Not All That Sparkles Is Twilight

by Stellar Light Sparkle

05: History

Twilight and Stellar were walking home that evening after spending most of the day at the Palace, with Stellar learning about her great-uncle Canopus Star and his exploits as she recovered from the duel.

Twilight, however, was still wondering about something and couldn't get it out of her head. "Stellar... why did you yell out 'Grandfather'? Canopus Star was our great-uncle, not our grandfather."

Stellar didn't say anything at first. Her mind was still well back in the past as she tried to remember what had gone through her head at that moment. Finally she replied. "I can't tell you, Twi. I'm not even sure myself." She explained. "Something... somepony asked me something on a level of consciousness I have never experienced before, even below the area of linked consciousness we sometimes share." She sighed in frustration. "This is why I need training in magic. I don't have enough information to put together a coherent answer as to what affected me... but it was like somepony asked me a question and required an answer, when all that power just ran right through me."

"That's another thing." Twilight interrupted Stellar. "Those blades of Blueblood's were orichalcum. Apart from that being totally illegal, they're supposed to prevent magical healing in Alicorn ponies and some other races, like dragons. How did that sword heal you like that? It couldn't have been normal magic."

"As I said, Twi, I need more training." Stellar reached up with a forehoof and stroked the pommel of the greatsword that sat along her back in its scabbard. The position of it on the armor she was still wearing meant that it was perfectly positioned so as to not interrupt her wings for flight or her head for looking about, yet she could draw it in an instant if needed. "But, to be honest, with what little reading I managed to do before that bout and last night... I think it's a long-forgotten school of magic known as Light Magic."

"Light Magic?" Twilight repeated as a question. "I take it that's not the opposite of 'heavy' magic?"

Stellar actually chuckled at that, and Twilight smiled as her attempt to lighten the mood worked for a minute. She saw Stellar's face hadn't gone back to the depressed look she'd been wearing. "No, it's supposed to be a school that's opposed totally to Dark Magic, from what I've read so far." She explained. "Most of what we know as Rune Magic comes from it, but there's an enormous amount of the school that's just... gone missing. It's not been surpressed, like Dark Magic has, it's like it was totally erased, save for the study of runes like the ones on the sword and my armor."

"That's weird." Twilight agreed. "I mean, Dark Magic is suppressed for a very good reason. But if Light Magic is opposed to it, then surely that's a very good reason to keep it around."

"Again, Twi, I can't answer that yet." Stellar replied. "All I know is that it's a school of magic that is... unlike anything you know about, and therefore I know about. And even though you know a good deal about Dark Magic in general, and quite a few good counter-spells to some of its more common spells and things, they are not the same as Light Magic. They are almost as if someone developed them to fill the gap left by the... the disappearance of Light Magic, and this was the best they could come up with to replace it."

"Stranger and stranger." Twilight said, shaking her head.

"Tell me about it." Stellar agreed.

=======

As the Sparkle Twins rounded a corner in a part of Canterlot that was mostly deserted for the night, they heard a scream close by. Instantly Stellar raced along down the narrower side-streets, Twilight in pursuit. They came out into a small square to see a tall, willowy unicorn mare racing towards them, being pursued by what seemed to be shadowy shapes. Just as the Twins got level with the mare, they could see she had been hit in the shoulder with what looked like an arrow. Stellar's great-sword instantly shot out of her scabbard and spun in front of them, deflecting more of what Stellar now identified as crossbow bolts. "Twi! Get her out of here!" Stellar yelled.

"Right! Palace!" Twilight replied as she pressed herself to the mare's uninjured side and they teleported.

Stellar grinned once Twilight was gone, looking at the shifting shadows facing her. "Time to reveal what you are." She said. Her sword floated right before her, and she yelled "INCOMMU PAHL SOL TASHI!" As she spread her wings wide.

There was a flash as brilliant as if the sun had just touched down in the middle of the darkness...

= = = = =

The pursuers hadn't counted on any resistance as they chased their prey. As one said "<Cut them down!>", Stellar let loose with her wave of light. Half of them screamed as the light-enhancing goggles they'd used to see in the darkness now focused the intense light directly into their retinas. The rest managed to tear the magically-enhanced goggles off their faces, only to find their shadowy disguises had also been ripped away, revealing them. Confused, they paused, which was a fatal error as Stellar launched herself and her sword right at them.

= = = = =

Stellar followed the actinic flash with a full-on attack upon the revealed ponies, who were all unicorns. Her sword sliced down every pony carrying a crossbow as Stellar dropped inside their formation and began to deliver a beating to anyone within reach, not really caring if she killed them or not. Then she was through them and started lining up for another attack...

= = = = =

Some of them managed to avoid Stellar and regrouped with others of their fellows around one who was a junior mage amongst them. "<Void Stones!>" The young mage shouted, and many of the remaining unicorns pulled out the potent anti-magically-enhanced stones.

= = = = =

Stellar heard one of the ones regrouping yell "Vushni-kah!" And she felt the emanations of void stones as they were drawn from their shielded bags. She got ready for a real fight, when, in that place in her mind where she'd heard the voice ask her the mystery question, there came a number of spells in Equussese. One burned into her memory and, grasping her sword, she yelled back "ASPARTI PAHL DHENAR!"

She was in awe as a large rune of light appeared before her and her sword, and it blew apart in another wave of bright light. But this time, the effects were more powerful and positive, the magic Stellar felt filling her with power.

= = = = =

As the wave of light broke over them, the unicorns holding the voidstones near them got the last shock of their lives, as the stones cracked and exploded like grenades, a weapon they'd never heard of. The disrupted dark magic and shards of razor-like stone shredded more than half their remaining number, the young mage only escaping being sliced up as he had instantly thrown his stone away when Stellar started chanting. "<Run! RUN!>" One of the seniors in the remainder of the group said, as thestrals of the Night Guard came flying down from above, having seen the brilliant flash and felt the magic Stellar used.

