Mare In The Everfree Forest

by MoonLily

Chapter Thirteen

“Ponyvile!” my ears went up as I could hear the conductor shout. I could hear the others gathering their belongings before disembarking the train. I was placed on my grandfather’s back before leaving the train. I could feel the cool night wind on my fur. I let out a satisfying sigh as I stretched out on his back.

“Twilight!” I looked towards the side noticing Spike running towards the pony.

“Spike, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just Celestia is waiting at the library and she seems a bit unsettled,” I noticed his eyes were holding a bit of hidden concern. I jumped down from my grandfather’s back winching a bit.

“Is she okay?” I spoke up watching him shrug. I looked towards the library before walking off. I could hear the others yelling my name as I moved towards the tree house. Slipping past the guards I noticed Celestia sitting in the middle of the room. Something was off, way off. I watched as she turned around staring at me. I could hear her sigh.

“I was hoping my student would be here first”

“Well, you got me. I also wanted to warn you my grandfather is” I was stopped as my grandfather popped into the room behind me. I felt myself being pulled into his hooves. I watched as Celestia’s eyes widen.

“My star you should not be running off. Especially when you just woke up” I could hear him whine causing me to groan.

“Princess Celestia this is my grandfather Atlas” I felt myself being placed down.

“Princess Celestia I always wanted to meet you” I looked up at my grandfather noticing something was off. His eyes were soft but he was staring daggers at her. His words were coated in sugar and honey.

“I did not think there was another alicorn, a male alicorn alive” her voice was soft.

“I do like my privacy. I normally stay up north or the south. However, we can talk later since my star here wants to take some ponies to our village.” I noticed he walked out of the house whistling. I followed him as the others entered the house. I followed him blindly till we reached the empty town park. I watched as he pulled his wings up to his side. His body stiffened up causing me to feel an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach. His mood switched.

“You know I feel really put on the spot my star. I have told you time and time again to stay away from the sun and moon, and here you are! Under their watch!” I heard him growl as he turned around. Yep, he was faking his mood on the train.

“sorry” my ears dropped to my side as I rubbed my leg.

“Sorry? Silver I have told you time and time again when you were younger. Staying with the sun and moon will bring you nothing but trouble and the end of your life” I felt his hoof in my chest causing me to look up at him “And the question you asked me on the train. That was putting me on the spot. You know I do not like other ponies in the village besidea you and me” he growled at me. I was holding back my tears. When I finally get his nice and old self he turns into this angry alicorn that I don’t know.

“I’m sorry. I just thought that”

“You don’t think” I heard him sigh “I was really worried when I got that letter from your son. Your normally more clear-headed pony but this” I heard him grumble as I felt him pull me into a hug “Look I am disappointed Silver, this is something you should have told me about. I am sorry if I seem angry. I just don’t want to lose you” I noticed he was back to staring at me softly. I rubbed my head hearing the jingle of the bracelets. To be honest I forgot they were there.

“Where did you get these?” I felt him hold my hoof up. I was about to answer but he smiled “I didn’t know you knew how to enchant items”

“Trying” I spoke up as I pulled my hoof down “Trying, sucks huh”

“Keep working on it” I smiled as I watched him turn around and walk away. I grumbled to myself as I got to my hooves following him. I watched as he joined the group as they pulled him in. I kept to myself as watched him be pulled towards the kitchen getting fawned over by the others. His ego was getting inflated as he shared stories over tea and cookies.

“My Star come join us”

“No”

“You can’t be mad at ya own family” I turned and looked at Applejack.

“He had nearly a thousand years to visit me. I am the one who always sends him letters in order to hear from him. The last time I saw him was before the fall of the empire. He never even came to check on me when Necro died” I huffed “I lost a lot during those few months” I could see his wings drooping a bit.

“I am sorry my star. I did not think it was the best time for me to appear in Equestria. I don’t think ponies could handle another alicorn appearing after one was lost” I watched as he stared at me “Look I saw one good thing come out of it all”

“Oh, and what is that?”

“I see CrystalSnow’s sister survived the fall” he had a wicked smile on his face. I knew that look and that was the look of a checkmate. I glared at him.

“Aurora didn’t have any children grandfather”

“Oh” I could see his eyes glancing towards Twilight.

“Wait you know Aurora? She calls me that sometimes” my heart stopped as I picked up a heavy book from the shelf. I was walking closer to him as I held the book up and over his head ready to hit him. I felt my left back hoof being pulled out from under me. I found myself hanging from the rafters.

