Chapter 12 - Alternate Family
Chapter 12
Alternate Family
___________________________________________________________
“I can't help but wonder why I’m surprised by this still,” Twilight shook her head as she read another request from one of the nobles that had supported Emaryalis in the beginning, but after realizing she and Luna were going to rule regardless, had turned their support to the two Alicorns, leaving the former queen, reluctantly, to do the same.
It had been almost over fifteen years since Twilight had arrived for the second time in the world of the Big Ponies. While things had somewhat settled down since after she and Luna had taken rule four years ago, Twilight had gotten into her role as the Princess of the Sun and now had to remind herself at times about how, while she could raise and lower the sun now as if it were nothing, it hadn’t been that way to begin.
Equestria had finally started running smoothly two years into her and Luna’s rule and problems with others saying she and Luna shouldn’t rule was in the past now. The Minotaurs, and Zebras, as well as Equestria’s other alleys had come to an understanding about the two Alicorn rulers and were at peace with them, preferring to be allies than enemies to two sisters able to control to celestial bodies.
Thing's had progressed within the world a fair bit in ways Twilight had expected in relation to her own world as well. Discord had broken free of his stone prison, but Derpy had managed to stop him before he turned Equestria into the Chaos Capital of the world and done as Twilight's Fluttershy had done and made him a friend and he truly seemed to have changed for the better, if still enjoying messing around with ponies from time to time (particularly any nobles that tried to cause problems for the princesses) and the Elements had been returned to the Tree of Harmony before Discord's Plunder Plants had been able to break loose. When they had, unlike in her own world, the Tree had grown a box like her own world's had, but this hadn't had any key holes at all. Just a marking of her hoof that had "When one's place is chosen" written above it in old Equestrian.
However, if there was one thing that disappointed Twilight about this world that was similar to the one she came from, it was how alike certain nobles were to her original world’s counterparts, Bluebelle being one of the obvious exceptions.
She was currently reading a request to build housing estates (Twilight knew that while those were the words used “manors” was what was really being asked) on the Apple Family’s farmland so as to be closer to the two Royal Sisters.
Not only did Twilight know that the only reason the nobles who’d requested this, as had several dozen others, was to be closer to the princesses to heighten their stature, but the gal of them to ask to build on her family’s farmland, which they worked so hard to keep fertile and strong, for mere manors? It took everything Twilight had to not send a reply with a few choice un-princess-like phrases.
Luna gave a wry chuckle. “No matter how much time passes, nobles will always be the same.”
Twilight sighed, knowing the older Alicorn was right and lowered the paper onto her desk.
Since Canterlot Castle was destroyed, they were handling their duties from the Ponyville Town Hall. The mayor had been more than happy to lend them space (Twilight had not let it slip her notice that theirs was the biggest room in all the hall) until they could arrange a new place to hold their duties.
Court was not a fun time. Twilight had gotten used to dealing with court during her time as a princess in her original world, but she’d come to learn that it was different in this world than the other. The nobles (who weren’t worthy of that word) were far more like whiny foals when it came to what they wanted than in Celestia and Luna’s courts.
The other day alone they’d both dealt with ponies in their respective courts asking to tear down Ponyville to rebuild it to match the splendor of Canterlot, since the princesses were residing there.
Both had shot down the petition every time, Twilight almost losing her temper several times during several instances when the town had been referred to as a backwater that needed to match her beauty instead of soil and tarnish it.
Twilight levitated a mug of coffee and took a sip, before glancing at the clock. School would be out in a few hours. Cadance had been apprehensive of it at first, but, after some encouragement from her aunt, she’d gone. Three days later and she seemed more eager to get to school each day than Twilight was sure she had been at Cadance’s age and had enjoyed every year of school since, making many friends, warming Twilight’s heart.
Twilight lowered her mug and stamped a “denied” print on the most recent petition, only to glance up as her eyes picked up the sound of running hoofsteps.
For a split-second, she wondered if it was Cadance (before remaining herself about the time), or one of her friends come to visit. Those thoughts stopped when the door burst open to reveal two flustered-looking pegasi Royal Guards.
Twilight and Luna were at attention at once. “What’s happened?” Luna asked.
The first guard was catching his breath, so the other spoke in his stead. “Griffins have attacked Trottingham.”
Both princesses’ eyes widened.
“Why?” Luna demanded, her eyes narrowing. “I was under the impression the Griffin King wanted peace between our kingdoms?”
