Autumn sighed as she sat there at the edge of the forest she teleported too. She had just watched her brother shift Twilight’s perspective of meeting the alicorn. Sitting there even from this distance she heard their conversation.
“What did you do?” Fluttershy frantically asked as Twilight sat there swaying back and forth. A dull blank look on the princess’s face.
“Oh don’t worry. I only shifted the memory of her meeting my sister. It’s temporary.” Kazuya shifted back into his pony persona. “She’ll be like this for a while. Why don’t I leave my wolves here and show you the improvements I made to your cabin.”
Autumn sighed and watched as the pair walked off. She watched as Twilight stood there before finally coming too and dashing off to meet her friends. No doubt as her brother instructed in her mind. A smile crossed her face as she watched the princess leave.
Turning around Autumn walked through the forest. Her head hung low as she thought about her life. She avoided talking to the princess, always making one excuse after another as her adopted parents constantly berated her for it. Family was family, and should never be avoided. As they reminded her ever since Twilight was made into an alicorn.
She had watched her sister’s family grow from one generation into the next. True she had kept up with them until the age of Grogar. It was then her father and grandfather decreed that the ponies should stand of fall on their own. She never violated that, she agreed that the ponies of three tribes should grow up. So she became a silent watchful guardian through the ages.
As she neared the one open grove her father frequented during this time, she stepped on through and heard her father’s voice. His words tore at her, she knew what he wanted. In truth, she wanted it herself. The constant cycle of rebirth had taken it’s toll on them all. It was fun at first, but the fun was gone and all that was left, was the pain it left on them.
“Hello daddy.” Autumn smiled as her eyes met his. She watched him smile, she could always bring a smile to his face. And like a foal ran into his open arms. Like always he wrapped his front legs around her and held her tight.
Kohaku and Autumn watched as the sun drifted through the sky. Slowly settling down on the western horizon.
“Have you finally made up your mind?”
Autumn felt the tone in his voice. He was upset that she still hadn’t mustered the courage to talk to the alicorn princess. She had mulled over this whole situation for a week since watching her reborn mother ascend as an alicorn. Nodding slowly she rested her head down on her forelegs
“Yes, I’m going to talk to her. With all of this happening, I can’t avoid her any longer. And I was a fool to wait this long.” She looked at her father who only nodded. “What about you? Are you going to tell her now?”
Kohaku sighed and lowered his gaze from the sunset. As the coolness of night drifted over him. His markings began to glow in the light of the full moon. “Not as if I have a choice any longer. Alex’s intervention has made my and your mother’s desires worthless.”
Smirking Autumn leaned up. “And what would that have accomplished? Yes it would have ended the cycle but…” Sucking her breath inward, Autumn felt her tears welling up. Looking at her godfather, she saw how heavily his shoulders were and how low he hung his head.
“Don’t worry about me Autumn, I’ll be fine. There’s still enough life left in these old bones.” Kohaku put a paw finger on his daughters lips, silencing any and all rebuttals she was about to say. “Who knows, it might be fun telling an alicorn version of your mother all about herself.” Keeping his eyes closed the old fox smiled. The fun and excitement of this had long since abandoned him. And not even her being an alicorn could rekindle it. “You go. Talk to Twilight. She needs to know her family history, to better understand Pearl.”
“But...” Autumn pushed her fathers paw away as he vanished into the shadow of the trees. Puffing up her lips she huffed and stamped her hooves hard. Much like her mothers, she hated when he did that. Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself. Autumn focused on where she wanted to go and teleported. Praying to not making a huge spectacle of herself.
Pearl sat at a lone table as she stared intently at a cube of wood. Her face getting puffy as she scrunched her face up. Her horn flickering slowly, magic creeping up all five colors to the tip. As it sparked.
“Teacup!” she shouted as magic sparkles exploded about the room. Falling back onto her rump she heard Twilight laughing. “Gahhh, did I do it this time?” She groaned as she struggled to get back up only to see a block of wood still. “Why can’t I do this. I can levitate things but this.. I’m never going to be a good spellcaster.”
“I said those same words, or something close, when I got my wings.” Twilight helped Pearl up and brushed her off. The two sharing a brief glimpse into each other’s eyes before quickly turning their heads. “Anyway, don’t worry. You’ll get this it just takes time.”
“If you say so,” Pearl sighed as she tried to forget just how beautiful Twilight’s eyes were. And the thoughts she had looking into them.
“So have you gone to show Kohaku your new form?” Twilight watched as Pearl shook her head.
“I haven't had the time. Mother and Father were so shocked it took me a week to convince them I was me and I hadn’t changed. After that I kinda dropped the bomb on them that i was a Dragon Princess of sorts. Even if I don’t want that title. Not after seeing how much work it is.” Pearl chuckled.
