you doing here?! Out out! I will deal with the both of you later!” Tia made towards the door obediently not foolish enough to risk her mothers wrath and Luna did her best to hide behind her elder sister doomed to failure though it was. Star-swirl chuckled and held up a calming hoof. “Now now, though I did not foresee this either perhaps it is not a bad thing. It is in the unlooked for that destiny often makes its move.” he motioned the young princesses over indicating they should stand beside their mother. “Now as I was saying. Fleethoof's son you will welcome him into your home, this court and your family. If you do not do as I ask I will return and I will NOT be happy, am I clear?” The queen too dumbfounded by the command only nodded her assent, while Tia and Luna nodded along. “Also, do not punish these fillies for their curiosity that brought them here today.” Then Star-swirl turned his attention to the fillies and grinned gently “You two have a new cousin coming to stay with you. He is different from other ponies but he is still your family and he has a grand fate upon him. Please be kind to him, I don't suspect he will have many friends and he will need all the friends he can get. Remember to look past the surface to the heart inside.
Star-swirl turned and left thru the door to the study as he had come in. the door shut with a hard bang behind him, unmoved by any apparent action on anypony's part. A moment passed before Queen Dawn-born rushed to the door and pulled it open, rapidly looking about though there was no sign of the ancient stallion magus. She shut the door after ascertaining this and then leaned against it heavily breathing hard. The queen shook a bit and stood there with her eyes closed. “Celestia, Luna, my darlings” she called to the girls. “Be dears for me would you? I know you probably don't fully understand what just occurred but you can understand this I hope. What happened in this room is a secret from everypony else ok? So please don't speak of it to anypony until I give you permission. Now then run along and play or go to your lessons whatever it is you are to be doing at this time and Celestia, please inform the servants that I do not wish to be disturbed for some time.” This said the queen left the door with visible effort going to sprawl on the couch behind her desk worry written on her face.
Celestia and Luna left the room after promising not to tell anypony what they had witnessed in the study. On their way out Celestia made a point to find one of the queen's mares in waiting and informed of her of her mothers desire not to be disturbed for the rest of the afternoon. Though the girls longed to find a secluded spot where they could discuss all they had seen and heard their nurse caught up with them scolding them for hiding away from her and delaying their lessons. It was hours before the fillies were released for dinner and even though for once dinner was a quiet affair with no guest to entertain or politicking to be had there were other ponies present which prevented Tia and Luna from discussing the encounter earlier It wasn't until they had bathed and made ready for bed that the two princesses were finally left alone so that they could talk.
“Tia, Tia!” said Luna as she hopped into her sisters bed and nudged her. Celestia turned and muttered sleepily at her “What?” for while Luna may be a night owl and content to stay up all hours of the night. Celestia was very much a daytime person who felt the night was for sleeping, she never was one for staying up incredibly late. “Do you think that really was Star-swirl the bearded?” Luna asked, bouncing somewhat on the bed. Tia rolled to face her sister though she resolutely kept her eyes shut hoping that might quicken this whole conversation. “Well its logical isn't it? He got in and out of the palace without a trace didn't he? I asked around quietly earlier no pony had seen an elderly pony with a mane and beard that scraped the ground as they walked, wearing the symbols of rank for magus. Clearly that speaks of powerful magic especially if he teleported away but didn't disturb the castle-wards I didn't think that was possible.” “Yes well... I suppose you're right. But who do you think this Fleethoof is?” Luna rolled onto her back and splayed out, her hooves bumping into Celestia. “Quit moving so much I'm trying to go to sleep.” she told her with a long suffering sigh. “Well I don't know much but I managed to go the library for bit...” “So that’s where you disappeared to during our Astronomy lesson, Madam Bright-shine wasn't happy” exclaimed Luna “Yes well I’ll apologize to her tomorrow anyway, I got into the library and read up on our history a bit, Fleethoof is a cousin of ours. She's descended from Queen Platinum too thru her youngest daughters line.” explained Tia, “So she could inherit the throne?” asked Luna to which Tia just rolled her eyes “Yes though half the court would have to be made ineligible one way or another first. Now are you sleeping with me tonight? If so get under the covers and stop squirming around.” Luna made a happy sound and dove under the covers coming up next to Tia, she nuzzled her affectionately “Night sis!” said as she made herself comfortable. “Night Luna.” said Celestia who nuzzled her back before softly drifting off to sleep.
Several days passed without remark though the court rumor mill did steadily churn the waters of gossip and intrigue that plagued the court. Though all the rumors seemed to come back to the mysterious arrival from the other week. Today was to be the day the rumors were put to an end though. The court had been invited to watch the queen and her strongest magicians raise the sun as they did everyday. The queen and her assistants shone with mystic power their combined lights taking on a mother of pearl hue as magic always did when sufficient unicorns worked in concert on a task. Dawn broke over the grand hall spilling down onto the upturned faces of the unicorn nobility. As the sun steadily rose into the sky once again set on its path by the might of the unicorns which in the minds of most of those present clearly demonstrated the superiority and authority the unicorn nation had and should have over the other pony nations, though in the interest of not freezing to death they did play nice as far as they were forced to with the rest of the equine federation.
The queen stood on the solar dais her magicians bowing respectfully out of the way. The sun glinted off her jewel encrusted royal mantle and crown an impressive sight for all to be hold. Celestia and Luna stood off to the right with their father and a handful of other more important ponies.
The queen's horn flashed and the chime of a bell rang thru out the grand hall. “My ponies, you were invited to see this daily raising of the sun for a reason for this dawn marks a happy occasion. Our kinsmare lost to us this decade passed has returned recently from the wild lands outside our borders! Today will be a day of celebration thru out the land! Lady Fleethoof come forth!” The doors to the grand hall swung open, a mare with a coat the color of ash and a beige mane stepped into the hall. On her right was a strange creature. He walked on all fours like any other pony though his forelimbs did not end in hooves but in strange five-digited claws. His body was longer and more flexible than that of a pony and his tail seemed to be a sinuous continuation of his body rather than being made of hair. Upon his back were two rudimentary wings though they were not feathered, no they were rather bat or cockatrice like. His features were not handsome, not by any stretch of the unicorn definition and his one nobbed horn seemed almost out of place on his forehead. The creature stuck close to Fleethoof as though for protection. They strode up to the foot of the dais upon which the queen stood. Where they paused and bowed. “I am Fleethoof kinsmare of your majesty, I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart for welcoming us back into the herd of Unicorn society. And my I present to your majesty my son Talon.” At this the creature by Fleethoof's side bowed again and there was a low nicker that rose thru the gathered nobility. Tia and Luna stared at their new cousin, more intrigued than off put his outlandish appearance. “Well met young Talon, you are welcome into the Unicorn herd.” Then looking up and out to the gathered nobility “All you my ponies have witnessed this reunion and re-welcoming of Fleethoof and her get to this court, She holds rank and is a distant kinsmare of mine may all treat her with the respect and dignity than confers. Now we shall hold a Fete in her honor!”
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Author Note.
First off yes I know I badly need an editor, now accepting applicants for the job, will be payed in wubs and cookies please PM me if you would like to volunteer for this position. i would be ever so grateful. 
Secondly please until an editor has been found please don't post errors out in the comments section as they will be fixed.
Thirdly. I love you all so please be gentle the is the first fanfic I've written that I've been brave enough to post.