The guard nodded. “They were rouges, a minor group that did not agree with the king agreeing to peace between their kingdom and the two new princesses. From the interrogation report, they believed that, since Emaryalis was no longer queen, their king should now rule Equestria.”
And here I thought dealing with ponies still trying to support Emaryalis was the biggest thing we’d have to deal with for a while, Twilight thought, before fear gripped her at a sudden realization.
“Was anypony harmed?” She honestly felt it was a pointless question. If griffins attacked anyone, the chances of their not being any harm was slim to none.
The look on the guard’s face was all the answer she needed.
“How many?” Luna asked, noticing Twilight’s distress and draping a wing over her.
The guard sighed. “Their hospitals couldn’t handle all the wounded. They’ve had to send some to the hospitals in Manehatten, Canterlot and even...”
His trailing off caused Twilight to look to him. “Even...?”
The first guard had caught his breath now and heaved a heavy sigh. “Even here, in Ponyville, Your Highness.”
Twilight cursed herself. Though she knew nopony would dare even think it, and deny her, she felt she was the cause of this. The only reason those griffins rebelled against their king’s orders was because they don’t trust in mine and Luna’s ruling.
“No, sister.”
Twilight glanced at Luna in surprise, seeing a very firm expression on the older Alicorn’s muzzle.
“No, what?” she asked in slight confusion.
Luna shook her head. “It is not your fault.”
Twilight flinched. How had Luna known that was what she was thinking?
Luna nodded. “While we have not been sisters as long as Celestia and I were, Twilight, I know the signs when a pony blames themself. I saw it many a times when Celestia thought she’d done something wrong.” She lowered her voice. “Especially the night I... Nightmare.”
Twilight nodded, but a few tears still slid down her cheeks.
Luna leaned her head down, resting it on Twilight’s, an embrace she still was new to giving, being the eldest sister instead of the youngest. Celestia had done so many times in the past, before they drifted and Luna allowed herself to become the Nightmare.
A cough made them look to the guards, the second of whom seemed to have more to say. He waited until they had separated before continuing.
“While most of the civilians were only harmed and will likely survive... two ponies were badly injured.”
Twilight closed her eyes, bitting back the sadness of knowing two of her subjects in pain and forced it from her voice. “Who?”
“A stallion and a mare. He died at the scene and... his wife remains in critical condition. They’ve been trasfered to Ponyville... along with their foals.”
Twilight’s heart stopped. Foals? That meant the stallion and mare were parents. She almost wept, thinking of whole tramitazted the foals must be at losing their father.
“And the mother?” Luna asked, thought Twilight her the solemness in her tone.
The guard sighed. “We don’t know. The doctors wouldn’t tell us anything. They said they’d only speak with Princess Twilight.”
Twilight blinked, her worries being pushed back by confusion. “Why would they say that?”
The first guard answered. “Do you remember how the papers asked you to speak of the world you came from, Your Highness? How they asked about your lineage?”
Twilight had to withhold a scowl. Yes. She did remember that. They way they’d asked the questions had been as if they expected her to she’d been raised in a homeless shelter or something.
The guard took her silence as answer and continued, though his mood became sombre quickly, causing the purple ponies to as well.
“The stallion’s name... was Night Light.”
Twilight’s heart caught in her throat as her eyes widened. No.
“The mare’s name... is Twilight Velvet.”
NO!
There was a flash of purple light and Twilight was gone.
Luna blinked, before returning her gaze to the guards. Her sister’s grieving would have to wait. “What is being done with the rouge griffins?”
The first guard snorted. “Their king is having them trialled. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are sentenced to execution.”
Luna nodded grimly. She knew the griffins held onto the death penalty, even after all these years, but, for once in her long life, she felt it was justified.
Twilight had shown her her memories of her parents from her own world, the loving care they’d given her, the precious times only parents and child could have. And those griffins had gone and tainted that with the murder of the stallion that was this world’s version of Twilight’s father. For that, they would pay.
Oh, the Griffin King’s sentence would be final, but she would make them suffer the most torturous of nightmares until the end of their days for hurting her sister.
___________________________________________________________
The sudden appearance of the princess didn’t even startle the hospital staff when she just appeared at the front desk. With the knowledge of the mare they’d taken in, they’d known she would come sooner or later.
“Where is she?” Twilight asked, her voice betraying her worry.
The nurse, a tanned Earth Pony mare with a pink mane and tail, gave a sad smile. “Room 238, Your Highness.”