“And you know he was there. Who else would it have been snorting and growling from his woods?” Pearl smirked.
“That’s true.” Twilight smiled. “And being a Princess isn’t all that bad. There is some good to it all. Just think of all the perks. Even Spike had a go at experiencing them.”
“Yeah no, I don't want the responsibility. But I think I will go visit him. He seems to have been kinda down lately. I can’t put my hoof on it but something seems to be off about him.” Pearl looked out the window at the forest, her hoof fiddling with the pendant around her neck. “And just who was that mare with him?”
Twilight blinked. “What mare?”
“Oh common you saw her. The one sitting next to him at my transformation. I couldn’t see her all that well but she appeared to be a unicorn. And was tall. The rest was kinda hidden by shadows so I didn’t see the rest.”
Twilight blinked as she felt a stinging feeling in her head. Rubbing her temples she felt like she was forgetting something.
“Hey Twilight, you okay?” Pearl took a step forward and tilted her head.
“I’m fine. I’m just thinking back to everything Alexstraza said that day. I feel like i’m missing something but not sure what.”
“Well it might not be that important if you can’t remember.” Twilight nodded slowly in agreement. “I think I’ll go hang out with Summer. And Kohaku if he isn’t busy.”
“Well try and have some fun. We’ll start your magic lessons again later.” Twilight chuckled at the huffeed faced Pearl made before gripping her pendant.
“I swear, you drop me in another duck pond…” Twilight heard Pearl whisper just before popping away.
Taking her hoof she lifted up her own pendant and stared at it. It was impossibly old yet was in the same shape as her cutie mark. Yes the Tree of Harmony also bore it but this felt so much more ancient. Brushing her other hoof across the face she saw the tarnish lightly come off the gemstone and saw it glitter a dark purple. Far darker then her own coat, stars sparkling about it.
Staring intently, the sound of several heavy thuds outside her door broke her concentration. “Hello? What’s going on?”
Silence filled the room as not even her guards answered her. Getting up the room, not just the room but the whole castle felt eerily quiet. Moving toward the door she flung it open with her magic only to see two of her star guards fall flat on the ground unconscious. Leaning in she felt for their pulses only to hear one mumble about Pipp Petals latest album while the other started to snore loudly.
“Okay. what just happened?” Taking a breath, the princess galloped to the find her friends. Finding each one fast asleep. Shaking her head she called out and searched everywhere she could. But everywhere she went all she found were sleeping ponies. Upon reaching the princess’s rooms she opened the door. Celestia at her table face down in her afternoon cake. Luna snoring while flat on her back, having fallen out of her chair, a pot of tea spilled all over her floof.
“Luna, Celestia. Wake up. Something’s wrong.” Twilight shook the old princess’s but to no avail. Feeling her heartbeat up she looked outside. Ponies all over the courtyard were passed out. Closing her eyes she extended her aura and felt the presence of magic more powerful the she had ever felt before.
“Somepony is going to pay for this.” Following the presence of magic she halted at the doors to her throne room. “I swear if this is a joke from ether Kohaku or Discord I'm going to put both of them out of commission.” forcing the double doors wide open Twilight’s eyes widened and almost felt her heart stop.
Sitting at the foot of her throne was an Alicorn larger then any she had ever seen in her life. She was almost Kohaku’s size. The color of her coat was a light shade of violet but beneath that coat she saw shades of forest green littered with shades of autumn leaves. Her wings with their pure white feathers held close to her form. Her blazing crimson red hair with that one streak of dark midnight blue, highlighted by seafoam green, framing her sweet face. But it was those eyes that held her attention. Brilliant emerald and sparkling with years of knowledge and wide eyed innocence.
“I know you…” Twilight felt the pain in her head sharpen as she felt the soft touch of a hoof to her forehead. Looking up she saw the Alicorn standing in front of her now. She only experienced such swift silence from Kohaku. Especially on these marble floors.
“Give it a moment, it takes a time for memory spells to fade away and your true memories to come back.” Twilight gasped as she heard Pearl’s voice come from this massive mare. But the tone and certainty were so much like her own.
“You… YOU!” Twilight gasped as she took a step back. “You were there at the sanctuary.” The large mare nodded slowly.
“I’m Autumn, and I've been dreading this moment for five hundred years.”
“Uh, huh?” Twilight looked about, all the guards in the throne room were asleep, just like everyone else. Her friends were asleep, the princess’s were asleep. For all she knew the whole city of Canterlot was asleep. She was alone with this mare, this alicorn she never knew existed.
“Hello Twilight. I am Autumn Sparkle Rose. And I am your great aunt from thirty thousand years ago. We have to talk about our family history.” Autumn blinked as she saw Twilight faint dead away. “Well she took that better then I thought she would.”