//------------------------------// // Royalty and Adorkableness // Story: Flare of the Twilight // by Admiral Q Ponyform //------------------------------// Twilight looked out the window as the carriage brought into her view Canterlot Castle, a vast estate of buildings and slender towers, connected by bridges while the estate was enclosed by one-story walls. She was worried a bit about her future and rightly so. She was taken from her family for eight years by a surge of her own uncontrolled magic. Twilight realized that she needed to learn how to control her magic or the next uncontrolled flare might take her away again. From the carriage, the Canterlot ponies she saw that she recognized appeared older, like her parents. The most jarring transformations were her Canterlot, kindergarten playmates as they had grown into teenage ponies and had gotten their cutie marks. Her thoughts are interrupted as she felt Celestia feathered wing caressing her mane. She looked up and to her left to see Princess Celestia smiling at her. This display of affection caused Twilight’s woebegone expression to transform into her cute smile. Despite it all, she was going to be Celestia’s personal student. Celestia is the mare that had inspired her to learn magic to begin with. If anypony can help her, it’s the Princess. The carriage slowed down until it stopped at the castle’s main entrance. With a nod of her crowned head, Celestia guides Twilight out. The Day Guard saluted Princess Celestia as they walked past a line of the armored ponies. As the solar princess led her into the castle Twilight was awed by the place. It was beautiful and she gets to live here? She was led through some halls where she saw the occasional guard, till she was led outside to an ornate tower. “I thought of giving you a room next to me, my sister, and my niece and nephew but after talking with your brother about you moving in here he suggested this place.” Princess Celestia said as they walked up the stairs till she opened the front door. Twilight gasped at what she saw. BOOKS! BOOKS! BOOKS! BOOKS! BOOKS! BOOKS! BOOKS! BOOKS! ‘My new room was a library filled with BOOKS!’ She raced over to a shelf and glanced over the titles before racing to another shelf. Twilight’s middle class parents had given her their school books and had bought new books for her. But, she could only have dreamed of having this big a library, until today. This place had everything! “Do you like Twilight?” She heard Princess Celestia ask. She raced back over to the alicorn princess using the Princess’s leg for support as she stood on her hind legs with tail swishing. “Yes! YES! YES! THANK YOU PRINCESS!” “You are very welcome Twilight.” The Princess said with a smile. “So this is our new resident.” A new voice said and Twilight looked behind Princess Celestia to see a pink alicorn with a trio of purple, pink, and white for her mane and tail. “Hello Twilight, I’m Cadance and Shining has told me so much about you.” “You know Shiny?” “Oh yes, very well and I tell you I have never seen him happier since you returned. All he can talk about is his adorable little sister.” Cadance took a glance around the room. “Though I think the term Adorkable fits better.” Twilight crossed her forehooves and pouted at that which only caused both alicorns to laugh. Their laugh was interrupted as an armored Pegasus guard flew in. “Your highnesses, I regret interrupting you but the Gryphon Ambassador is demanding to see Princess Celestia immediately.” The joy Twilight had seen in the Princess faded quickly. “I am sorry Twilight. I had hoped to give you a tour of the royal castle personally but my duties insist on getting in the way.” Princess Celestia eyed Cadance. “My dear niece, would you mine giving Twilight a tour?” “Oh, I’ll love to.” “Thank you Cadance, I’ll see you all at dinner.” With that Princess Celestia took flight following the guard. “Well, shall we begin Twilight?” * * * * * * * Over the next couple of hours Cadance showed her the kitchen, the stain glass wall art that portrayed the key events in Equestria history, even the Royal Archives. Twilight so wanted to check that place out, but Cadance said no. She even managed to refuse the puppy dog eyes. “And here we are, the Royal Apartments. Each a self contained series of rooms and you can spend days in easily. Mine’s right here next to Celestia’s, then Aunt Luna’s, and finally Blueblood’s room.” “Did someone mention my name?” Both mares look behind them to see a unicorn stallion with pure white fur and blonde mane. “Cadenza, why are you giving this common filly a tour of our apartments? It’s beneath you to even be with one, much less this tour.” Cadance took a step towards the unicorn and Twilight saw a very serious expression on the alicorn’s face. “First, it’s Cadance not Cadenza. I hate that name the nobility keep trying to force on me. Second Blueblood. I am as much as a commoner as Twilight here. I was born as a Pegasus orphan and raised by Earth ponies  till I got this.” She points a hoof to her horn. “Twilight here is Celestia’s new personal student, so you will be seeing a lot of her and I suggest your watch what you say around her.” His response was to lift his head and close his eyes as he left them and entered his apartment. “Who was that?” Twilight asked. “That was Prince Blueblood. He is the last descendant of  Princess Platinum. The unicorn founder of Equestria. When Auntie Celestia and Luna defeated Discord, the ponies wanted them to rule, especially since they were the only ones now that could control the sun and moon.    The nobles of all the tribes were in fear of losing power and could have started a new war. But it was the verbal persuasion of Gleaming Armor, a distant relative of yours I guess came up with the idea of Celestia and Luna being adopted into the royal family, thus the current state of government. Sadly the position has gotten to his head and is very arrogant.” Cadance led them away from the apartments and towards the royal statue garden were Twilight saw many beautiful stone statues except for one weird mismatched one. ‘Why would Princess Celestia even have such an ugly thing?’ thought Twilight. But before Twilight could inquire about that ugly statue, she saw several beautiful ones, making her forget that one ugly statue. While walking or sitting in the vast garden, the two mares had deep conservations about pony history and morality. Twilight really started to like Cadance, while Cadance was impressed by Twilight’s knowledge. They were leaving the gardens when Twilight heard a now familiar voice. “Cadance, there you are!” A smiling Shiny came up to them and kissed Cadance causing Twilight to gagged at the site. “Oh hush you.” He replied and lightly bopped her on the head. “I’m glad you met and I was hoping to find you Twiliy. Mom and Dad are here with your stuff.” Twilight got really excited and clapped her hooves together. “Goody, goody, goody,” Twilight joyfully said. If she knew where they were she would have raced over to them. But, since she didn’t she had to follow Shiny and Cadance. Thankfully they weren’t doing anymore of that gross stuff. Soon she saw her parents and she raced over and started a three way hug that lasted for minutes before breaking up. Twilight then looked through the  cart her parents brought over. She saw a lot of her favorite books like Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone and a few new books of A.K. Yearling’s biggest hit adventure series. She searched more and found her favorite doll. Miss Smarty Pants. She squealed with joy and held her beloved doll close to her barrel. She put the doll back inside the box and then Shiny lead them to her room and she began unpacking her favorite things. While Twilight unpacked with some help from Shining, her parents checked out her room. “Well dear, our little Twilight doesn’t have to worry about lack of books eh? There must be a hundred times as many books here, then we could afford. ... Dear?” He looked over to see his wife eyes wide, her jaw opened, and… was that drool? He waved a hoof in front of her, no response. He went to her ear and whispered. “Honey, you’re late.” She immediately snapped out of her daydream and looked around. “Late for what!?” “Sorry dear, you were in a daze again. Had to pull out the late card.” Velvet facehoofed at that as Cadance chuckled. Night Light saw that and commented. “Oh you’re laughing now, but Twilight takes a lot after her mother, so you will likely have to do the same thing.” He and his wife sat back and watched their daughter unpack and have fun with her brother. She was happy and that was a beautiful sight for them. They were robbed of her for eight years and even with her back have to be separate as she learns to control her vast amount of magical potential. The very magic that took her away from them. For her safety she needed to live here, as much as that hurts them. But they will spend as much time as they can with their daughter and nothing and nopony will get in their way. They saw Cadance walk in  and start talking to Twilight. Velvet and Night Light were glad that Cadance had an interest in their daughter. Then again considering her relationship with their son it was not really surprising. Hay, they were waiting for THE QUESTION to pop out soon. Night light’s internal thinking stopped when Shining said he had a surprise for Twily. He moved to the bed and with his magic brought out a large case and floated it to Twilight. “Open it sis.” Twilight did and Night Light couldn’t help the smile gracing his lips as a happy shocked expression. He knew what Shining had gotten for his long missing sister. Heck the fact that he was Captain of the Day Guard, also put him at ease with Twilight living away from them. Wait is she? … Yup Twilight’s drooling, on the one thing that could beat books in her mind, a brand new telescope. She raced over to her brother  and hugged his leg. “Thank you B.B.B.F.F.” “B.B.B.F.F.?” Shiny asked. “Big Brother Best Friend Forever.” Twilight clarified. Shining smiled and returned the hug. “Anything for my L.S.B.F.F.” * * * * * * “THE NERVE OF SOME OF THESE NOBLES! TO THINK THEY THOUGHT THEY COULD GET AWAY WITH SUCH A STUPID IDEA!” Luna fumed as she flew through the night sky to cool off. Seriously, the nobles get dumber as the centuries move on. She was swinging around the castle when she noticed something new. On a balcony of the library tower she noticed a small unicorn filly with a telescope. Considering the time of night that it was this was very strange. She swooped in and landed on the balcony causing the young filly to gasp and back away. She hated that, she hated causing their ponies to fear her. Lifting a hoof out, she pleaded to the filly. “Please filly, do not fear me. I do not recognize you and was curious. It is quite late for a filly your age to be up.” As she said that she looked at the filly. She had lavender fur with a mane nearly the same color as her own coat. Her mane and a purple and pink stripe and her eyes matched her fur. She was absolutely adorable. The filly relaxed. “Your, your Princess Luna.” Luna nodded at this. “Wow, First Princess Celestia and now Princess Luna. This day turned out better than I hoped.” “And why did you meet my sister?” “She picked me up from the hospital and gave me this tower filled with books and I have the perfect spot to stargaze with the telescope Shiny gave me.” ‘Shiny, could she mean Captain Shining Armor? Oh that opens up some new ones for her.’ “Wait, you are the filly that jumped through time aren’t you?” Luna glanced over to the side to see the fillies flank and there is was. The six pointed star exactly like the Element of magic with five smaller stars surrounding it. ‘Why, why would this filly have that for a cutie mark?’ The filly’s expression saddened. “Yes, yes I am. Princess Celestia says your castle will protect me from my wild magic, but I’m scared. I’m scared of time jumping again and then my mom, dad, even Shiny will be long gone and I’ll be alone.” Tears started filling her eyes and Luna was hurt. No child should need to think of these things. She walked over putting a hoof on the fillies shoulder, and then the little unicorn looked up at the Princess of the Night. “Fear not little one. While my sister and I can’t put you back eight years ago where you should be, we can however ensure that you won’t jump again. She and I will teach you to control that magic. You should not fear your gift, but embrace it. That star in your mark represents magic and the fact you jumped through time tells me you have lots of it. Now sadly I forgot your name, so why don’t you tell me it, and which is your favorite constellation of my stars?” “I’m Twilight Sparkle and I love them all. The night is so wondrous that only dawn and dusk beat it.” ‘Twilight Sparkle, such a beautiful name and a pony after my own heart. “Well Twilight Sparkle what were you observing when I interrupted?” Luna put a hoof around the filly and it was two hours later when she put the exhausted, but content filly to bed. She couldn’t help herself giving the filly a peck on the forehead.“Rest now Twilight Sparkle, The Night is mine to command and it will never harm you.”