Andromeda sat in her room alone, reviewing the final draft of her work for the tenth time. For several months, every word, formula, and footnote had been analyzed to the most minor detail, but she continued to hover over it. She knew that this kind of obsession was unhealthy, but there was something inside her that compelled her to keep going, like a whisper in the deepest part of her mind.
In the old scrolls that she had found seemingly forever ago, the work of Twilight Sparkle laid before her, daring her to do better and live up to the expectations the world had for the daughter of an Equestrian legend. No matter how hard Andromeda worked to become a respected scientist, it was never enough. In the Academy, many resented her for her relationship with heroes and royalty, and most of her colleagues said that she had only been inducted because of her connections rather than her intelligence and skill. Even her own professors seemed unfair in their criticism of her work, showing little to no lenience in anything she did. It went without saying that she was not a class favorite.
“But it’s almost over,” Andromeda mumbled to herself bitterly as she reviewed her notes. “Once I finish perfecting this time travel spell, they’ll see that I’ve deserved everything I’ve been given.”
Everything in her cried out for this opportunity. She had worked for so long to make a name for herself as an individual, but she began to fear that she had been unfair to her mother. She loved Twilight with all her heart, but the purple mare had a presence to her that demanded attention and respect. It was not an unkind or unloving aura by any means, but there was something about it that Andromeda somehow resented, whatever that unknown attribute might be. With a deep sigh, she leaned back in her chair.
“Andromeda,” a voice said behind her, “we need to talk.”
Andromeda hid her notes as she spun around in a panic to see her mother, who held some papers of her own. As she approached, Twilight’s amethyst eyes continued to scan the pages quickly but carefully, absorbing every scribble. Andromeda knew exactly what they were.
“I found these formulas hidden away in your library,” Twilight said, glancing up from them with a hurt look. “Would you like to explain why you’ve been working on the time travel spell behind my back?”
Andromeda’s heart raced. Somehow she knew this moment would come and had even prepared it to a degree, but it scared her nonetheless. Her ankles trembled slightly while her mom spoke.
“They’re just what-if scenarios, that’s all,” she lied.
Twilight focused her gaze on her even more intently, not faltering for a second. She could see right through it, but said nothing for a few seconds, as if to see if Andromeda would break under the pressure. The young mare stood her ground.
“You know,” Twilight continued, “the first time you showed me the old time travel spell, I thought that it was just something that sparked your curiosity, so I did not make a big deal out of it. When I later discovered that you were actually working on it, I sat you down and told you how hazardous and unstable it was. I told you how I barely made it home and that it nearly took my life. I thought that I had been very clear that I didn’t want you touching this spell ever again. It’s a ticking time bomb that is too volatile to control.”
Andromeda said nothing as she spoke.
“And then I found these notes this morning,” Twilight said, holding up the sheets of paper. “You promised me that you would never work on this again, and I trusted you! I believed that you would make the right decision and put it behind you, but now I see that you lied to me. The dates on some of these papers go back several months while others only a few weeks. What do you have to say?”
“I don’t know,” Andromeda answered with a weak, raspy voice.
“I can’t believe you’d betray my trust like that, but I think the thing that baffles me the most is why you would keep doing this. Why? Don’t you realize that you’re playing with fire? Do you not remember me telling you the horrors I experienced when the spell failed? The things I saw when I tried to do the same thing …”
Twilight stopped herself, regulated her emotion, and restarted.
“When I returned home from my last experiment,” she began after finding her voice again, “I didn’t think I would make it. You were just a tiny foal when it happened, so you couldn’t remember all of this, but I thought that I’d never see you or your father again. I…”
Tears welled up in her eyes.
“I was scared,” she cried. “I was scared that you’d grow up without a mom, and I was terrified that I’d never hear your first words or see you take your first steps!”
Twilight’s sorrow pierced Andromeda’s heart, releasing tears of her own.
“Mom,” she said somberly before Twilight cut her off.
“I thought that I had hid that spell long ago, but there you were… studying it with bright yellow eyes, looking up at me with such a grand excitement that I hadn’t seen in you since you had gotten your cutie mark! It made telling you that I didn’t want you working on it more difficult than you could even realize. Of course, you didn’t follow those instructions, did you?”
“No,” Andromeda whispered with a sniffle.
“For months, you’ve hidden this from me. When I told you how dangerous the old spell was, you ignored me, and now you’re gone behind my back and worked on it again!”
Andromeda’s eyes fell to the ground with guilt, her still tears now streaming down her face.
“I’m sorry.”
“What’s so important that you would lie to your father and me like this? How could you do that to us? Didn’t you believe me when I said this spell was too unstable?”
