Flare of The Twilight
By Admiral Q
When Celestia’s sun peaked over the horizon its bright and warm rays awoke Twilight from her sleep. Rubbing her eyes, she looked out the window and a big grin started to appear. Today was the day she had been waiting for. She quickly hopped out of bed, danced and capered out into the hallway, and then down the stairs with cheerful glee as she heads to the kitchen. As soon as she arrives, she hops onto her chair to hear chuckling.
“Well, well, well, somepony’s eager today,” Twilight Velvet stated as she started a breakfast for her family.
“Well, can you blame her honey? This is a big day after all. Our little filly is about to enter The Royal Sister’s School for Gifted Unicorns. That would make anypony giddy,” her father Night Light replied.
Yes, that most prestigious school that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna formed shortly after the event at their summer castle a thousand years ago. No pony fully knows what happens that day, other than the sisters had a bit of a disagreement and damage had been caused to the castle. A few days later, they appeared in public with Celestia declaring to take a break from the Day Court, so only the Night Court was available and even moved many daytime events to nighttime as well. Twilight’s teachers said that the ponies of the time didn’t do much at night back then and that changed when Princess Celestia made these event schedule changes. Celestia’s decisions also inspired pony inventors to first create gas lights and then electric lights for ponies to work and play at night.
But, for Twilight after seeing the Sisters at the Summer Solstice Celebration raise and lower the sun and moon respectively to signal the longest day of the year; Twilight wanted to be able to do that, just as the unicorns of ancient times had done before the arrival of the princesses. To achieve that level of magical skill, she studied hard and her parents surprised her with an application to the school. And today, today was the day of the exam she had to take to get in. A plate with two scrambled egg and dandelion sandwiches with a glass of milk landed in front of Twilight.
“Now eat up dear, you will need your strength for the exam,” her mother said.
And then, a hungry Twilight dug into her yummy food, while not paying attention to the chuckles of her parents. Unknown to Twilight, her parents were already proud of her, of both their kids. Twilight’s older brother was about to graduate with honors from the Guard Academy and becoming a Royal Guard. Twilight was clueless to the happy smiles as she ate her meal.
After breakfast and a little clean up, the three of them headed out for the school. Located next to Canterlot Castle, the primary seat of power for Equestria, the Royal Sisters School of Gifted Unicorns was a complex filled with towers and halls for learning. Twilight started hopping again when the complex came into her sight, much to her parents’ amusement. As the three of them closed in, they saw a certain white unicorn in guard cadet armor.
“SHINY!” Twilight proclaimed, ran up to him, and then hugged her big brother.
“Hey Twily, hows my L.S.B.F.F.?” Her happy smile faded.
“I’m a little scared. What if I screw up and not pass? Or if somepony got hurt or...” A white hoof waving in front of her muzzle stopped her from going further.
“You are over thinking again, Twily. You will do just fine. I wish I could be there, but we have guard drills today. But, I had to let you know that I’m rooting for you.”
Twilight felt better and sighed contently.
“Thanks B.B.B.F.F.” He rubbed her mane causing her to giggle.
“That’s what big brother’s thoughtfulness are there for. Now, I’ve got to return to the grounds, so I’ll see you after you’ve been accepted in Twily.”
With that he headed back to the castle leaving his Twilight with tear filled eyes, tears of joy.
* * * * * *
They entered the school’s ornate main gates and then waited in a stunning lobby till Twilight’s name was called. An Earth pony stallion who introduced himself as Receptionist Cherry Fizzy lead them to a room with a pair of large windows bracketing the chalkboard, a wide checkerboard floor, as rows of desks in stadium style seating faced it. Twilight saw four unicorns behind the last row of seats with stern expressions.
From the door opposite of her, Twilight then saw a smiling Cherry Fizzy pushing a cart with a single, large egg come into the room. The picture on the cart indicated that her assignment was to hatch that egg.
“Now Miss Sparkle, you have fifteen minutes to hatch this egg starting... now.”
Twilight gulped and looked behind her. Her parents were there and they gave big smiles in attempts to encourage her. She turned back the cart, closed her eyes and tried to focus her magic. She heard a fizz and a pop. She opened her eyes and the egg was still there. She then tried several things including bowing to the egg, anything to get it to hatch. Nothing happened. She then tired to focus her magic real hard, but to no avail.
Sadden she sat on her haunches and weakly said. “I’m sorry for wasting your time.”