“How many times have I told you it is futile for sneak attacks,” I noticed he was glaring at me. I started to grumble at him as I was hanging in the air still.

“Back to what I was saying. I know that Aurora is her granddaughter and that her brother was CrystalSnow. Silver what was his title in the empire”

“You will half to kill me” I glared at him as he stared at me.

“That has lost all its meaning to me”

“I’ll just go have tea with Discord then” I smirked noticing he was staring at me shocked. I saw his eyes narrow at me as he got up.

“You will not go near him” I heard him growl.

“Well, then don’t ask me about CrystalSnow you fluffed up chicken!” I kept my sight of him. I could see his feathers were ruffled as the fur around his neck fluffed up.

“Fine” I could hear him growl before taking a few deep breaths “I think this conversation has gone on long enough” I watched as he had a smile on his face. I felt his magic dissipate around my hoof allowing me to drop to the ground.

“Lily!”

“Oh my”

“She is fine, aren’t you Silver” I raised my hoof as I pushed myself up. I looked up at him as I groaned “See, now Celestia, Luna you know who and who isn’t allowed to the village. Silver I will catch up with you after the trip, and please behave. Also stay away from Discord” his voice grew deep as I stayed sprawled out on the floor. I heard the door to the house open up and shutting before Fluttershy got up from her seat.

“Oh my, are you okay”

“Yeah, at least he didn’t drop me down an ice cavern. Those are hard to climb out of”

“I swear I understand why you are so hard-headed” I glanced towards Luna as she had a smile. However, my eyes moved over to Twilight noticing she was looking down at the floor.

“Twilight?”

“It’s just I swear I heard that name before. Even my brother couldn’t help me.”

“Twilight it’s a name of a pony who has long past”

“Yes but I know an Aurora. She was Aurora Sparkle the founder of my family and she” I watched as she went into a full rant mode. I could see Celestia was worried as Luna was glaring at me. I turned my head away from them.

“Silver?”

“I know Aurora Sparkler. Damn” I pushed my mane from my face “She was Aurora Crystal, I changed her name when she became an adult” I rubbed my face as I was breathing heavily.

“Why didn’t you say”

“Because I promised her! I did everything to keep her safe after the fall!” I snapped causing them to move back from me.

“Because of her brother’s position?” I looked towards Applejack as I rubbed my neck.

“Because of what happened to him. Look I can show you all that happened from my point of view. But I will say this Twilight, this will change you forever” I walked up to the purple mare causing her to stare at me.

“What do you mean?”

“Aurora was my granddaughter. This was during the time court became a battleground for the nobles. I was in a war with the Bluebloods since they did not think ponies who heavily believed in the night should be nobles. I got her family two jobs in the castle. One was a tea maker for Celestia and a bookkeeper. Aurora grew tired of having a target on her back so I arranged to have her name changed. I bought her the family home you live in. I told her I wanted a family picture every winter to check in on you. The house would stay in my name in secret but in public it would be in hers. I told her to keep the mare's name as Twilight so it would be easy to find her. Three times I did step in to save your side of the family. Once when the nobles fought hard to keep the telescope from being built. They backed off when I got the help of Surprise. She filled their homes up with enough glitter their still finding it. The last two times were recent.” I pulled my glasses off as I cleaned them.

“When you started Celestia’s school some nasty rumors were flying around. Now your family never came and asked for my help then. I just did it myself because who the hell would harm a foal? The last time was when they were trying to disprove Shining Armor so he couldn’t marry Cadence. Oh was Blueblood pissed when I proved him wrong. I am the reason nobles get their mail checked now. Surprise taught me how to make some glitter bombs” I smiled as I placed the glasses on my muzzle. I could see the others had gathered around Twilight in shock. Pinkie was trying to hold her laughter back as Applejack shook her head.

“You need to teach me that!”

“NO!”

“I can give you the recipe” I smiled as I felt myself being dragged by Celestia.

“I have never seen you in court”

“I normally hide myself as Poisoned Apple. I never show up to court like myself. Not after Sweet night and Sweet Tea’s mother was almost killed.”

“So, this makes Twilight one of your family members?”

“Of course. I can teach her some magic that only the family members know. I can not teach her cloud walking. You half to keep that skill up”

“Cloud walking darling?”

“We can walk on clouds without the help of magic. It’s a gift from my grandfather.”

“So how about that memory?” Pinkie smiled.

“Not without Discord. I love my grandfather but he is never around. And I am trying to make friends with him” I felt a bag of popcorn drop on my head.

“Somepony call me”