“But it’s not dangerous! Not anymore! Look at the notes!” Andromeda sobbed. “Look at them! I fixed it, mom! I fixed it!”
Andromeda handed her final work to her mother, who scanned it quickly. Sure enough, Twilight began to see that she was telling the truth. The difference between the old notes that she had found hidden and the newer ones that Andromeda was reviewing was astronomical. Brand new details flew off the pages in an amazing manner. Whatever breakthrough Andromeda had achieved, it wasn’t just some fluke discovery. The implication of what she had just done was off the charts. However, it seemed too good to be true.
“How long ago did you discover this?” Twilight asked.
“About two weeks ago.”
“And have you tested it, yet?”
“Yes.”
Twilight looked up from the notes with a panicked expression.
“How many times?” she asked. “How far back did you travel?”
“Three times. They were all short trips of only a few days.”
Twilight rubbed her eyes in frustration. Part of her was angry and disappointed that her daughter had hidden a dangerous spell from her for so long, while part of her was impressed at the work that she had done.
“Andromeda,” she said reluctantly, “I can see that you’ve accomplished something amazing here, but you still don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. I’m sorry, but you can’t keep working on this.”
Andromeda didn’t know new tears could flow down her cheeks, but they did just that when Twilight said those words.
“I can’t quit now!” she exclaimed. “The spell is already done! Didn’t you look at the notes? I’ve discovered what went wrong! It’s been fixed! I just did something incredible and the only thing you can think of is how it hurt you in the past? You don’t care about me or what I’ve done! You should be proud of me, not mad at me!”
Twilight just stood there a moment to let Andromeda calm down. She knew that she would have to go about this as delicately as possible.
“Andromeda,” she said with genuine softness, “how could you think that? I am so proud of you! I always have been, and what you’ve done is extraordinary! You solved a riddle that even I couldn’t figure out, and I admire that, but without having tested any longer and further time jumps, you can never know for sure just how devastating the consequences could become. There are some risks in science worth taking, and you know that I realize that, but this is not a risk worth gambling. I’m sorry, Andromeda, but as a scientist and as your mother, I cannot allow you to continue.”
In that instant, rage flooded through Andromeda’s veins. Countless hours of work and passion were about to go up in flames, burned by the very one whose shadow consumed her professional career. She couldn’t take it a moment longer.
“You can’t do this to me, mom!” she sobbed. “This is my work! My own work! I was going to submit this to the Academy! Please, just let me submit it!”
Twilight’s heart broke. Everything in her hated seeing her little girl distressed like this, but deep down, she knew that she was protecting her, even if Andromeda didn’t see it.
“I’m sorry,” she replied, “but I can’t. The spell is too unstable to be fixed. I should have destroyed it long ago.”
“Like how you’re destroying my dreams?” Andromeda yelled. “Once again, Andromeda isn’t good enough for the great Twilight Sparkle! She’s just a kid! She doesn’t know what she’s doing!”
“Hey!” Twilight snapped back. “I am your mother and you will not talk to me like that! You got that?”
Andromeda shut her mouth. She was angry, but she was also smart enough to know when not to go nose-to-nose with her mother. Regardless, her cheeks still burned red with anger.
“What’s wrong with you?” Twilight asked in shock. “What have I done to deserve this?”
“Nothing,” Andromeda grumbled, clearly saying what she thought Twilight wanted to hear.
“That’s what I thought,” Twilight replied, taking a deep breath.
Save for the occasional sniffle of Andromeda’s nose, the room became deathly silent. The young purple unicorn stood before her mother with teary sunset eyes and slightly trembling hooves. Whether they now shook from fear or anger, Twilight couldn’t tell.
“This isn’t about you,” Twilight explained. “I can see how much work you’ve put into this and I am unbelievably proud of you, but you should have consulted me about this first. All of your formulas and theories are valid on paper, but this spell is already beyond fixing! You think I’m just being overprotective, but I know from experience that it is a disaster waiting to happen.”
Andromeda shook her head.
“You’re wrong, mom,” she said quietly, but defiantly. “It works now. I have fixed it, but you refuse to believe it. You just look back at it in fear. Please… give me a chance to prove myself! To prove that I did it!”
Twilight looked away gravely.
“I’m sorry, Andromeda, but I just can’t.”
Andromeda’s jaw clenched. She couldn’t believe how unfair her mother was being.
“Fine,” she growled. “Punish me. Ground me! I don’t care! You’ve already punished me enough!”
With one last sniff, she marched out of the room, leaving her mother standing alone.
“Andromeda!” Twilight called out, taking off after her. “Andromeda, you get back here this instant! Andromeda!”
