//------------------------------// // The Issues at Hoof // Story: A Shared Bond (NOT 100% CANON TO FAITHVERSE) // by Faith-Wolff //------------------------------// The past week was some of the most fun that Stella had in quite a while. She traversed the whole of the Empire with Hope, dined on some crystal corn and crystal berries, and enjoyed the company of her Aunt, Uncle, and cousins. However her mind remained plagued with the curiosity that her parents kept avoiding. What was so bad to make her mother cry? What kept them on edge so much that they wanted her away for a bit? Why did they avoid telling her? She sighed as she looked out on the balcony, her ears lowered as she watched the Crystal Ponies below. The sound of soft wing beats caught her attention as she turned her head, seeing Hope land beside her. “Hey Stel, something wrong?” she asked, concern evident in her light blue eyes. Stella debated explaining to her cousin, shrugging a bit. “It's nothing, really.” Hope frowned, gently nudging Stella's shoulder with a hoof. It didn't take being the older of the two to spot a lie. “I know you better than that, Stel. C'mon, you can tell me.”. Stella looked to Hope, nodding a bit in defeat as she opened up about her plagues. “I'm not supposed to return until tomorrow, and I've had so much fun here. But...I need to know what's going on back home, I can't wait much longer...” she admitted, ears lowered and flopping against her face. Hope nodded slowly, gently resting a wing over her young cousin. “I think it's alright then, it's nothing huge. Besides, the difference is only a night really. I doubt they'll get angry about you returning early. If need be, you can say that something came up that needed my parents' attention.” she offered, smiling to the white unicorn. Stella smiled in return, feeling her confidence swell a bit as she hugged her cousin. “Thanks Hope. I really needed this.” she said, smiling in gratitude. Hope grinned, taking her wing back after they hugged. “Of course! I hope this all goes well for ya, cuz.” she replied, standing. Stella nodded, standing and following Hope back into the castle. “Don't be a stranger, Hope! Next time, I want you to visit~!” Hope gave her cousin a confident wink and a smirk, "Count on it!" Back at the Castle of Friendship After some screaming and panicking, the four ponies sat themselves down to talk and figure things out. Twilight rubbed her temple with a hoof as she tried to remain calm, while Sunset sat with wide eyes, her new wings twitching in unfamiliarity. Flash and Flare sat next to each other, the younger filly staring at the stallion with her ears lowered. “Sunset, do you have any idea what caused this? Because I sure don't!” Twilight exclaimed after a few more moments, her mane a tad frazzled as she looked to the other mare in the room. Sunset took a deep breath to try and calm her nerves as she thought back, trying to remember a moment that made her feel, well, “ascended”. Her eyes popped open when the realization hit her like a freight train. “There was one instance..” Twilight listened on, her full attention on Sunset. “It was the incident with my old world's Twilight, if you recall. When she slowly gathered our magic and released it, becoming Midnight Sparkle...when I battled against her, I felt something different. I felt as though I had risen to a higher plane of magic and emotion, even more so than when I assisted in defeating the Sirens!” Twilight sat back, thinking as she listened to her friend's explanation. “I was told that I DID have wings of sorts, much like Midnight did. But I never thought that...I ACTUALLY have them... I must not have been a unicorn for years!” she finished, the gravity of it all hitting her once more. As the two alicorns discussed, Flash looked to Flare, noticing her staring. He smiled and offered a hoof to the small filly, being careful not to push or startle her. “Hello, Flare.” The young pegasus looked between his hoof and his eyes for a few long moments, one of her own hooves up to her mouth. After some hesitation, she lightly rested a trembling hoof on his, her eyes welling up with tears. “Y-You look and sound...just like him...” she mumbled, her cheeks soon growing wet as she silently cried. Flash frowned as his heart grew heavy, slowly scooting closer to her. “Shhh shhh...it's okay..” he cooed, a fatherly tone lacing his voice. “It's okay, Flare...you can be scared and confused. You're in a new place, a new body, and you're facing someone you lost a mere week ago..” She looked up to him, his words making sense as she looked into his eyes once more. Unconsciously, Flare scooted closer to the stallion and pressed against his hoof in an unconscious need for comfort. He looked back, trying to smile in assurance. “I may not be your exact father...but I'm willing to try so long as you're comfortable. Please, take as much time as you need.” he finished, offering his wing. Flare sniffed, her heart recognizing