= = = = =

Stellar heard one of them say "Vast! VAST!" as she heard the sound of wings in the sky. She looked up, seeing thestral nightwing guards coming in to land. She gestured at their leader, an older experience sargeant. "Sargeant! Send some of the troops after those three! I'll get those two! Have the rest secure these bodies!" She ordered.

The Sargeant, seeing Stellar's lieutenant's bars, saluted and obeyed. "Yes Ma'am!" He replied as Stellar took to the wing, chasing after the young mage and the elder.

= = = = =

The pair of dark unicorns were running as fast as their hoofs could take them, the darkness not helping their flight. "<I can't get my shadow cape to activate!>" The elder said.

"<You won't!>" The young mage replied. "<Whatever that spell was, it's burned out everything we have that was charged, including our sigils and our cloaks. It seems to have been written specifically to violently disrupt dark magic.>" He explained.

"<That's impossible!>" The elder exclaimed.

"<Then you explain it!>" The mage replied. "<I have never seen magic like that before! Even its feel was totally different to most other magics. And the runes on that officer's armor and sword were some of the most powerful I have ever seen! Whatever she used, it was beyond my capability to counter... and may have been for the elder mages as well.>" He told his superior.

"<Then we'd best...>" He began to reply when something slammed into the back of his head and catapulted him plot-over-head, knocking him out. The mage screeched to a halt, to see Stellar land before him, revealing that she was an alicorn. His eyes widened in fear and he started backing up...

= = = = =

Stellar had found the fleeing pair and knocked out the elder one with the flat of her sword. She then landed before the younger one and smiled menacingly at him, her sword floating beside her, ready to strike. "If you understand Equish, surrender now, or else I will make you surrender." She declared to the stallion.

The young mage was shivering with fear. He had never in his young life ever dreamed that he'd be facing such a powerful mage, let alone an alicorn in armor he couldn't recognise. She looked familiar, but the voice had a tone of command that almost made him obey it instinctively. He knew with his sigil burned out, he couldn't teleport, and he knew he couldn't out-run that fiendish sword. He tried for a distraction spell, but before he could get three words out of his mouth, Stellar's sword teleported behind him and smacked him up the back of the head, sending him reeling to the ground and into unconsciousness.

"Okay, is no-pony taking my warnings seriously today?" Stellar asked herself as she walked up to the pair, just as thestral nightwalker troops reached her. "Sargeant, search them, strip them and bundle them up, then take them to the palace dungeons. I shall inform Her Highness as to what's happened." She told the thestral sargeant with the nightwalker platoon.

"Yes, Ma'am!" He replied, saluting, and they obeyed as Stellar took off, heading for the palace.

=======

After teleporting directly into the small medical section of the Palace, Twilight called in the professionals. Dr Rubber Hose came in with two other doctors and a bevy of nurses. Twilight lifted the heavily-pregnant unicorn mare onto a table. "She's been shot in the shoulder." Twilight told them.

The doctors started looking her over, then Rubber Hose gasped. "It's dark magic!" He said, as a bluish-purple stain started slowly spreading from the shoulder.

Twilight was there instantly. Recognising the curse, she drew a circle of light around the stain and chanted, the circle being surrounded by runes and as they solidified, the stain stopped spreading.

"Will that hold, Princess?" Rubber Hose asked.

"I don't know." Twilight said, trying to think, her horn still glowing as she maintained the protection circle. "I can't use anything stronger on her without risk to the child."

One of the other doctors, who had been scanning the foal, gasped loudly. When Twilight and the others turned to look at him, he told them "It's... it's an alicorn!"

"What?!" Twilight replied, aghast. She immediately turned around and checked for herself. "Celestia preserve her." She said as she confirmed it.

Dr Rubber Hose was beside himself as he looked at Twilight. "What are we going to do?" He asked. He had no experience with dark magic curses.

"Get me some of the Palace Mages." Twilight ordered one of the nurses, who nodded and raced out. "Doctor, keep an eye on her vitals. I need to find something." And Twilight made her own Tome appear. After unlocking it, she started flicking through the index.

"As you wish, Princess." Rubber Hose said.

"You." Twilight said to the second doctor, a maternity specialist mare. "Keep an eye on the foal. We can't let the curse reach her."

"Aye, Princess!" Dr Melody Lane replied and returned to scanning the foal. "She appears to be about seven months old." The unicorn doctor told Twilight as she flicked through a book that had expanded onto her Tome's pages.

"Good, if she was any older, this might not work." Twilight replied as she checked her understanding of the complex spell she was prepared to use. But she needed the other mages first. She couldn't maintain the protection spell and do what she was about to attempt at the same time.

Then the nurse and the two mages rushed in. "Princess?" They asked.

"Ah, good." Twilight replied. "I need you two to maintain this circle of protection on the mother while I get the foal to safety." She told them.

"As you command, Princess!" They said and, taking up positions either side of the bed, they smoothly took over the burden of maintaining the circle of protection.

Twilight climbed up onto another bed and laid herself facing the unicorn, who hadn't regained consciousness after the teleport. "I'm sorry to have to do this to you, but I can't save you if your baby's in the way." Twilight said, then started chanting. As she did so, two empty circle arrays materialised between Twilight and the mare. They moved towards Twilight and the mare, settling over their bellies. Runes started cycling through the circles as they scanned each of the mares. Once both of the circles stopped cycling, they flashed and the circle on Twilight's belly started cycling through its runes again, as the one on the mare glowed brighter.

"Don't... don't stop the spell once it's started, no matter what!" She warned the mages and medical staff. "We could lose the foal otherwise."

Everyone nodded and the third doctor moved to monitor Twilight, as her belly started to swell and she groaned. "Is this spell adjusting your body to match hers?" The doctor asked Twilight.