Twilight’s dreams of becoming a student here were about to shatter, she had failed and just as she was about to cry, a thunderous boom happened. She looked to the window, but before she could see what created that boom a surge of intense magic flowed through her. Her vision was overcome by a bright light before going black.
* * * * * * *
When Twilight came to, she found herself in the same room, but it was all dark. Luna’s moon was full and was the only light illuminating the classroom. She rubbed her head from the fading headache she had. She looked around and saw no pony around.
“Hello?” She asked out load, but after a few minutes she heard nopony. Shivering a bit she went to the door and used her magic to open it.
She didn’t open it; she ripped if off the hinges. In surprise, she dropped the door making a loud noise as she stared at the door in shock. It didn’t take long for hooves to be heard but Twilight didn’t notice them still in shock till she heard a voice.
“Who’s there?” Twilight ran towards the voice.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Twilight wailed and while crying hugged the leg of the new pony. The pony in question was a unicorn stallion, night guard who looked on in surprise before giving a kind smile.
“It’s okay little filly, but what are you doing here? This area of the school has been closed for hours.”
“I was taking an exam when a big boom happened, then there was a bright light, then I found everything dark. Where are my mommy and daddy?” Twilight asked with tear filled eyes.
“It will be okay kid.” Using his magic Twilight was lifted up and onto his back. “I’ll take you to the officer guards and they will be able to get your parents.” Twilight gave a hopeful smile as the guard took her away from the room and hopefully to her parents.
“Hey my brother is training for the Royal Guard.”
“Oh this should make the job easier.”
* * * * * *
Lieutenant Stellar Shield of the Lunar Guard branch of the Royal Guard looked at the filly that came in an hour ago with interest. The filly was a cute little unicorn with a lavender coat, a night theme mane and tail, and that unusual cutie mark of hers. A six pointed magenta star with a white starburst behind it and five smaller white stars orbiting it. And the way she sat there was just adorable. Stellar approached the filly with a cup of hot chocolate.
“Here you go, looks like you need it.” The filly took it in her magic and a sipped it slowly.
“Are my parents coming?”
“We’re still trying to find them Twilight.”
“Lieutenant, please come over here.” A nearby thestral beckon his fellow thestral over. Stellar shook her shoulder before going over.
“Ma’am, we checked the record and we found this.” Stellar grabbed the scroll and then read.
“Twilight Sparkle: unicorn filly, age eight. She has a lavender coat with dark blue mane with purple and pink stripes, no cutie mark. Last seen In the Royal Sisters School for Gifted Unicorns.” Stellar looked at the filly oddly before going back to the guard.
“Have the parents been notified?”
“Ma’am, look at the date.” Stellar did and was confused by it.
“That’s got to be an error.”
“I checked and it isn’t. She was declared legally dead.”
“WHO’S DEAD!?” Both Thestrals look at Twilight who was now standing in the chair looking at them in anger.
“No one Twilight, hey let’s figure this puzzle out okay?”
* * * * * *
Twilight found herself in a chariot going through the streets of Canterlot. The two bat ponies were with her.
“Now honey just a couple more questions for our records. What’s your age?”
“I told you already I’m eight years old.”
“And the date?”
“3892 A.D.” The two bat ponies looked at each other before they glanced ahead and then slowed to a stop. The female bat pony got unharnessed and looked back to her.
“Stay here, I’ll be right back.” The batpony heads to a building that seemed familiar to Twilight but it was too dark for her to tell, she had never been up this late.
“Who lives here, it seems familiar?” Twilight asked.
“That’s what we are finding out” said the stallion guard, as the mare guard reached the front door and then knocked. It took a couple minutes before the door opened, with an interior light outlining a unicorn.
“Sorry to disturb you folks but are you the Night Light that reported a missing daughter, a Twilight Sparkle?”
“Yes.” Twilight recognized that voice. Her eyes got wide and a smile formed on her lips.
“DADDY!” She hopped out of the chariot and raced for the door, while the other batpony tried to unharness from the chariot and call her back. She raced up to the door and saw her dad and was shocked. He looked different, older. But he looked at her with hope that transformed into joy. Before anypony could react, her dad dive for her and hugged her.
“TWILIGHT! MY BABY GIRL!” Twilight was confused, why was her dad older? Before that good moment got any further, another unicorn appeared. Her mom who also looked older but like her dad raced to hug her. Her parents’ older appearance was too much for the filly and she passed out.