Twilight turned and ran down the hall, barely shouting a “thank you” to the nurse as she sped down the corridors.
Ponies had the wisdom to not stop and give Twilight any of the respect a princess would normally be given and moved the moment they saw her coming to let her pass.
However, as Twilight neared the corridor that held Room 238, the sound of frantic young voices and a flustered sounding adult voice caused her to slow down.
She rounded the corner to the hall with Room 238— and stopped in her tracks as her eyes fell on the ponies standing in front of the door to her destination.
Doctor Stable was wearing a strained look of somepony trying hard to not be frustrated as he talked, however, it was the two ponies he was talking to, that were talking to him in almost screams, that held her attention.
One was a young unicorn colt, with a white coat, three shades of blue in his mane and tail, bright blue eyes and a Cutie Mark of a dark-blue shield with three blue stars above it and a large purple star in the centre of the shield.
Twilight’s mind almost locked down at the sight of her older brother as a colt, but the sight of the filly hugging him tightly, with tears streaming down her face caused her mind to blank for a moment.
She was a few years younger. Her fur was yellow, her mane and tail a blend of yellow and red, almost looking like they were aflame, her eyes, for the split-second she got to see them before they shut, were green and her Cutie Mark was of a sun with a swirled half ted, with red flames around it.
It took a moment for Twilight to process who she was seeing. Sunset Shimmer.
So, in this world, Shining Armour is still a colt and Sunset’s his little sister instead of me, her sad thoughts grew sadder as she realized why they were both so distraught and Shining was arguing with the older stallion. He wasn’t letting them in without her, which only increased her guilt.
“Doctor Stable.”
The three ponies turned, the colt and filly gasping as the lavender mare walked down the hall to meet them.
“Your Highness,” the stallion nodded his head. Now was not the time to bow.
“They can come in with me.”
It took a few moments before either of the three realized what she said and it only brought pained puzzlement to the younger two.
Doctor Stable, however, nodded and allowed Twilight to pass, though she opened the door to allow the younger ponies through first. Technically speaking, they had more right than her to see Velvet.
However, when Twilight entered, she suddenly wished she’d made the two stay outside. Velvet was in horrible condition. Her horn was broken, Twilight could see the magical trails leaking out of it even if nopony else could, her right foreleg was bandages heavily and her left one was just gone, nothing but empty shoulder where it had once been.
Twilight took notice that she saw a lack of leg mass underneath the bed sheets and forced herself to look at the mare’s face.
Velvet’s eyes were closed and her breathing, while slow and at times uneven, was still happening. She was still alive.
Sunset was bawling her eyes out, her face pressed against the alabaster mare’s chest, while Shining stood by the bed, clearly trying his hardest not to cry, to be strong for his little sister.
“She’s fatal.”
Twilight’s heart tightened at Doctor Stable’s words as he walked from behind to stand next to her. “How long?” she said in barely a whisper.
The doctor sighed. “A few hours at best. Her injuries were quite severe. We were lucky to save the foal, but it cost her any chance of recovery.”
Twilight blinked, before turning to the stallion. “She... was pregnant?!”
He nodded, his eyes downcast. “Never in all my years did I think I’d not want to save a foal’s life if it meant killing the mother.” He sighed. “But she insisted. She said she wouldn’t allow herself to live in exchange for her unborn foal’s life.”
That’s certainly sounds like something you’d do, Mother, the Alicorn thought warmly, her mind replaying a time when her Velvet had jumped into the Teams during a family vacation when she’d been just a filly and had fallen in after leaning too far over to study the design of the machines more closely.
Velvet had almost drowned saving her and spend a few days in hospital, but when Twilight had tried to apologize, her mother had told her she’d have fought an Ursa Major if it was to protect her.
Coming out of the memory, Twilight blinked as a thought occurred to her. She wasn’t this world’s Twilight Sparkle. Yes, she’d become this world’s Regent of the Sun, but she hadn’t been from this world in the first place and, if Shining and Sunset were siblings and Velvet had been pregnant with a foal...
“Where is she?”
Doctor Stable looked a little surprised by the “she” bit, but nodded and walked out the door, leading Twilight to another room several corridors down and opened the door for her.
Inside, Twilight saw what looked the room was filled with what looked like orbs of light floating in midair all around. She glanced around, curious.
“This is the Pre-Development Ward,” Doctor Stable said as Twilight looked around at the many differently coloured orbs. “When a foal has to be taken out of the womb early, they’re placed in here to fully develop.”