Twilight nodded as she started to pant slowly. "Yes... my body is being adjusted to the same stage of pregnancy as hers is." Twilight confirmed. "I'm going to need some mana to charge myself up when the transfer takes place." She asked.

One of the nurses nodded. "I'll get some battery spheres." He said, moving out of the room.

Twilight nodded with a pained smile. She'd heard of this spell being successful in other cases, but it had never been tried with an alicorn foal before... because there had ever only been one other alicorn foal, and that was Flurry Heart. But then again, the foal was being transferred to another alicorn, so it wasn't like Twilight wasn't resilient enough to take the foal. She just had to be properly prepared... and prayed that it would be done quickly enough before the Curse found a way through that protection circle.

More and more of the runes in Twilight's circle were matching up with those on the other circle, as the nurse returned with a pack of many large spheres filled with mana. He pressed four into the bottoms of Twilight's hoofs, allowing the alicorn to draw on them like an earth pony would on mana in the planet itself. Twilight sighed with relief as she transferred the mana into her womb, saturating it and making it ready for the transfer. Once they were drained, the spheres fell away and were replaced.

"Princess, you'd better make it soon." One of the mages said. "The circle is starting to lose integrity..."

"Almost... there." Twilight said with a groan, as the circle on her finally completed and the one on the mare lifted from her, crossing over to Twilight and merging with the one on her. She gasped as she felt her empty womb filled with the foal and its protective amniotic sac, the placenta slowly connecting itself to her system. Once the foal was safely enschonched in Twilight, the circles faded. "She's safe!" Twilight said.

The two mages nodded and began casting far more powerful spells on the mare, but before they could do anything effective, the mare's eyes opened wide, showing the nasty color of the curse, and she stopped breathing. Seconds later, her body collapsed into black ash, kept in place on the bed by a screen spell. "Celestia preserve us!" The mare mage said, looking at her partner.

Twilight sighed sadly. "Damn, that was close." She said. "If the foal had still been inside her when it reached the mother's heart... we would have lost them both."

"A nasty curse indeed." Rubber Hose commented, as he directed the ashes to be transferred, along with everything from the bed, into a safe disposal container.

"Extremely." The stallion mage agreed. "It's designed to leave no trace at all of its victim that can be traced back to either the caster or identify the victim." He explained.

"How horrid!" One of the nurses exclaimed.

"Usually the ponies who use that kind-of magic don't care how their victims die, just as long as they do." Twilight reminded them all as the spheres dropped from her hoofs, and she was able to levitate herself off the bed. Bracing herself for the weight of who and what she was carrying, she stretched a little. "Oooogh." Twilight winced. "By Celestia, this feels so awkward..."

One of the nurses came to help as Dr Lane chuckled. "Well, you did just go through seven months of pregnancy in five minutes, Princess. Plus without your body adjusting itself to the burden along the way." She pointed out. "Come on, Princess, we'll get you into a private room and check you over thoroughly." Dr Lane said, as she moved up beside the nurse and helped Twilight to walk out of the treatment room.

Dr Rubber Hose sighed sadly. "Poor mare never had a chance." He commented. "At least her child is safe." He looked at the other doctor. "I have never seen that done before, and hopefully I'll never need to see it again."

"That goes double for me... but at least it worked." The doctor replied.

"Yes... if that foal is not eternally grateful to her new mother, she should be reminded of it always, every birthday she has." Rubber Hose said as he made his way out of the treatment room, leaving staff to make sure it was perfectly sterile and ready for use once again

=======

Stellar arrived back at the Palace and immediately went in to see Luna.

Luna frowned when Stellar walked back into the Audience Room. At this time of night, there were few ponies in there, save for Staff and guards. Luna had just finished hearing a petition for longer opening hours in some clubs, having decided not to allow them the three hours they wanted, only an extra hour being advisable for the moment. Stellar passed the petitioners as they exited and trotted right up to Luna. Luna acknowledged her apprentice after she'd bowed then looked at her with a frown. "We had thought you were heading to your home, Stellar Sparkle. What brings you back to our presence so quickly?"

"Princess, there's been an incident." Stellar answered. "A unicorn mare was being pursued by a number of assailants, all unicorn stallions, using dark magic cloaks and devices." She detailed for Luna.

Luna actually got to her hoofs as Stellar said 'dark magic'. "Fie, art thou... nay. I know you know enough to be sure." Luna said as she descended the dais to Stellar. "What happened? Didst thou see combat again?" Luna asked.

Stellar nodded. "If you'll accompany me to the dungeons, the few survivors are being brought here." She told Luna.

Luna nodded. "Lead the way then, my apprentice." She said.

As they headed for the lower levels of the Palace, Stellar told Luna everything that happened. "So, thou has found that you have a spell for disrupting void stones and devices of dark magic? How interesting." Luna smiled. "We had not thought such a spell existed."

"Yes, and our new houseguests weren't speaking Equish, either. Whatever it was wasn't one of the languages I know." Stellar told Luna.

"Hmph. This is very perplexing." Luna agreed, as Stellar stopped and grabbed a tin full of a special paint used to paint and renew wards around the cells. "Are you planning to do some housekeeping, Stellar Sparkle?" Luna asked.

"I have no idea what those stallions have under their manes, so I'm going to use something that that voice shoved into my mind: a warding spell that seems to be the equivalent of the dark magic disruption spell." Stellar explained.

"Yes, a very good idea." Luna agreed as they reached the door that led from the Palace to the dungeons. While there was normally only a small contingent down here, now the security was being increased in preparation for receiving new occupants. Once inside, Stellar moved to five of the most secure cells and while Luna watched, she drew a complex rune on each of the walls, floor and ceiling, then another in each of the eight corners of the room. Luna could feel the power of them as each cell was completed. "I am impressed, Stellar Sparkle. I have not felt such wards used in all my long life. This magic of yours is truly powerful."