She was already gone. Twilight knew that it was little use trying to chase her down. Instead, she left her to simmer down. Hearing the racket, Orion turned the corner not long after his sister stormed out.
“Why did Andromeda leave?” he asked his mother.
Twilight sighed. Ever since Andromeda had gone to the Academy, she had become more distant than ever before. Twilight worried for her daughter and just wished she would tell her what was really going on, but answers eluded her once again. Glancing at her son, she forced a happy face.
“She just needed to get some fresh air, that’s all. She’ll be back when she has calmed down.”
“Is Andromeda going to be in trouble?” he asked worryingly.
“I don’t know, Orion. Right now, I just want to talk to her, but she seems very sad about something that she’s not telling me about.”
“Will she be back for my birthday party tonight?”
Twilight smiled and gave him a hug.
“Don’t worry. She’ll be back in time for your birthday. In the meantime, I’ll be leaving you and your friends here while your father and I are busy working, so you’ll get to have the whole place to yourself. Do you think you can handle it?”
“Totally!” Orion exclaimed. “I’m old enough!”
“Yes, you are,” Twilight laughed, “but don’t forget that your sister is the one in charge. I told her that your bedtime could be pushed back since it’s your birthday, but no staying up past eleven. I’m trusting you to be responsible, and that means not giving your sister a hard time. You can have fun, but just try not to burn the house down while I’m gone, okay?”
Orion smiled.
“Got it.”
“Oh, and by the way,” Twilight said with a grin, “Your Uncle Spike sent me something that I think you might like.”
‘Uncle Spike.’ That was what the kids called the now very-large dragon. Though he was not related by blood, Spike was just as much a brother to Twilight as Shining Armor.
“Is it my birthday present?” Orion asked, his face lit up with excitement.
“Yes it is.”
“Can I open it early? Pleeease?”
Twilight thought a moment. Seeing that Spike wasn’t going to be there to give it to him personally, she figured why not.
“Alright,” she said with a smile. “Just this one.”
Pulling out a small scroll she had hidden in Andromeda's shelf, she handed it to Orion, who quickly unraveled it. The paper was worn and had a hint of smoky smell to it. No doubt it was dragon breath.
"Dear Orion," the blue-violet colt read aloud, "it's hard to believe how fast you’ve grown, from the little foal I once knew to the smart and kind young colt you are today. I’m sorry that I couldn’t be there on your birthday. I’ve been sent on an important errand for Princess Celestia, so I won’t be back in Ponyville until the day after your party. Since I won’t be there, I’ve asked your mom to give you my present early. I hope you enjoy it. See you soon. Love, Uncle Spike”
Orion kept reading.
“P.S. Tell your perfectionist mom that I know she rewraps my gifts. If the wrapping paper on this one isn’t green, then you’ll know too.”
Orion spun to see the gift that Twilight was now holding. It was wrapped in blue paper.
"He's such a smart aleck," Twilight sighed, shaking her head. “What am I going to do with him?”
Orion giggled, but then felt disappointed that he wouldn’t see Spike.
“It’s too bad he couldn’t come,” he said with a sigh.
"Don't worry about it," Twilight replied. “He'll visit tomorrow. Besides, you wanted tonight be a party with just you and your friends, so even if he were here, he’d only drop by to tell you happy birthday anyway. He wanted you to have your present early, so why don’t you open it instead?”
With a glint in his ruby eyes, Orion rushed to the small present and grabbed it excitedly. Ripping the wrapping paper in eager anticipation, he let out a "whoooah" when he reached the prize. A crystal dagger of vivid beauty glistened in his hoof. It’s sturdy design and small size looked perfect for an adventurer like Orion. Picking it up gently with his magic, he inspected the aquamarine-colored weapon and its excellent craftsmanship.
"Wow," Twilight said, "dragon smithing! This is a very special gift, Orion. Dragons don’t often make weapons, so this is a rare gift.”
“Cool!” Orion exclaimed, his pupils growing even wider.
As he looked at the blade, they seemed hypnotized by it. Its shimmering center seemed to glow in the shining sunlight beaming in through the window. It was the best present ever.
‘But why a sword, Spike?’ Twilight thought to herself as she threw the wrapping paper in the trashcan. ‘He's already a wild thing. I don’t think I can handle a sword-wielding colt! “
Turning to tell Orion to be careful, Twilight’s eyes met an empty spot where he once stood. When she saw that he was no longer in the room, her heart began to panic, and as she ran into the library, she caught sight him swinging the dagger around. He was practicing with it and pretending that he was fighting villains.
"Take that, Chrysalis!" Orion said with a thrust of the blade. "Back to the depths with you, Sombra!"
