//------------------------------// // 6 - My Mother Told Me // Story: Memories of the Past // by Valtyrian //------------------------------// Twilight moaned as she steaded herself. Looking around she found herself in the throne room of Canterlot. Sitting in front of her throne was the massive eight hoof tall Alicorn. Leaning back on one hoof, she taped against her crossed lower legs lightly in tune to the song she was singing. Once the unfamiliar alicorn had finished she turned and smiled. “Well, look who finally woke up. Sorry, I didn’t mean to shock you so much. Would you be more comfortable if I wasn’t so imposing?” Twilight blinked as the tall mare shifted until she was the same height as herself. “I sometimes forget that my height can be rather shocking for some to take in all at once. I try to keep to a regular pony size while out and about but around family… I like to stay as myself.” “This isn’t making any sense, you can’t be an alicorn. The only alicorns in existence besides myself are the Princess’s Luna and Celestia, my sister in law Cadence and niece Flurry.” Twilight stood up and huffed. “And even if you are what you claim to be, how is it nobody has heard of you before?” “Well your right that the only known alicorns are the ones you’ve mentioned. But your wrong in thinking i’m not one of you. Because I am. I was born an alicorn just like my two elder sisters, but this was long before your recorded history.” Autumn sighed. “How about something to eat. I found this wonderful pastry shop not far from here. They serve the most delectable cakes and pies.” Taking a deep breath Twilight moved to her throne and sat down to get comfortable. Her mind was reeling from this. She looked at the alicorn before her. “Lets start this again. Will you answer my questions?” Twilight did her best to put on her royal persona but the shock of the situation continued to make her nervous. “That’s why I’m here Twilight. So much as come to your attention. What with Father now being known to you. Mother as well.” Autumn sighed deeply as she popped a pastry into her mouth. “And then there’s Pearl. That stupid little annoying ‘war’ brought things out far ealier then they should have been. And her ascension to Alicorn by Tiamat has forced my hooves.” Autumn looked at Twilight who stared at her with a blank expression. “We’ll get to that later, First of all who are you?” “I am Autumn Sparkle Rose. As I mentioned to you before you passed out a half hour ago. I am the last born child of Pearl Rose and Midnight Sparkle” Twilight’s eyes widened as she pushed back into her throne. “Your Pearl’s daughter?” Autumn nodded slowly. “And Midnight. That’s a rather common name in my family. Which one was it?” “Well it is common, there have been twelve Midnight’s that you know of down your mother’s birth line. And one that you don’t. The Midnight i’m talking about is the original. Back in mom’s original life, well before her cycle of rebirth.” Twilight raised an eyebrow at the bitterness when the rebirth cycle had been brought up. “Okay. I have to know another thing, why did you put my castle to sleep?” “OH I thought that would be obvious. So we wouldn’t be disturbed.” Autumn smiled pleasantly. “And for that you put this castle into slumber?” Shaking her head Autumn giggled. “The castle? No I put all of Canterlot into a deep slumber. They’ll wake by tomorrow morning ready to start a fresh new day. I already set in motion your device for raising and lowering the sun and moon. So don’t worry about it.” “That level of magic, even I can’t pull something like that off. How…” Autumn’s raised hoof silenced Twilight easily. “My mana pool and knowledge of magic is far greater then your own. It should be after nearly thirty thousand years of study.” Twilight looked at the stained glass window depicting her own ascension to alicorn. “Relax, you’ll get to this level eventually. After all you do bear the talent of my elder sister Winter. She was quite gifted in magical abilities.” “Your sister? Where is she now? Would it be possible to learn from her?” Twilight bit back her question the second she saw the shadowed look on Autumn’s face. “She died a long time go. I’m the last of my siblings.” Twilight’s ears fell as she looked at Autumn. “I’m sorry,” “Don’t be, she lived a full life and had many daughters and a few son’s” Autumn smiled pleasantly. The thought of her nieces and nephews banishing the thoughts of loss. “I’ve kinda made it my hobby to keep track of my nieces and nephews