Stellar smiled. "You can call me Stellar, Luna. Unless you want me to call you 'Princess' or 'Mistress' all the time."

Luna snorted, but smiled. "Very well, Stellar." Then Luna inspected one of the glowing wards closely. "What school of Magic do these runes come from? I have not seen their like before."

"It's a school called Light Magic." Stellar answered. "I think it's a school that was developed specifically to counter Dark Magic, and maybe a lot of other things. I'm still in the early stages of my research, but as you can see, it's already giving benefits." She said as she completed the last cell's reinforcing wards, and the runes faded to insignificance.

Luna nodded. "Indeed. If you wish to study this Light Magic, I shall not forbid it." She told Stellar. "In this day and age, it seems that it might be needed more than we might have thought."

"Thank you, Luna." Stellar replied as she drew a rune again on each of the five doors. "There. If those twits try anything funny, they're going to get a nasty shock." She grinned mischievously.

Luna nodded, grinning herself. "Indeed. It seems you and I are... 'on the same page', I believe the expression is." Luna said to Stellar as they walked out, showing the warder which cells to put the unicorns in on the way out. "So, what has happened to the mare that was being pursued?" Luna asked.

"Twilight said she was bringing her here." Stellar replied as they headed back to the upper levels. "They're probably in the medical suite. She was wounded by a crossbow bolt in the shoulder."

Luna hissed. "A nasty injury, no matter to whom it is inflicted." Luna commented. "I pray she is doing well."

"Let's find out." Stellar said, as the pair of alicorn mares headed for the west wing of the Palace.

=======

In a train carriage in a private siding of Canterlot Central Station, a familiar figure sat, perusing reports. Amadeus Blueblood was frowning, but anyone who had known him wouldn't recognise him without a very good look. His middle-aged face was young again, his medium-blue coat was now a dark blue, his mane and tail a deep midnight blue and his eyes had gone from blue to black. His entire countenance was much more severe as well, and he sat like a true lord, his attendants more of the dark-coated unicorns that Stellar and Twilight had encountered.

"<Come>." He said at a knock on the door.

A figure dressed in gear similar to that of the others, but finer, walked in. "<Lord Darkblood.>" He addressed Amadeus.

Amadeus looked up. "<What news, Dark Tidings?>" Amadeus asked.

Dark Tidings lowered his hood, to reveal a black unicorn with grey eyes and mane. "<I bear news of only partial success, My Lord.>"

"<Partial?>" Amadeus asked.

Tidings nodded. "<Aye. Turquoise was retrieved successfully, without resistance. But Tourmaline... was not.>"

"<And why not?>" Amadeus asked, looking somewhat peeved.

"<She apparently had warning, My Lord.>" Tidings explained. "<She chose to run. A squad of my scouts and mages followed her... but they encountered resistance.>"

"<In what manner?>"

"<Apparently she ran right into a platoon of the Night Guard, led by two alicorn mares, one in red armor, the other positively identified as Princess Twilight Sparkle.>" Tidings answered.

Amadeus scowled, rage filling his eyes. "<And the one in armor was her cursed sister!>" Amadeus spat out. "<What of Tourmaline and the child she bore?>"

"<Tourmaline was wounded in the shouder with a black bolt.>" Tidings went on. "<I have confirmation that the curse was activated and concluded in the Palace medical suite. She and the foal are dead for certain.>"

Amadeus growled, then sighed. "<Stupid mare. I offered her the chance for greatness, and she scorned me.>" He said, more to himself than Tidings. "<Still, we do still have one alicorn foal. A pair of sisters would have been better to face down the Diarchy, but one should be enough, with the right support.>" He looked up at Tidings. "<Withdraw all of our ponies from Canterlot and Equestria, but as stealthily as possible. Now that we have been exposed, they will be at risk.>"

Tidings nodded. "<It shall be done, My Lord.>" He said, and bowed before he left.

Left by himself, Amadeus let fly a string of curses in the same language. "<That cursed Stellar Sparkle! First my son, then one of my sacred daughters... I shall have her head for this!>" He said. "<Hers, and the rest of her family, when our forces take this country and set it to rights.>" He shifted papers about as the train they were to leave on connected with their carriage, and they started moving.

=======

Stellar and Luna made it to the medical suite in time to see Twilight waddle back from the bathroom, freshly washed and groomed. Stellar blinked. "What in Celestia's flowing mane happened to you, Sis?" Stellar asked as they saw Twilight's gravid condition.

"Yes, and who is the father?" Luna asked.

"I have no...(grunt)... idea." Twilight answered as she slid onto a low bed. "This wasn't my foal to start with." She looked at the other alicorns. "The mare was pregnant... with an alicorn foal." Twilight revealed.

Luna looked shocked, but Stellar was fuming. "And they were trying to kill her because of that?" She asked, the anger in her voice very evident.

"That we can't be sure of." Twilight replied as an attendant gently massaged her back. "The pregnancy might have been why they were trying to catch her, but maybe killing her was a final resort."

"So, how didst thou end up with the child, Twilight Sparkle?" Luna asked.

Twilight moaned with relief at the tender massage. "The bolt contained a curse, called Black Ash." She explained. "I was barely able to delay it until after I was able to invoke a very special transfer ritual. It transferred the foal from her to me, so we could treat her... but the curse killed her before we could work on it." Twilight looked depressed. "But the foal is safe, at least."

Stellar moved to Twilight and nuzzled her lovingly. "Dear Twilight." Stellar said with a chuckle. "Only you would get pregnant to save a foal. But that's why I love you so. Your very nature is so caring and considerate."

"Indeed, Twilight. It is a noble gesture worthy of the most famous mothers of History." Luna stated. "So the foal is an alicorn?" She asked.

Twilight nodded. "I confirmed it myself, before the transfer." She stated. "But I can't tell what sex it is. Something seems to be... blocking my scrying spells. I'm assuming it's a filly, since that's most likely."

