//------------------------------//
// Meeting With the Queen 
// Story: The Return of Unicornia 
// by StormLuna 
//------------------------------//

After waiting for five minutes, Morning Star returned with a large lilac coated Alicorn.  She stood taller than Princess Celestia, she had a wavy mane and tail and had a crown with a gem in it that resembled her cutie mark.  When she saw Twilight and her friends with Evening Star, she spread her wings wide and flared up her horn before addressing them, "So, my guard tells me that the six of you were sent here by Princess Celestia, correct?"

The fact that she flared up her horn unnerved them but Twilight would be quick to respond, "Yes, we were.  She said that Unicornia returned and wanted us to convince you to reverse....." 

Starlight immediately cut her off, "You mean she sent you here to try and tell me how I should run things in MY country, correct?"

Twilight shied back a bit, "Well yeah, it is just that...." 

Starlight screamed at her, "It figures, she never did approve of what I did to protect the mares here."  She paused before approaching Twilight and taking a closer look at her.  She continued, "I see you're an Alicorn, I take it you are a princess of some sort?"

Twilight replied, "Yes, my name is Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship." 

Starlight then identified herself in return, "My name is Starlight Glimmer, Queen of Unicornia but you can just call me Starlight.  I'm not a fan of formalities."  She paused before asking, "And who are these ponies with you?"

Twilight replied, "Well the orange earth pony is Applejack, the pink earth pony is Pinkie Pie, the unicorn is Rarity, the yellow pegasus is Fluttershy and the blue pegasus is Rainbow Dash." 

Starlight asked, "Ok but what I would like to know is how you got here.  That dome is supposed to keep outsiders where they belong, out." 

Applejack spoke up, "Well when we touched it we all got shocked so we wound up tunneling under....." 

"Ugh, if I had the gift of foresight I would have cast a spell to keep outsiders from being able to tunnel under it."  She paused before approaching them closer and getting much too close for any of their liking.  When she saw their looks of disapproval she asked, "You six don't have the Elements of Harmony on you, do you?"

Twilight replied, "No we don't.  We wanted to retrieve them from the Tree of Harmony and use them to make you reverse those spells but when Celestia sent us here, she told us that we are not to harm you."  She saw the angry look on Starlight's face begin to lessen prompting her to continue, "When she brought up Unicornia returning, she seemed really sad when she spoke of you." 

Starlight was shocked by her statement, "Seriously?  After how she and Luna wanted to use those cursed things against me so long ago she is now not wanting me to be harmed?"

"She doesn't but I want to know something.  Princess Celestia said something about you two having a mother/daughter relationship and then you studying a lot so you could take Equestria for yourself but why?"

Starlight mumbled, "It is something you would never understand, none of you."  

Fluttershy then spoke up, "Why don't you think we'd understand?" 

Starlight held her head low and began to behave sadly, "I highly doubt any of you have ever had one of the individuals you loved the most take away the other individual you loved most." 

There was something odd about what Starlight said and it piqued Twilight's curiosity, "You said loved, who are you talking about?  Was your relationship with Celestia that strong?  Were you two that close of a mentor and protege?"

Starlight sighed sadly, "She wasn't my mentor, she is my mother."

Twilight and her friends gasped in shock.  Never did they imagine that Princess Celestia had a daughter.  Twilight was the one who was most curious about this, "You're her daughter?"  Starlight nodded and Twilight continued, "She never told us that you were her daughter." 

Starlight became frustrated again, "She probably didn't because she is ashamed of me for what I did, she is probably upset because I was mad over what her and Aunt Luna did to my father, the lone male I actually trusted.  He was the lone male who was actually there for me until....until."  Starlight then began to cry, "Until he started causing problems for everypony, problems that made their lives miserable." 

At that moment things became much more clear for Twilight.  From what Starlight was telling her and given the timeline Celestia gave her regarding how long ago it was Unicornia disappeared, she knew who Starlight's father was.  She asked, "Discord I take it?"

Starlight nodded, "Mhmm...."  She paused before continuing, "And...and mom would never let me talk to him to try to get him to stop it.  I begged her and begged her to let me talk to him about it but she wouldn't let me."  She then let out an ear splitting screech, "But her and Aunt Luna just had to use the Elements of Harmony on him when I probably could have got him to stop causing so much chaos." 

Twilight countered, "But Celestia said that she should have had you talk...." 

Starlight flared up her horn and screamed, "She lied to you!  She always lied to cover her own tracks and after that I hated her, I absolutely hated her!"  

Twilight wasn't sure what to believe when she heard this.  Celestia had always been so honest with her and this did not sound like the Celestia she knew but at the same time the raw emotion Starlight was showing was causing her to wonder what was really going on.  She wasn't the only one who was curious about it.  The whole situation with Discord was what made Fluttershy wonder too. 

