🎵Now I found
who I am
there’s no way to hold it in
No more hiding who I want to be...
This is me.🎵
Sparkler stopped playing her piano as she smiled and wrote the notes on her music sheet. She sighed. “I’m really going to do this am I.”
“Squawk! Yes you are. Squawk!”
Sparkler jumped as she whipped her head around to see Flappy sitting on the table in the studio, smiling at her. She relaxed and smiled. “Celestia Flappy, you startled me.”
Flappy chuckled. “Squawk! Sorry pal. Working on your act for the Ponyville Music Festival? Squawk!”
Sparkler nodded. “Yes. I am.” She took hold of the music sheets on the piano music stand and brought them over to the filing cabinet. “Just finished figuring out the lyrics and the tempo. I just need to add the drums and guitar...should I play the guitar or should I just focus on singing?”
Flappy chuckled. “Squawk! Do whatever you think will help you through this. Playing your guitar might help. Squawk!”
Sparkler nodded. “Let’s hope so. I’m tired of pretending to be somepony I’m not. Of this fear forcing this Unicorn persona on me.”
Flappy nodded. “Squawk! I will admit I kinda miss the wings. Since you keep your sweaters on all day. Squawk!”
Sparkler nodded. “Well, come the Music Festival that all changes. No more hiding my wings under sweaters. After the Music Festival I’m gonna get some clothes made that have wing holes.” Sparkler stopped, before chuckling. “I’ve actually gotten so used to wearing sweaters that I don’t want to stop.”
Flappy chuckled. “Squawk! Welp, fortunately we both know a very gifted fashionista that’ll probably explode with joy when you finally allow her to get her hooves on you. Squawk!”
Sparkler nodded. “I should probably just not open up Sparkling Harmony Records that day. Because chances are I’m not gonna be allowed out of that boutique until I have a new wardrobe.” She chuckled as she glanced at the clock and saw that it was getting late. “I’ve been down here THAT long? Huh, time flies when you’re having fun.”
Flappy nodded. “Squawk! Yeah. That’s actually why I came down here. To tell you we should get to bed. Squawk!”
Sparkler nodded. “Then let’s hit the hay.” With that, Flappy and Sparkler headed upstairs for the night.
...
Soon after, Sparkler was fast asleep, almost. She was tossing and turning in her bed in all reality.
Sparkler lit her horn, and made her sweater vanish. Her wings flared open, for all the audience to see. They all gasp in shock. Sparkler smiled sheepishly. “Yeah. You guys aren’t seeing anything, I’m an Alicorn.”
For the moment, nothing happened, and then the crowd erupted in boos and started throwing EGGS at her. Sparkler immediately moved her wings to shield herself from the onslaught as she started tearing up. “No! Please...stop! I’m sorry!”
This continued on for a while, with tears falling from Sparkler’s face as she begged for it to stop. Soon, she was surprised when she felt the assault stop completely. Sparkler hesitated, before slowly opening her eyes again and peaking out from behind her wings to see that her surroundings had changed. Instead of being onstage in front of the whole town that was throwing eggs at her, she saw that she was in some kind of starry field. She looked around, to see the same starry field. She regained regularity in her breathing as she looked around. “H-Hello?”
“Hello young Sparkling Medley.” Sparkler jumped at that voice and whipped around to see Princess Luna standing right in front of her.
“Princess Luna!” Sparkler exclaimed as she automatically hit the deck...or whatever solid force her hooves were standing on...in a respectful bow.
“Rise My Little Pony. There is no need for that here.” Luna replied with a warm smile.
Sparkler nodded shakily and rose to her hooves again. “Ahem, uh, where are we? Am I still asleep?”
Luna nodded. “Indeed Sparkler. You are still asleep, but we are in what is a manifestation of the Dream Realm, where I keep watch over pony’s dreams and save them from nightmares.”
Sparkler nodded. “So you made my nightmare go away? And replaced it with...this?”
Luna nodded. “That is correct. And I am glad that I was finally able to come to your rescue after months of being unable to do such a thing”
Sparkler raised an eyebrow. “Huh? What do you mean?”
Luna sighed. “I normally do not have trouble entering ponies’ nightmares, but for unknown reasons, something has prevented me from entering yours until tonight. Like a magical barrier that has only now collapsed.”
Sparkler bit her lip as she looked down in defeat. “I wasn’t trying to stop you Princess.”
Luna nodded. “Perhaps not intentionally. However, magic sometimes works in mysterious ways. It can be influenced by our emotions to do things we may not otherwise do. And in some cases, magic can react to our greatest desires.” She cocked her head to the side to get a better look at Sparkler’s wings. “Like hiding that you are really an Alicorn for instance.”