"A fair assumption." Luna agreed.

"So, how far are you along, Twi?" Stellar asked.

"I'm just at the end of the seventh month, apparently." Twilight said, as Stellar put her ear to Twilight's belly. She crooned softly as Twilight face-hoofed and Luna smiled softly.

"What?" Stellar asked. "It's a well-known fact that babes in the womb can hear things that go on outside, especially music." She told Twilight.

Twilight snorted. "Be that as it may... it seems I am going to be a mother." Twilight's face burst out in a massive grin.

"Oh yeah. That's my Twi." Stellar said, grinning back as she moved to Twilight and nuzzled muzzles with her.

Luna sighed softly, smiling. "You two... you're acting more like a couple than sisters."

Twilight gave Luna a strange look, as Stellar hid a snicker behind a forehoof. Then she stopped and said "Then again, why not?" Stellar asked.

"Huh?" Twilight asked back.

"You're going to need help with this foal, Twi." Stellar pointed out. "And since we're twins, I can help out as much as anypony can." Then Stellar face-hoofed. "Mother." She just said.

Twilight's eyes screwed shut as she winced. "No shize, Sherlock." She replied. Then she blinked. "Where did THAT come from?" Twilight asked, perplexed.

Stellar laughed. "That's from me." She answered.

"Oh." Twilight shook her head. "I still have so much of you stuck in my head. Is it going to keep coming out at random times?"

"Probably." Stellar said with a shize-eating grin. "But yeah, I'm going to have to go and tell our parents one of their daughters is pregnant." Then she groaned. "What the buck is the public going to think?" She asked.

"And my friends." Twilight added.

Stellar snorted. "They're the last ones we have to worry about." Stellar told Twilight. "Fluttershy is going to go all cluckey, Rarity's going to do you a load of foal clothes, Applejack's gonna carve you a crib, and Pinkie Pie's going to insist on foal-sitting." She listed them off. "Rainbow Dash... well, it's going to be interesting, after what happened with Flurry Heart."

"That's an understatement." Twilight agreed. "And we're going to have to have those special spells ready for when this one's born, in case she starts blowing holes in the palace or my castle."

Stellar nodded. "Yeah, I know." She agreed. "But there's something I have to do as well." Stellar turned to Luna and asked "Mistress, I need to go and check something out, to do with Canopus Star."

Luna raised an eyebrow. "Very well, My Apprentice." She replied formally. "We will begin your lessons when you return from your errand."

"Thank you, Mistress." Stellar replied. "Now, to get a certain preggers mare back home, finally."

Luna giggled as Stellar lifted Twilight up off the bed in her magic and carried her out of the room, to Twilight's protests. After a nice slow flight, they arrived on the doorstep of Home and Stellar set Twilight on her hoofs. "I could have flown here myself, you know." Twilight said.

"Yeah, but you have to admit it was more relaxing to have me carry you." Stellar pointed out. "And you're still adjusting to having our foal in there." She added.

Twilight sighed. "Point taken." She replied. Stellar opened the door and let Twilight walk in first. "Okay... let's go face the music."

=======

The young mage awoke, to find himself confined by four old stone walls. "<Urrgh, my head.>" He said. He got to his unsteady hoofs and carefully looked about. "<Great. I am guessing these are the Palace dungeons.>" He said to nopony in particular.

"<Well, you're on the ball this morning.>" Came the voice of the elder he'd been escaping with.

The mage groaned again. "<How many of us are here?>" He asked.

"<Not completely sure, but I have heard two more of us.>" He told the youngster. "<Don't try and use your magic, colt. The walls are warded.>"

"<Not against my magic.>" The mage replied.

"<Go ahead, then. Get yourself fried.>" The elder encouraged him. The mage tried a small spell using his dark magic, and yelped as a bolt of lightning zapped him in the plot. "<Warned you....>"

"<What the bucking hay?>" The mage asked, then he saw the ward on the wall and gasped. "<She's been here.>"

"<Who?>"

"<The Alicorn that killed everypony else.>" The mage answered.

"<That was an alicorn?>" The elder asked. "<I thought our Lord said they were all harmless and weak.>"

"<Not that one.>" The mage said. "<I saw her. Her voice... it scared me more than our lord when he was angry, and she didn't even raise her voice.>" He told his elder. "<She used some sort-of spell that made the void stones not just shatter, but explode. I couldn't even tell what school of magic she was using.>"

"Quiet in there!" Came a shout from outside. "You'll get your chance to talk soon enough."

The pair fell silent. Then the elder said "<I don't know about you, colt, but I know what we have to do.>"

The mage looked about, then nodded. "<Yes, I know.>" He replied. "<See you in Elysia.>"

"<And you, youngster.>" The elder said back...

=======

Stellar was crouched down beside Velvet as she lay on the couch Stellar had lifted her onto, as Night Light looked at a forlorn-looking Twilight. "So, let me get this straight, young lady. The foal isn't really yours, you saved it from her dying mother into yourself. So there's no father we can contact or blame, but the foal's an alicorn like Flurry Heart."

Twilight nodded. "I know, Daddy, it sounds... weird, but it's the truth. I just couldn't let any foal die like that, especially not an alicorn."

Night Light nodded. "I know, Twilight. It's just you all over." Night Light said softly, hugging Twilight to him.

Twilight nickered softly. The support of her family and friends was incredibly important to her, and while she knew Stellar was on her side, having her father behind her stand also made her feel a lot better over her actions. "Thanks, Daddy." She said softly to him as they hugged. "I'm so glad you're not upset."

"Upset?" Night Light asked Twilight, pulling back and looking at her seriously. "Why would I ever be upset with you saving the life of a foal? Admittedly, I might have expected you to bring home a young stray or an orphan, rather than making yourself pregnant... but that's the wonderful thing about Magic, I guess. It allows us to do things that, without it, would be impossible." He told Twilight. He gently moved beside her and stroked her bulging belly. "And you are right. Even if the child had been only a normal earth pony, she deserved the chance to live if there was one. And you gave her that chance." Night Light hugged Twilight to him again. "I couldn't be prouder of you, my daughter."