Spinning around, he raised it and brought it down right into a table. Not noticing that it was behind him, he found that it was too late to stop the force of the blow, and with shocking ease, he cut a gash straight through it.
"Uh-oh," he whispered to himself in both terror and amazement.
Inspecting the table, he could see that he had sliced through it like a knife through butter. No sooner had he touched it, however, did a shadow cover his view of the laceration. A cold chill ran through him.
"That's it!" Twilight said with stern anger. "I knew this wouldn't end well! Give me the dagger, Orion!"
Orion spun around and looked up at his mother hovering above him. Though her face did not show the intensity of rage, her eyes did. He knew that he had really done it this time.
"This is not a toy, Orion!” Twilight scolded as she took it away from him. “This is a dangerous weapon! Look what you’ve done to our table!"
Orion sheepishly obeyed. The sturdy oak table was now ruined thanks to his recklessness. Guilt weighed on him at the sight, but Twilight wasn't finished yet.
"You could have hurt somepony! What if that was your sister? Or your friends? Or you father and I? Have you any idea what would have happened if you did that to any of us? Could you ever forgive yourself?"
"No," Orion whimpered as he stared at the ground.
Twilight groaned at the day she was having with her children. She hated being the ‘big bad mother’ who had to put her hoof down when they did wrong, but they gave her no choice today. Even worse, she had to punish both of them on Orion’s birthday. Andromeda’s case was still to be determined, as it went much deeper than mere disobedience, but fortunately for Twilight, Orion’s situation was more black and white. Though she didn’t want to do it, she could not let such recklessness and damage to their belongings go unpunished. Taking the knife with her, she proceeded to take it to the basement.
"Because you don’t have the common sense to not swing a sharp weapon around in the house, you’re grounded from having this until I say you can again,” she said. “Am I being unreasonable?"
Orion sighed. He knew he did not have the freedom of choosing his own answer.
"No," he mumbled, not really believing what he was saying.
Twilight knew that the answer was forced, but she accepted it anyway.
"As much as this event makes me very worried about leaving you here tonight, you’re lucky that I have very important business to attend to, so I’m still letting you have your birthday party with your friends. Consider yourself lucky.”
"Yes ma'am."
"Good,” Twilight said as she mentally ran through a checklist. “Applejack and the others will be waiting for me, as well as your father. I’ll be back late tonight, so Andromeda is in charge while I’m gone. I’ve already bought food for the party, but if you’re somehow still hungry, there is some leftover lasagna in the fridge.”
“Okay, mom.”
“Oh, and make sure you clear up the plastic plates and cups when you’re done. Don’t worry about the tables and decorations. I’ll take care of that tomorrow.”
“Okay, mom,” Orion said again.
“I know I’m being a micromanager,” Twilight replied, “but I can’t help it. This is your first birthday party without me and I’m just nervous about leaving you alone. Are you sure you’ll be good?”
“Mooooommmm,” Orion whined, “Andromeda’s old enough to be by herself and she’s going to be here all night! I’m not even going to be alone.”
Twilight let out a deep breath.
“You’re right. It’s my fault that I’m leaving and I wish I could be here, but it is very important that I meet up with the others and head to Canterlot right away. I’m not trying to smother you. I just get worried, that’s all. Can you forgive your silly mom for that?”
Twilight looked at him with a soft look of warmth, leaving Orion unable to not smile back.
“It’s fine,” he said.
“Lastly, if anything happens, don’t hesitate to go to Mr. and Mrs. Cake’s house. I’ve let them know that we’ll be out of town, so go to them if there is an emergency. Got it?”
“I’ve got it,” Orion replied.
Twilight smiled, pulled Orion in for a hug, and spoke with a soft voice.
"O stars, and dreams, and gentle night; O night and stars, return."
She stopped and waited for Orion, who looked up and finished the stanza.
"And hide me from the hostile light, that does not warm, but burn;"
‘Stars’ by Emily Bronco* was one of Twilight's favorite poems, and it was a fitting one considering her family’s penchant for astronomical names. Though most ponies thought it was merely a family habit, the poem was actually a password, known only to Twilight and her family. It was a way of asking and telling other family members that everything was alright and that they loved them.
Twilight stood back up and made her way to the front door, saying goodbye to Orion as she opened it. She knew that Andromeda was more than capable enough to handle herself, especially with Bismarck, Tempest, Flora, Radiance, and the Pie twins there to be the older and responsible ones. Still, she couldn’t help but feel anxious about leaving her boy.
“I’ll be back at midnight or so,” she said to herself, trying to calm her mind after she closed the door behind her. “They’ll be fine.”