"Uhm Starlight, I take it you're talking about Discord being turned to stone?"

Starlight nodded, "It was that.  It wasn't long after that when I was jumped by a couple of colts and the worst my mom did was throw them in the dungeon for a year when my dad would have tossed them into limbo!  I feel like my mom didn't even care." 

Applejack then spoke up, "Ah take it that is when you decided to study so much you could learn enough magic to take Equestria as your own?" 

Starlight had calmed down some by that point, "Yes.  I figured that if I took over, I could free my dad and rule Equestria my way.  I figured that Equestria deserved better than a liar who kept her daughter from spending time with her dad."

Twilight then remembered about Celestia bringing up how she gave Starlight control over territory, "Celestia told us you wanted to rule and Celestia said that is why she gave you territory.  She told us that the territory she gave you was inhabited solely by unicorns since you only trusted them but why did you transform all the stallions into mares?  Those unicorn stallions did nothing to you or to anypony else!" 

Starlight did not take to her comment kindly.  She flared up her horn in anger and yelled, "Still they were stallions and colts and it was colts who jumped me!  I know what it was they wanted and chances are any and all stallions are the same so ridding Unicornia of such threats was the only option!"

While Rarity was not sure of how her friends would react to this she took a chance and stated, "But Starlight, you seem to hold unicorns in a much higher regard.  Do you think that unicorn colts and stallions would do such a thing?"

Starlight sat there deep in thought for a good minute before replying, "Maybe they would, maybe they wouldn't.  Unicorns are the race that doesn't engage in such behavior......" 

Applejack yelled, "Hey, my brother is an earth pony and he would never do such things." 

Starlight sighed, "Ok, maybe not all non-unicorn stallions are bad but still." 

Rarity then decided to bring up one downfall of the lack of stallions, "I know you have these concerns but Starlight darling, how are new fillies supposed to be born without stallions?  It isn't like mares and other mares can reproduce." 

Starlight mumbled, "When you have my magical abilities, anything is possible."  She then spoke more clearly, "If they want to have foals, they will come to me so I can cast fertility spells on them." 

Twilight was shocked that a pony could have such abilities but then remembered what she said immediately before that.  She asked, "You bring up your magical abilities and anything being possible, what all can you do?"

Starlight gave them a smirk, "Anything I want.  I could tear open the fabric of reality and toss all of you into limbo if I desired."  She then flared up her horn and proceeded to tear a hole in the fabric of reality.  She saw the six develop looks of horror on their faces before sewing it shut.  She then got a smile on her face before adding, "Or I can do things more harmless, things that are fun!" 

She flared up her horn and created some fish that could swim through the air before creating some flying pigs.  She noticed that their looks of fear had changed to looks of shock.  She then continued, "I got my dad's chaos magic but being a pony, I had to learn it.  I couldn't just do it without studying."  She then became agitated again, "And it was my dad teaching me chaos magic that caused my mom to turn on him and for him to start making life miserable for ponies across Equestria."  

Applejack commented, "Celestia said your dad wasn't a big part of yer life but it seemed like he was." 

Starlight became angry, "She what?  She told you that he wasn't a big part of my life?  Well until she saw to it that he wasn't a big part of my life, he cared about me a lot.  He loved me like any other dad would!"  She paused before screeching, "You know what, he even called me his little princess!" 

The six were in a state of shock but it was Twilight who was the most shocked.  She wasn't sure whether or not Starlight was really speaking the truth because this did not sound like the Celestia or Discord that she knew.  Twilight said, "Look, Princess Celestia has always been honest to me about everything and none of this sounds like something she would do."

Rarity added, "Starlight darling, I'm having trouble believing you about Discord.  He doesn't exactly seem like the fatherly type." 

Starlight flared her horn up in anger and despite being scared, Fluttershy came to her defense.  "Girls, he may not seem like the fatherly type now but we didn't know him back then.  He could have been completely different."  She then turned to Starlight and added, "Starlight I am Discord's closest friend and I do believe you.  He may not be close to many ponies but those that he is, he cares about a lot." 

Rainbow countered, "But Fluttershy, he joined forces with Tirek not that long ago and imprisoned us in a cage so Tirek could absorb all our magic!"

Starlight was stunned when she heard this.  She knew about how evil Tirek was and even met his brother when she was a filly.  She gasped, "Really?  My dad did that?"  She then became frustrated, "Ugh, I really wish I could talk to both my parents and talk to them about everything but my dad is encased in stone......" 

Twilight interrupted, "Starlight, Discord is free.  Celestia had us use the Elements to free him." 

Starlight's ears perked up when she heard this.  She was thrilled that her dad was free but this would also give her a chance to reunite with her parents and question both of them about everything.  While she doubted Twilight's trustworthiness from everything she had said one part of her did believe her.  She asked, "Twilight, I know you are very close to my mom so could you have her come here?"  She then turned to Fluttershy and asked, "And could you get my dad to come here?"