Twilight's eyes softened with tears as she nuzzled her father. She knew the toll it had taken on them, with her spending a lot of her early foalhood away from them, after having been so long with only Shining Armor. And while she knew Velvet would have rather had her first grand-foal from Twilight in a more... normal way, Twilight knew that, as soon as Velvet saw her grand-daughter's eyes looking at her, she wouldn't be able to resist her natural urges to love and protect the foal, no matter what. "I guess Mama's just upset there isn't going to be a wedding before the baby shower." She told her father.

That got Night Light laughing softly. "Oh yeah, that's your mother all over." He agreed.

"Speaking of which..." Stellar added as Velvet stirred on the couch. She had fainted the instant she'd seen Twilight's gravid condition, without even waiting for an explanation.

Velvet came around, wondering what had happened. Then she looked over and saw Twilight and her swollen belly, and shot out of her seat like she was rocket-propelled. "TWILIGHT EVE SPARKLE! WHAT THE HAY HAVE YOU BEEN DOING AND WITH WHOM?" She yelled at Twilight right in her face, before Stellar lifted Velvet off her hoofs and drifted her back slightly.

"Easy, Mother." Stellar said. "It's not the way you think."

"What's not the way I think?" Velvet asked. "Is your sister pregnant or not?"

"It's not her foal." Stellar told Velvet.

Velvet looked more confused then ever, as Stellar put her back on her hoofs and Night Light moved to restrain Velvet with her. She looked back at Twilight, who asked "Do I even get a chance to explain?" As she looked back at her mother.

Velvet looked at her husband and daughters, then sighed. "Very well. I hope it's a good one." She replied as she sat between Night Light and Stellar.

"Oh, it's a very good one." Stellar told Velvet, before Twilight told Velvet, with Stellar's help, exactly what happened....

=======

Luna had returned to the Audience Room after Twilight and Stellar had left, and an hour before she was due to finish the Night Court and join her by-then risen sister, one of the lieutenants from the Night Guard came up to her on the throne. "Your Highness, there's been trouble down in the dungeons." He reported.

Luna was on her hoofs in an instant. "What kind of trouble?" She asked.

The lieutenant sighed sadly. "All the prisoners are dead." He said. "Their bodies have been reduced to ash."

Luna stopped and looked shocked. Then she scowled. "I take it they did this to themselves?" She asked.

"Yes, Your Highness." The lieutenant replied. "They must have had something hidden inside them, because nothing showed on them after we stripped them of everything and scanned them."

Luna hung her head, but nodded. "Very well, Lieutenant. File your reports and there will be no blame attached. We are dealing with dark forces here and they can be as devious as dragons." She told the experienced Thestral officer. "You are dismissed." She then said.

"Thank you, Your Highness." He replied, saluting, then he left.

Luna snorted, then sighed sadly herself. "This is not good." She said to herself. "If they are willing to kill themselves to protect their secrets, then those secrets must be uncovered." She got to her hoofs and looked at one of the attendant mares. "Please, go wake my sister." Luna requested of her, an order by other name. Then she looked at one of the guards. "Go and have the doors closed, Corporal. We are closing Court early tonight."

"At once, Your Highness." Both replied, then walked away quickly.

Luna waited until she'd heard the great doors close, then she left the Audience Room. "Should I send a message for Stellar?" She debated, then decided "No. Twilight will need time to settle into her new role, and Stellar has a mission already. We shall see what Tia and I can do first, before setting them loose on our unknown foes."

=======

Velvet had finally learned the truth about Twilight's new foal, and just shook her head. "If it had been anypony else telling me this, Twilight, I would not have believed it. But with you and your sister both telling me the same story... I am more than willing to concede that you more than did the right thing." She patted Twilight's forehoof gently. "I am proud of you for what you did. Saving the foal was exactly what I would have expected you to do in that situation." Then she looked sad. "I just wish, as you no doubt do, that the mother could have been saved."

Twilight nodded. "That curse has been banned from every known country for generations." She said. "That they used it so... trivially shows that whomever they are, they care little for life... well, for some lives." Twilight concluded.

Stellar nodded, in agreement. "Hopefully, the Princesses can get some decent information out of the ones I captured."

Velvet turned to Stellar. "Stellar, was that Canopus Star's armor and sword you were wearing today?" She asked.

Stellar nodded. "Yes, Mama. Celestia gave it to me after the Challenge had been made. And you all saw how the sword showed up again."

Night Light chuckled. "Yeah. Young Blueblood sure got it in the end." He said, getting groans from the mares.

"Bad pun, Father." Stellar said. "But yes, it is the armor he left behind. But the set is incomplete." She told her parents. "Does anypony know where he retired to?" She asked.

"I do." Velvet answered. "It was a little village to the north-east of where the Crystal Empire is now. It was called Hoofington." She told Stellar, her voice now very sad. "They died there when the Empire returned. Sombra killed all of those in Hoofington and the five other villages just before he broke the barrier around the Empire Cadance had set up." She explained.

The mood in the room turned somber as the implications were realised. "So... we lost an entire branch of the family that day." Stellar said.

Velvet nodded. "Yes, it was a small branch, but prestigious nonetheless. Canopus Star and his wife Aurora Bright Sparkle were the brother and sister to your grandfather Sirius Star and grandmother Morning Light Sparkle." Velvet smiled as she remembered her parents. "You two are not the first Sparkle Twins, by any means." She grinned at Twilight and Stellar. "They were two brothers and two sisters joined in love. It was a romance that had Canterlot swept up in their exploits." Then she sighed sadly. "Sirius was a unicorn, like the Sparkle Sisters, but his brother Canopus was a pegasus. And like you two, they were both extremely-intelligent and strong-willed. Sirius was a mage of no mean power, a scholar whose mind could encompass the most powerful spells he could learn. I see a lot of him in you, Twilight." Velvet nuzzled Twilight affectionately.