Sparkler’s eyes widened and she immediately whipped her head around and craned her neck to see, much to her shock, that her wings were EXPOSED! She quickly lit her horn and pulsed it, intending to cover up the wings, but to her horror, not nothing happened. She tried again, still nothing. Her breathing quickened as she tried again and again, getting the same result.
Luna patiently watched as this went on for several pulses, being met with failure each time. After the last pulse, Sparkler’s horn dimmed and Sparkler slowly turned her head back to glance at the princess of the night, who saw tears forming in the Alicorn’s eyes. “Uh...” The smaller Alicorn let out, her mind struggling to work again as she gulped.
Luna smirked. “So no such wing spells were used on Nightmare Night.”
Nopony moved for several long seconds, before Sparkler just broke down and hit the deck, covering her face with her hooves. “I’m sorry!” She blurted out as tears finally fell from her face. “You’re right! I didn’t use a wing spell. I really do have wings. Please your majesty, I mean no harm! I swear!” She trembled in fear of what the princess would do to her for trying to deceive her.
Luna stared down at the cowering pony for a second, before getting down on her haunches and reaching out to pull Sparkler in for an embrace. Sparkler winced at first, before recognizing it as a...hug? She sniffled, and looked up at the night princess in confusion. “P-Princess?” She squeaked out in between whimpers.
”It is ok Sparkling Medley. You do not have anything to worry about.” Luna soothed the distraught Alicorn.
Sparkler sniffled as she raised an eyebrow. “I-I don’t understand, you aren’t mad at me?”
Luna nodded. “I am not mad at you. I understand why you have opted to hide your true self, given your past in Saddle Arabia.”
Sparkler let out a gasp. Princess Luna knew her past in Saddle Arabia?! “You know about my past?!”
Luna nodded. “While I have not been able to enter your nightmares until tonight, I have been able to scry every single one of them.”
Sparkler’s jaw dropped as she pulled out of Luna’s embrace. If what the princess was saying was true, then that meant... “So, you’ve known all along that I was an Alicorn.”
Luna nodded. “It was a shock to me at first, but you are not the first pony to be a natural born Alicorn.”
Sparkler nodded. “Yeah, Twilight told me about Flurry Heart. But while she has an Alicorn for a mother, my parents are a Unicorn and an Earth Pony. So logically, I SHOULDN’T be an Alicorn.”
Luna nodded. “It is a mystery to be sure. But that is a discussion for another night.
Sparkler nodded, and sighed. “Your majesty? I...I’m planning on revealing my true self the night of the Ponyville Music Festival, do I have anything to worry about?”
Luna bit her lip before replying. “If you are looking for a town that will welcome anypony with open forelegs, no matter their physiology, Ponyville is high on the list of candidates. However I cannot gauge for certain the outcome of you coming out.”
Sparkler nodded. “I just...once I come out there’s no going back. I’m just worried I’m making a HUGE mistake.”
Luna reached out and pulled Sparkler in for another hug. “It is horrible what your fellow schoolmates in Saddle Arabia did to you. I know you are hesitant, but know this Sparkling Medley, you have friends. Friends who will always be there for you. Never forget that.”
Sparkler pondered over Luna’s words, before a smile creeped its way onto her face as she nodded. “I won’t. Thank you, your majesty.” She said as she and Luna parted.
Luna nodded. “I need to return to my night patrol, but before I do.” She pulsed her horn, and the scene around them changed from the starry field to Ponyville Park. Sparkler looked around, and saw Twilight sitting alone under a tree with a picnic all set up. She turned her head back to Luna to find the princess smirking. “I believe that a date with Twilight Sparkle is more to your liking, no?”
Sparkler blushed like mad as she smiled sheepishly. “Ahem, uh, you aren’t going to tell anypony...are you?”
Luna giggled and nodded. “I shan’t breath a word of your crush on Twilight Sparkle to anypony. And, you can trust that I will keep your wings a secret until you come out.”
“You won’t tell princess Celestia?” Sparkler asked.
Luna nodded. “I have not told her thus far, a bit of advice though, if you do see her before the Music Festival, pull her aside and come out to her about your wings. She would appreciate it if you told her personally.”
Sparkler nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She gave a polite bow, though this time out of respect and not fear. “Thank you your majesty. I am in your debt.” With that, she trotted over to Twilight.
Luna nodded. “We shall meet again Sparkling Medley. Of that I am certain.” She pulsed her horn and disappeared in a flash.
To be continued...