through out history. From the first born of my big sister Summer, all the way down to you and little Flurry. Who by the way is just adorable. Her crystaling was just the most wonderful thing I saw.” “You were there? How?” “Like this.” And with smile, and the blink of an eye her wings shattered in a flurry of feathers, once they fell and vanished she was sportingly only a unicorn horn. “It’s a unique ability for Alicorns to take the form of one of the three tribes.” “... huh?” Twilight felt her brain halt. What this mare was doing was beyond anything she thought possible. Once she shook her head a few times and rubbed her eyes, Twilight leaned forward. “I have so many questions, even more than before. How is it I don’t know about you, or your sisters. If you are family like you claim, why haven't I heard of you? Our family has kept impeccable records of our family tree. All the way back to the ancient unicorn kingdom, there was no mention, ever, of us being descended of princess’s.” “Well first off Alicorns are not originally princess’s. We were sages and teachers. Ponies only assume we are because of when Celestia and Luna were born to the unicorn royal family. By then it became tradition. And until them we were not immortal. That’s something new, cruel but understandable.” Autumn shook her head slowly. “As for our family, your own family tree wasn’t written down until after the age of Grogar when all history was forbidden. We go back thousands on thousands of years prior to that.” “I think i’m starting to understand a little. But how is it your alive if Alicorns from then arn’t immortal?” “My Immortality comes from my godparents. Kohaku and his mate Tsunami Rose. you know them as Forestsong and Summer.” Twilight’s eyes widened as she was thankful she was seated. “There was something wrong with my birth, my mothers were distraught. But my godparents gave me apart of themselves, which changed me. And one of those changes was their own immortal lifespan.” “As for why I’m here now.” Autumn sighed. “I’ve been dreading this moment. I never knew how to handel it. You see I never before showed myself to my nieces and nephews. But when you stepped into your bloodline heritage by becoming an alicorn, I just couldn’t.” Autumn moved over and placed a hoof on the mirror of Twilight becoming an alicorn. “I was chastised several times by my mother Pearl five hundred years ago for not coming to you the day you became ruler of Equestria. I should have, but I was scared I guess.” Autumn continued. “But now I have no excuses. If I didn’t do this. Alexstrasza would. And it’s better to discuss family history with family.” Her eyes focused on Twilight tenderly. “I am your aunt, so lets just use that. I’m not going to be adding greats to that as we would be here for the next few days. I miss my sisters so much, and I see so much of my mother Midnight and my big sister Winter in you.” Autumn turned and looked at Twilight. Twilight gulped as she saw the deep tenderness in those watery eyes. The same eyes her mother looked at her with. “I have watched you throughout your whole life. And I can say one thing above all others.” Autumn walked over and placed a hoof on Twilight’s. “I am very proud of you my niece.” Tears falling from Autumn's eyes as her body trembled. “I hope you can forgive me for not showing myself earlier.” Twilight smiled as she looked into Autumn’s eyes. Before her head could comprehend why, Twilight hugged Autumn tight. A hug that was returned. “Of course I can Aunt Autumn.” Once the two separated the mares sported slightly identical awkward looks but soon laughed about it. “You wouldn’t by chance like to teach me about all the family history I don’t know?” “You got a few thousand years?'' Both mares laughed together but Autumn stoped and lifted her head and looked up. “I think we should move. About ten feet to the left.” Twilight quirked an eyebrow. “Why?” “Because you have a visiter about to drop in.” Autumn griped her nieces hoof and pulled her away from the throne. Moments later the sound of the canterlot roof collapsed as a massive red dragon crashed landed into Twilight’s throne. Twilight gasped as she saw it was Alexestraza, sporting many large bruises along her body. Looking up Autumn sighed as she saw the shadowy visage of her mother floating in the sky. Her eyes shimmering like a tsunami in the light of the moon and knew it meant one thing. “What is that?” Twilight looked up and saw the serpentine dot in the sky. “It’s mom, she’s pissed.”