Then Velvet looked at Stellar, who was sitting beside Night Light. "But Canopus... he was a stallion of iron will and had the strength to match it. I thought Shining Armor projected him well; but with you, Stellar, it's like he was reborn as a mare in you. You have his iron will and powerful mental strength in spades, moreso than even Shiny has. I think it is Destiny that you were given his armor and his sword protected you. And you joining the Guard the way you have done... it's even more proof. Canopus literally demanded to join the Solar Guard when the Draco-Griffin War threatened to spill over into Equestria. And when the generals couldn't match the tactics of the dragons, nor the fighting ferocity of the griffins, He shoved them all aside, took command of the armies of Equestria and led them to such a victory, his name is still talked about in hushed whispers in the halls of the Dragon Lords, and said with reverence in the palaces of the Griffonian kings." Velvet had a tear in her eye.

Stellar nodded, her face showing determination. "I have to go to Hoofington." She said as she stood.

The others showed they understood in their faces and actions. Night Light and Velvet hugged her lovingly, affection she returned in spades. Then she moved to Twilight and hugged her close. "I'll be back as soon as I can, Sis." Stellar said to Twilight. "Can't leave you alone with our foal when she decides to come out and show the world how awesome she is." Stellar grinned.

Twilight giggled. "Now you're starting to sound like Rainbow Dash." She commented.

Stellar poked her long tongue out at Twilight and raspberried her, making Twilight giggle more. "That's not a bad thing, I hope." Stellar replied.

"Depends if you take after her in other ways." Twilight answered. "I don't think you're anywhere near as reckless as she is. Please show me I'm right there, Sis?"

"Always, Sis." Stellar told Twilight. "Not gonna get injured or die just when we're having our first child."

"I take it this talk means you two are planning on raising our grand-foal as a couple?" Velvet asked.

"Unless Twilight meets a stallion she likes before the birth." Stellar confirmed to Velvet and Night Light. "She's going to need all the help she can, and I intend to give her that help, even if she does find a stallion of her own."

Night Light nodded. "We'll be there to help, of course." He confirmed for them.

"I never felt otherwise." Twilight replied. "You were there for Shiny and Cadance. I know you will help us." She smiled at their parents.

"Then I know my sister is in the best of hoofs." Stellar told them. "Now, I must go."

They all nodded to Stellar. "Safe journey, my Daughter." Velvet said to Stellar.

"And may you find what you seek." Night Light added.

"Thank you, Father, Mother." Stellar replied with a smile. "I shall return."

They nodded as Stellar turned and headed for her room. After retrieving her bags and securing her armor in a hammerspace pocket, she headed for the train station. An hour later, Stellar was on a train heading for the Crystal Empire, asleep in a compartment.

=======

Celestia mulled over what she had been told by Luna and others over breakfast. She hadn't liked being raised early, but the news was grim and truly deserved her attention as early as possible. "So, they killed themselves once they awoke?" She asked Luna before sipping on her morning tea.

"All five of them." Luna confirmed. "We do at least have the equipment from them and the ones Stellar Sparkle killed herself. The artificiers of the Mages Guild are here, now, examining all their belongings. It seems that Dark Magic is firmly enschonched in wherever these unicorns come from, and it seems to be widely used, like our normal magic." Luna informed Celestia.

Celestia sighed, putting her cup down, where it was refilled by one of the serving mares. "I think I know where they come from." She said softly.

Luna's eyes narrowed. "Pray that you inform me, Sister?" She asked, a very slight hint of menacing impatience in her voice.

"A lot of things happened while you were away, Luna." Celestia began. "At the beginning, your leaving caused much cracking of the fragile Alliance of the Three Tribes, before they truly unified to become the nation of Equestria. There was a loss of confidence in our rule, until I moved the capital to Canterlot and made the Nobles to help me rule." She sighed sadly. "In those most fragile of days, a faction of unicorns decided that the equality that was the by-word of our rule was something they wanted no part of, seeking to return to the old ways, where Unicorns ruled and the other tribes served them. When the announcement came that I was moving to Canterlot to rule, they scorned the Alliance and left."

Luna sat and listened, concentration on her pretty face.

"Almost fifty thousand of our ponies left in ships from the settlement that would become Manehatten, bound for some place overseas." Celestia went on. "I know where they settled. They founded a new nation, Unicornia, where Unicorns are the ruling elite and Pegasi and Earth Ponies are ruled over by them, subjects to their will and are regarded as lesser beings." She sighed.

Luna looked mad. "And why haven't we destroyed this travesty and reclaimed our own from this... mockery of all we have built?"

"Because of the Draco-Griffin War." Celestia answered. "Our forces took a lot of time to build up to the point where we were ready to go to them and demand the release of their almost-slaves." She sighed. "We lost so many ponies in that conflict that, without the leadership of Canopus Star and others like him, it might have been the death-knell of Equestria as we know it. Even when we came out of the war mostly intact, we were weakened beyond our capacity to force the nation of Unicornia to aquiesce to any demands." She explained. "But this... whatever has been set in motion here was crafted beyond the small lines of communication I have within Unicornia. Someone has been working in the background to strengthen Unicornia, but without us knowing or stopping our own plans." Celestia thought on for a moment. "This reeks of familiarity and long planning."

"I have to agree, Tia." Luna replied. "But what lines of 'communication' do you mean?"

"I have several traders who clandestinely trade some goods we make to Unicornia. The officials think that they are smugglers, and we do everything not to disabuse them of that opinion." Celestia informed Luna. "In return, we get some things from them, but what we also have is a stream of ponies who are sickened by the cruelty of the regime and want to settle in our equality-based society. Many of them are second-class citizens, by their reckoning, who leave for a better life. It's a serious business, but it also allows me to talk to several families who keep an eye on things in their capital and large cities."

