Alfred Wight in Equestria

by rem-dog

Prologue: Another Aspect of Togetherness

In spite of all that had been said, written, rumored, or nuanced about Twilight Sparkle the unicorn, she actually dreaded the days when she and her faithful assistant Spike re-organized the library. It meant getting up early, a light breakfast (usually she slept through breakfast after pulling constant late-nighters), and then straight to the stacks, pulling every tome out and rearranging the books until they were all in perfect order. While she did this, she would have Spike ply his feather duster to the shelves, sopping up every stray speck of dust and ash, much to Twilight’s satisfaction. Nothing like a well-kept book, she would muse to herself. If I keep these books in good condition, they’ll last for decades, perhaps even centuries! To be honest, it was the simple things in life that helped Twilight Sparkle carry on.

Even so, Golden Oaks Library had an impressive collection for its small size, and as such required constant maintenance, much to Twilight’s chagrin. After all, she was just one mare with a baby dragon assistant. The amount of time devoted to the maintenance was truly taxing upon her true passion and calling: that of study, research, and knowledge. She loved it, every aspect of learning, and as such, her hum-drum routine on the maintenance days truly held no joy for her. Thus it was that she had worked herself into a kind of trance, mechanically re-ordering the books before her. A noise from upstairs shocked her back to matters of consequence.

Thud!

“Twilight! Come help me, quick!”

Spike was calling, or rather, urgently imploring the librarian. Twilight was not sure what was going on upstairs, but she was sure Spike had gotten himself into quite the fix by the urgency she read in his voice.

“Coming, Spike!” She hoped she wouldn’t lose her place in the reorganization, but her dragon baby brother needed her help right now.

She found Spike hanging from the top shelf of the Ponyville municipal records section, his claws gripping the top of the shelf, his feet kicking and scrambling for purchase. In the act the dragon had accidentally kicked a thick volume of Ponyville Births: AC 976-982 off of the shelf below him onto the floor. Twilight enveloped Spike in her magical aura, allowing him to release the shelf and float slowly down back to terra firma, where he dusted himself off.

“Thanks, Twilight; sorry I kicked that book down. Is it damaged?”

“No, Spike, it doesn’t appear to be. You need to be more careful. What if I weren’t here to catch you? You could get hurt!” Twilight frowned at her number one assistant. Spike put on his best sheepish face.

“You’re right, Twilight, I’m sorry.” He looked at the ground while he said this. He then noticed the book he upset off of the shelf. “Hey, look at that! That must be Applejack!”

The dropped book was wide open, the left page having a copy of an official birth certificate, the facing page with a picture of two beaming parents and a very young Big Macintosh standing and smiling at a camera in front of the gate to Sweet Apple Acres. The newborn Applejack had piercing blue eyes and a contented smile, nestled in her mother’s fore hooves. Twilight felt a slight twinge in her heart for the sake of her friend, who had lost her parents. But, she reminded herself, at least she had several good long years of comfort and love from them before they were taken. The look on the baby Applejack’s face told Twilight that Applejack knew she was loved from day one. At least that couldn’t be taken from her.

“What is this book, Twilight? I’ve never looked in it before,” Spike asked.

“This is an official record of all the births in the Ponyville Municipal District, listed chronologically. See? If you turn the page, there’s the birth certificate of Pokey Pierce, and a picture of him, as well. He was quite a cute baby, I think. But then again, it’s hard to find an ugly foal…” Twilight answered.

Spike’s eyes widened. “Who else of our friends are in here?” Spike hoped to find a picture of Rarity as a baby, since he knew for certain that the most beautiful mare in the world had to have been the most beautiful foal in the world. He then started thumbing through the book at breakneck speed.

“Well, let me think…” Twilight put a hoof to her chin, looking every bit as pensive as diamond dog sculptor Roverdan’s finest work, Quiet! I Thinking! “Applejack and Rarity should definitely be in there. Pinkie might be, but I’m not sure. The rock farm she was raised at might not be in the Ponyville district. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were born in Cloudsdale, and I was born in Canterlot, so we definitely won’t be in there.”

“Umm… Twilight, are you sure? Because that looks like…”

Twilight looked at the page Spike pointed out. On it, a pegasus family stood proudly outside a building that appeared to be in Ponyville. The father looked very proud, grinning from ear to ear, holding the couple’s pegasus foal. Both father and foal had chromatic manes. A quick glance at the birth certificate allayed all suspicion.

“Rainbow Dash!” they said in unison.

“Let me see that book, Spike, I need to check…” Twilight took the book in her aura, downstairs to her lectern. She hooved through to near the beginning of the book, wondering if her suspicions were true.

“Fluttershy is the oldest of us, so she should be nearer the front.” Sure enough, she found a picture of Fluttershy and her family, standing in front of the same building as Rainbow Dash’s family.

“This is weird, Spike. I honestly thought Rainbow and Fluttershy were born in Cloudsdale. I wonder…” She turned the pages more urgently, wondering if she would find what she suspected to find.

And There it was. Just past Rainbow Dash’s entry, there was a light blue unicorn with lavender striped white mane and tail. Beside her stood another blue unicorn with a darker shade of blue for a mane. If that didn’t cement the tableau, a young white unicorn colt with blue mane smiled at the camera, as well.