Twilight’s mind realized what he meant and, as she looked closer, she realized she could see foals within each sphere, sometimes more than one, each at different stages of their development. It was, however, not in any well set order. She would have to help with that later. Arranged by times before full development, perhaps?
Doctor Stable pulled her from her thoughts as he walked over to a lavender sphere and stopped beside in, indicating for her to look.
She stepped closer and looked in, only for her eyes to widen. As much as she’d been expecting it, seeing it was a whole other thing.
Floating within the sphere was a maybe three month foal. It was a filly, but what caught Twilight’s attention was the horn on its head and the wings at its sides.
She looked to the doctor, who gave a slight grin. “She’s purple, like you, princess.”
Twilight returned her wide eyes to stay at the foal. This was her. This world’s Twilight Sparkle and she was an Alicorn from birth!
The doctor gave a sad sigh, however, that made her turn as he spoke, not really speaking to her. “Of course, without anypony to supply her mana, she won’t last more than a few days, a week at the most.”
Twilight blinked. “What do you mean?”
Doctor Stable sighed. “When a foal is placed in a Development Sphere, they lose their natural link to the mother. Without that, they won’t get any food or mana and won’t develop. And before you ask, no, not just any pony can give their mana to any foal,” he said as the Alicorn opened her mouth to say just that. “They need to be compatible with the foal. It’s easier for Earth Pony and Pegasi foals, they can be paired up with almost anypony.
Unicorns are slightly harder, as their magic needs to be able to link as well as for the mana to be able to flow from the surrogate into them.
The streaming must also be constant, at least once a day to ensure the foal develops properly. However, this foal isn’t any of the three races. She’s an Alicorn. The only way to find a match for her would be within her family’s bloodline, regardless of their own race, but they would have to be imensly powerful. By which I mean a level of strength no regular pony can possibly possess. Considering his Cutie Mark, Shining Armour might have been able to save his baby sister, but he would need to be an adult. Besides, even if there were a powerful enough member to their family, by the time we reached a member of Night Light or Twilight Velvet’s family it would be too late. The foal would have died a long time ago.”
He heaved another heavy sighed and lifted his glasses with his magic and pinch the front of his nose with a hoof.
“Even after all these years, seeing a foal die still isn’t any easier.”
Twilight was shocked. “You’re just going to let her die?!”
Doctor Stable shook his head. “There’s nothing we can do, Your Highness. We would need somepony who’s mana and magic could match with her. Do you have any idea of a pony who could fit that description in such a short time and find her?”
Twilight stared at him, while at the same time trying to think of somepony in the world who could match the foal in the sphere. Emaryalis wouldn’t help and even though she did have a lot of magic, there was no guaranty that her magic “and” mana would magic the foal’s.
She knew plenty of powerful Earth Ponies, Unicorns and Pegasi. Heck, even this world’s Rainbow would probably be able to help... expect she still wouldn’t be strong enough and she’d need a magic link for an Alicorn foal.
Twilight inwardly cursed. Why couldn’t she think of anypony in this alternate world who could exactly match their mana and their magic to her foalified... self?
Twilight blinked. Could I...? Yes, I think that would work!
It was a crazy idea. Impossible. No way it could possibly work. And yet...
Twilight turned to look at her foal doppelganger floating within the sphere.
___________________________________________________________
When Twilight and Doctor Stable returned to Velvet’s room some time later, it was to find the mare was awake, giving both her children and weak but warm, one-legged hug.
Both foals were crying, Shining silently, Sunset a little louder. Velvet herself was crying, a few tears sliding down her face as she held her children for what would be the last time.
Velvet looked up when the two of them entered, mild amusement working its way onto her face through her sorrow. “They weren’t lying. You really are here, princess,” she said in a quiet, almost whispered voice.
Twilight stepped forward, unable to hide her own sadness from her face. “Moth—” she caught herself. “Twilight Velvet,” she stepped closer and lowered her head in shame. “I am so sorry. If it wasn’t for my being princess, those griffins wouldn’t have attacked Trottingham and you wouldn’t... wouldn’t...”
She shut her eyes so her tears wouldn’t show.
A light chuckle caused her to reopen them in surprise, to see the other mare giving her a warm smile. A smile she’d only seen on...
“I was your mother in the other world, wasn’t I?” she asked with a wry smile, which only strengthened by the wide-eyed stare the lavender mare gave back to her. Velvet nodded. “I saw my youngest before they took her away. She looked so much like you and was an Alicorn too. I wondered why she seemed familiar, until just now.”