those eyes. Smaller tears fell from her eyes as she gently hugged his hoof, burying her face against it. “Okay..” Flash gently wrapped a wing around her, feeling certain now that they made the right choice. Explaining this to the populace won't be easy, but it felt worth it to make this young filly happy. He smiled, turning his head to look to his wife when a small, familiar voice rose from the chatter, making his blood run cold. “W-What's going on..?” The room was deathly silent as its occupants stared each other down, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Twilight felt her face go pale, the realization that she forgot to tell Stella about this hitting her like a ton of bricks. “H-Hey, Stella! Home early?” she stuttered, trying to smile. Stella lowered her head a bit, taking a small step forward. “Y-Yes..something came up back in the Empire...” she echoed Hope and her's lie, eyeing the yellow alicorn and the golden foal. “Who are they?” Twilight and Flash shared a worried glance, before Flash cleared his throat. “W-Well, why don't you come here and we'll explain?” he offered, smiling to his daughter. Stella stayed still, her eyes fixated on her father. “Why do you have your wing around that filly...?” she asked slowly, head tilting in confusion. Flash jolted a bit, having forgotten that he was holding Flare as he gingerly took his wing back. Twilight stood, taking gentle steps towards Stella. “Stella, please, come sit so we can talk to you..” Stella backed up, her eyes widening a bit as she recognized some of her father's features in the filly's face. “Wh-Why does she look like dad..??” she stuttered, her eyes shifting from her, to her father, to her mother, and back again. She could feel her anxiety well up in her chest, her brain making connections that she didn't want to admit. “Stella, we can explain what's happening, and what will happen. But we need you to come here and sit.” Twilight spoke calmly, getting closer to Stella. “What WILL happen..?!” Stella repeated, her anxiety clouding her reason as she dawned upon a false realization. She's why they were avoiding her questions. She's why they sent her away. She's why they're about to send her away again. Because Stella had been the daughter of Twilight Sparkle and yet could barely do any magic. “Sh-She's taking my place?!” Twilight's head reared back a bit in shock, her eyes widening momentarily before her face grew stern. “Stella Nova! What in Equestria makes you say that?!” she demanded, her eyes worriedly glancing to Flare and Sunset. Stella felt tears well up in her eyes as she ignited her horn, crying out. “LEAVE ME ALONE!” In the span of a second, Stella was gone. Twilight could see the glow reappear from the top of the steps, and the sudden slamming of a door told her all she needed to know. Of all the times Stella could manage to pull off teleporting, it took an emotional outburst from a confused filly at the worst of possible times. The princess sighed, turning back to face her company with downcast eyes. The only noise able to be heard in the room was the quiet sniffles of a scared Flare, the small filly hobbling over to her mother to hide. Twilight watched, shame filling her features as she whispered. “I'm sorry, Sunset.” Sunset held her daughter close, looking to Twilight. “It's alright, but...did you not tell her?” she asked, confused. Twilight rubbed her leg lightly as she bit her lip, ears lowered sheepishly. “N-Not really....we couldn't think of a way to tell her. So we sent her to visit my brother. It's only now I realize we should have just been honest with her..” she admitted. “I just can't understand why she thinks that she's being replaced!” Flash stood and walked over to Twilight, nuzzling her neck. “Let's give her space, Twi. I don't think she wants to talk to us right now...” he whispered, sadly looking towards the spot that his daughter once stood. “You're right...” she agreed, taking a deep breath before looking to Sunset. “Sunset, we need to go to Canterlot immediately.” Sunset looked to Twilight in surprise, frowning in slight fear. “C-Canterlot..? T-To Princess Celestia?” she stuttered, having not spoken to her old mentor in many years. Twilight nodded, stepping forward. “Another alicorn in Equestria will not go unnoticed. We need to tell her now so that we can go about getting you back into society.” Sunset gulped, carefully letting go of her daughter and standing, unable to hide the shake in her voice. “A-Alright Twilight..” “Flash, can you stay here with Flare? And, if Stella comes down, well...try to explain all of this to her? I want to stay but, I need to get this sorted out first.” she asked, regret evident in her tone. Flash nodded and smiled reassuringly, walking up to his wife and gently kissing her cheek. “I will, my light.” Twilight smiled to him, before walking over to Sunset. The two mares joined hooves, and Twilight's horn ignited with her magenta magic. In a moment, the two were gone.