Fluttershy gave her a huge smile, "I can!  All I have to do is summon him!"  She then began to yell Discord fully expecting him to immediately pop in the throne room.

After she did this several times Starlight stopped her.  She said, "Fluttershy, that won't work.  I cast a spell on that dome to not only stop outsiders from walking in but also to prevent them from using magic to get inside." 

The six gasped in shock but Twilight was the most shocked.  She asked, "Really?  Your magic is so strong that you can create a barrier to keep Discord out?  I thought that would be impossible." 

Starlight gave her a slight smile, "Like I said, when you have my level of magic, anything is possible."  She paused before adding, "Can I ask the six of you a favor?"

Twilight had a nervous look on her face but had a very strong feeling as to what it was.  She asked in return, "You want us to bring your parents here, don't you?"

Starlight nodded, "If you could, it would mean the world to me."  She paused before adding, "Tell you what, if you bring them to me I will undo that spell I cast on the stallions."  She again paused before finishing, "And if you could bring my Aunt Luna too, that would be great." 

Twilight and her friends weren't sure if she was telling the truth given what Celestia had told them.  Applejack asked, "Are you being truthful?  Are you sure you won't refuse to return them to being stallions after we bring them here?"

Starlight sighed, "Look, bring them here and let me talk to them alright.  Once I have talked to them and got the answers I want I will cast the spell before you leave, alright?"

Rainbow commented, "Alright but still, how will we get back in?  I doubt Celestia, Luna and Discord will be able to get through that tunnel....." 

Starlight cut her off, "Tell you what, I'll cast a spell that will allow my dad to teleport all of you in here but once you're back here, I'll restore it until you're all ready to leave again."  She then teleported the six to the northern edge of Unicornia and then fired some energy at the barrier.  She added, "There, now return to the Castle of the Two Sisters, summon my dad and have him bring all of you here so we can talk."

Twilight replied, "Starlight, the castle your mom called home is in ruins.  Celestia and Luna live in Canterlot now." 

Canterlot was a place that Starlight had no clue existed given how long ago it was she disappeared but paid no attention to the Canterlot comment.  She sighed, "Whatever.  Now go and bring them here and after our talk, I will restore those I cast the spells on to being stallions."  She paused before adding, "That and cast a massive memory spell on them all so they'll have no memory of this."

The six gasped over the comment and Rainbow was opposed to it, "What?  You're going to make them forget about your 'all mare' spell?  You don't want them knowing what you did so you can apologize to them?"

Starlight tore a hole in the fabric of reality and firmly stated, "No I do not wanting them knowing.  Now unless you want to wind up in limbo, you will not challenge me on what my plans are regarding the spells I cast and how I run my country." 

The six shied back in horror before Rainbow gulped, "Ok, I understand." 

Starlight sewed the hole shut and cast a spell on the dome so magic could be used to get in and out and ordered, "Now go.  The sooner we get this done the sooner I will return those stallions back to their natural form." 

Twilight nodded, grabbed her friends in her aura and teleported them to the other side.  Once they were outside of Unicornia Twilight had a look of shock on her face.  Fluttershy was the first to notice this, "Twilight, do you think she is telling the truth about Celestia and Discord?"

Rarity added, "Twilight darling, do you really think Princess Celestia would hide all of this from you?"

Twilight replied, "I really don't want to believe Starlight but I suppose we will find out when we approach her over this."  She paused and turned to Fluttershy, "Can you summon Discord and then have him teleport us to Canterlot?  It will make all of this much quicker." 

Fluttershy nodded and yelled, "Discord!" 

Immediately a bright flash of light appeared and there was Discord.  Discord looked at where they were and noticed the barrier and  had a shocked look on his face before asking, "Fluttershy, what are you all doing here?"

Fluttershy asked in return, "Discord, could you take us to Canterlot?  We really need to speak to Celestia."

Twilight added, "The pony who rules the land inside that dome wants to speak to her, well both of you to be exact."  She paused before adding, "And I want to know some things too.  I want to know if what Queen Starlight is saying is true about the pasts of both of you."

Discord gasped, "Queen Starlight, you mean as in Starlight Glimmer?"

Twilight nodded, "Yes.  She did some very bad things but she won't undo them unless you and Celestia talk to her about all this."  She paused before adding, "And I have my own questions for both of you, things that Celestia hid from me."  She paused before sadly finishing, "And I never imagined she would hide anything from me." 

Fluttershy added, "And I never thought you'd hide anything from your first friend!" 

Discord remembered how strong Starlight's magic was right before he was encased in stone and figured that something had to have happened for her to become a queen but decided to wait to bring it up until they all met with Celestia.  Like Twilight, he also wondered what she was hiding.  With a snap of his claw, the seven disappeared in a flash of light.