Twilight Sparkle was rendered speechless.

Over the next day, she poured over the six pages of the record book, studying every aspect of the birth certificates. After she basically memorized every entry in the certificates she noticed one aspect that was common in all of them: the delivering doctor. Who was this pony, and why was it significant that he delivered all of us? She returned to this question over and over again. Who was J.A. Wight, MRCVS? She finally decided that the only pony who would honestly answer her question was Princess Celestia.

That afternoon, book in hoof, Twilight took the evening train from Ponyville to Canterlot. She made her way to the castle, wondering if the Princess would know about this mystery, or if she would evade Twilight’s line of inquiry. It could easily go either way, in Twilight’s estimation. However, her insatiable inquisitiveness would not be easily sated unless she exhausted every possible lead. As Celestia’s prize pupil and as the Element of Magic, she easily gained entry to the throne room. The day court was over, but Princess Luna sat on the throne, presiding over the night court.

“Greetings, Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic!” Luna said with a smile. “What business have you with the night court this fine evening?”

Twilight bowed before the Princess of the Night. “Good evening, Princess, I do not believe I have any pressing business with the court, but I need to know the whereabouts of your sister, The Princess of the Day.” Luna gave a small sigh at this response, but in truth did not begrudge her sister, or Twilight, of any slight.

“You should find her in her chambers at this hour, preparing for bed. If you need any assistance please do not hesitate to ask a guard. Your station grants you immediate access to my sister, day or night. But know that I am here for you as well, dear Twilight.”

“Thank you, your highness, such overwhelming generosity and condescension from the crown is most welcome.” Twilight figured that such a show of reverence before the members of the night court would definitely bolster the Night Princess’s confidence and feelings of self-worth, knowing that such things were precious to Princess Luna.

Luna beamed at her and gestured to a side door, which led to the sisters’ private apartments. Twilight had been there many a time, as a protégé of Princess Celestia, and was a common sight to the castle staff and guard. She made her way to the door of the princess’ chambers and knocked in her own familiar signature way.

A voice came from within: “Twilight? Please come in!”

Twilight entered the chamber and saw the Princess of the Day sitting at her breakfast table, drinking a cup of chamomile tea and reading what Twilight assumed was a daily report of some kind. Celestia wore a translucent nightgown, and had her hair up in a bun, ready for bed.

“I hope I’m not disturbing you, Princess, but by sheer accident I have discovered something odd that has occupied my thoughts these last two days.”

“Not at all, my faithful student,” Celestia smiled, “I was just reading some very boring reports about the wheat futures market from Fillydelphia, and was not really busy. As a matter of fact, you may very well have saved me from a most dull and dreary evening studying stocks.” Celestia and Twilight both laughed at this. “So tell me, Twilight, what has you so disturbed?”

“Just this, Princess…” Twilight proceeded to tell her all about what had occurred over the last two days, and relayed to the princess all her findings.

Celestia listened to Twilight’s story, staying silent, sipping tea, and nodding on occasion. When Twilight finished her story, Celestia put her cup down, and looked at Twilight for some moments. She seemed to come to some conclusion, and then tugged at the rope suspended from the ceiling. In a matter of seconds, an earth pony maid entered and bowed to the princess. Celestia wrote something down on a parchment and handed it to the maid. “Cozy, please take this to the night librarian, and return with the book he gives you. Then, I think you can turn in for the evening."

“Yes, your Highness.” The maid then left.

“I am… surprised to see that you have discovered a truth that has been kept from you for the entirety of your life, Twilight. It’s not a bad truth, mind you, just something that needed to be withheld from you and your friends until the time was right for it to be revealed. I hope you forgive me for keeping the truth from you, but considering how far you’ve come, I hope you can understand my reasons for it.”

Twilight sat for a moment, thinking. She was a very smart mare, and could probably divine why her teacher had deliberately withheld certain information from her. For example, if Celestia had forewarned her of the return of Nightmare Moon, would she have acted in the way required to defeat her, and restore Luna to her proper place? Would she have made friends, and remained friends with them to this day? Twilight knew her answer.

“Of course I forgive you, Princess,” Twilight replied. “If my first days at Ponyville taught me anything, it would be the power of forgiveness.”

“That is good, Twilight, and such a relief,” the princess said, “It truly has been a burden to not be able to reveal all that I know regarding you and the relationship you have with your friends. The books that I have requested for you will tell you most everything you need to know.”

“Thank you, Princess. I’m glad you think I can be trusted with this, now. When I’m done with my research, can I tell the girls of my discoveries?”

“Yes, Twilight, I believe they have every right to know the truth, as do you."

At that moment, Cozy returned, hefting three books in a bag. She set them upon the table, bid the princess and Twilight a good night and left. Twilight looked at the books, bound in thin imitation leather, with no writing on the outside. She opened up the first one and saw hoofwriting.

“Are these..?”

“Yes, Twilight, these are the journals of the finest man I ever knew.”

Twilight looked at them in awe. Then she paused: “Wait a minute. Man!?”