“H-how...?” Twilight asked, unable to hide the stutter from her voice.
Doctor Stable was just as dumfounded.
Velvet only continued to smile. “You’re eyes. You looked at me the same way Sunny and Shiny were, the look of a child about to lose their mother.”
The two foals were struggling to know what to feel. Confusion over how their mother was talking to the princess so normally, utter sadness at the fact that she was dying and they’d lose her, shock at the fact their mother had just said she was the princess’s mother in the princess’s home world, or joy at the idea of having the princess as their big sister. It all led to them staring blankly between the two, their heads moving to look at one when they spoke, then to the other.
Twilight looked away from Velvet, bitting her bottom-lip. “Mo— Velvet, I—”
Twilight stopped when she saw Velvet open her foreleg out, giving some room for Twilight alongside the two foals. “Twilight, it’s okay.”
Twilight hesitated for a moment, before the dam of her emotions burst and she rushed forward wailing, “Mother!”, joining in the one-legged group hug, tears streaming down her face as she wept for the loss of the mare holding her.
Twilight’s reaction locked the emotion for the two foals to feel, and they cried along with the princess, all the while Velvet held her son and daughters, trying to comfort them in her last moments.
After a few minutes, Velvet whispered to Twilight. “Twilight, promise me you’ll look after you brother and sisters. Promise me that you’ll make sure they stay safe and live happy lives, since I cannot.”
Twilight sniffled, trying to make her voice work. “I—” sniff, sniff, “I promise... Mom.”
Velvet gave a weak smile and looked to the two foals, using her hoof to lift their chins to make them look up at her with their tear-stained faces and puffy red eyes. “Be good for your big sister, okay, you two?” she asked warmly, her eyes fluttering a little. “And be sure to look after your little sister. Love each other for me. Can you do that, my darling children?”
Both of them sniffled, nodding.
Velvet nodded, then closed her eyes as she leaned back into her back, letting her foreleg fall. “Thank you. I love you. I love... you...”
Her body relaxed and a loud, long beeping sound filled the room. Twilight Velvet was gone.
Twilight held the two wailing foals in her forelegs, unable to hold back her tears as they soaked her coat with their own.
I promise I’ll look after them, Mother, she thought, biting her lip as she struggled to hold herself together. I promise I’ll keep them safe and watch over them.
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the whole fore shadowy box kinda does well with the... well foreshadowing... if that made any sense.
I wonder if Twilight will open relations with her original world, it would be quite interesting. It also seems her new family is growing at a rapid pace, her big sister Luna, her little brother Shining Armor, her little sisters Sunset Shimmer and her doppelganger self, oh and how could I forget Cadance
. A Thought occurs to me even as i type these comments out, If Twilight opened relations with her homeworld, she would be able to see her friends and family again
the bigger question would be what will the unborn Twilight of this world will react later in her life? Being raised by an alternate version of herself, how will they be told apart when being referred to? Will Prime Universe Twilight be simply called "Sun Diarch"? Or will Large Universe Twilight be called "Midnight Twinkle"?
Who will be the one to abandon their inherited birthright?
Kind of just curious but what happened to u doing the thing with the authors note where u talked like a foal because u got taken in another foal writer's story?
Also is there a logical reason as to why the Twilight of this world is born an alicorn or is it just for plot convenience? I mean a regular mare and stallion doesn't just have an alicorn, I would at least think that one of them would need to be an alicorn themselves to have one so how does this work?
sad I ever read in 10 years. it been a while it the story going don't let stop. keep it going.
5951809 first answer, just didn't feel like it that time.
Second answer, little of column A, little of column B. Partially for the plot convineince, but also because the world needed to balance itself out. With Twilight having lived as long as she had within that world and how deeply she'd become connected to it, the universe is trying to find a balance with the twilight that would naturally have been born into it.
5952722 hey dude I know this is just a comment but still, grammar man. Your words are all over the place.
5953182 don't blame it hard to remember 8 differ languages. plus English wasn't my first languages
5953244 why so many languages?
5955001 why use so I can tell to friends and family + it fun to learn a new read and now learn Chinese simplied and Chinese traditional.
Lose the "s" in times. Only thing I found wrong. Other than that amazing chapter and I can't wait to see more
I have died SO SAD
This chapter has brought tears to my eyes. Bravo great righting