Luna nodded. "Indeed, Tia. It seems you have done as best you can in keeping an eye on them."

Celestia nodded. "But this move is very bold for them. Actually doing an action within Canterlot itself? My suspicions are drawn to the mare they were chasing and why they were doing so."

Luna snorted. "They just happened to run into the worst possible pony they could have, even including ourselves." Luna said, then she frowned. "But an alicorn foal? What do you think this means?"

"Maybe more than we know, Luna." Celestia said. "If they were willing to sacrifice that young mare so easily, maybe she was not the only one they have as a mother to an alicorn foal."

Luna looked furious. "A pair, do you think?" She asked. "A matching set to us?"

Celestia nodded. "It makes sense." She put forth. "Then they could challenge the Diarchy with their own. But with one dying... and I am almost certain that they do not know that the foal was saved, for such a spell is beyond the capability of almost all the mages here, save for us."

"And for Twilight." Luna reminded Celestia. "She is not the Avatar of the Element of Magic for nothing."

Celestia smiled. "Very true, Luna. Now do you see why I have nurtured her so?"

Luna nodded. "She was never intended to replace me, I know this now." She told Celestia. "If that had been so, Stellar would be far more suitable as a candidate than Twilight." Luna took a deep breath and relaxed. "Twilight is an augmentation to you, Tia. She bears the most powerful of the Elements of Harmony, which makes her mastery of magic as powerful as any of us, and she will only become more powerful as she grows as an alicorn. She leads the Team of Harmony, as I call her friends. Every time they use the Elements, their bond grows stronger and stronger. As long as they don't lose their bonds with each other and the Elements, then Equestria is far safer than before."

"Yes. But having you back by my side, Luna my dear sister, is even more important." Celestia said to Luna, stretching out her long neck and nuzzling Luna affectionately, something that had even Luna softly nickering. "I lost the best part of my strength to act that day. You have always been Equestria's strength of will, and though others have come to fill your place as best they could, not even Canopus Star could truly take your place, only help me through each crisis as it happened." She told Luna. "Not even Twilight could fully replace you... but she was never meant to. She might be my subsitute daughter, but she is NOT my sister. Only you are."

Luna smiled softly, a small tear in one eye. "I missed you so much, Tia. All the time I was there, I never stopped loving you, even if the Nightmare was full of hate for you."

"I know, Beloved Luna." Celestia said, moving to Luna and holding her close with one huge wing. "Only together are we ever complete. Only now that we are together again can Equestria truly advance forward as we planned."

"So... what role do the others play, now that we have so many other alicorns?" Luna asked.

Celestia thought on that for a moment. "Cadance is where she belongs. As the last of the line of the rulers of the Crystal Empire, only she is capable of leading the Crystal Ponies and keeping them from being influenced by others. Shining Armor is our link to the Empire as well, and with Cadance giving birth to an alicorn foal, it shows they are a very special couple. It also reinforces the Royal Family there as well. The more alicorns we have, the chances of Equestria shattering reduces."

Luna nodded. "Twilight's role is obvious." She said.

Celestia nodded. "And a big blow for our rivals." She agreed. "The reaction from the rulers of Unicornia when her ascension was announced there was nothing short of astonishment and dismay. I think it set their plans back an enormous amount."

Luna nodded in agreement. "And Stellar?"

"Oh, she is the 'Wild Card', I believe the term is." Celestia grinned. "Only Faust knows why she was sent here or where she came from, but having a fourth alicorn in Equestria, especially since it appears she will become your counterpart, is going to really set them on their ears." She said with a mischievously-smug look. "And it means that we have two teams of powerful alicorns that can lead the masses. Now, once Stellar's fully-trained and ready to lead, she and Twilight can be our active counterparts away from Canterlot, and we can hold the city and Equestria from anything they can throw at us. We no longer need to divide our strength to oppose any others that might wish to strike Equestria." Celestia stopped, then relaxed and sat down again. "It is such a relief." She told Luna. "I am hoping that, once word gets back to the ruling elite of Unicornia, they might consider actually giving up whatever plans they have and establishing dialogue with us peacefully."

Luna snorted derisively. "You dream big, Tia." She said. "You always hope for the best outcome, even for those who oppose us."

Celestia nodded. "Yes, I do, Luna. I have to. If I didn't..."

Luna nodded and nuzzled Celestia this time. "I know, Tia. Somepony has to try to keep our sights where they belong. And it's my job to show you reality, so you and I can plan properly."

"Yes." Celestia agreed. "That's why I believe things have been so difficult, because you were not here with me, Luna. I need you to keep me grounded in reality and give me the advice I need for our long-term plans to work."

"And Twilight now has Stellar to play the same role?" Luna asked.

"That and more." Celestia answered. "Stellar is delving in dangerous territory, but for some reason, I think she is the only one who can go there and bring back a school of magic that we sorely lack. If Unicornia is using Dark Magic so universally, then we need something to counter it, and what she is learning is the only school of magic designed to counter it properly."

"Why has it been neglected for so long?" Luna asked.

"Because, like Dark Magic, Light Magic has its side-effects... only different." Celestia looked off into an unseen distance. "Maybe, being an alicorn, she can resist its effects and bring it back the way it should have been..."

Then Marigold Leaf, Celestia's secretary and personal aide, coughed at the door. "Your Highnesses, it's time." She reminded them.

Celestia nodded to Marigold, then smiled at Luna. "Shall we do our eternal dance, my beloved sister?"

Luna grinned. "Yes, my loving sister. Let us tread the warp and weave of our world again and bring joy to our subjects."

The two sisters rose from their seats and headed out to the towers where they would raise the sun and lower the moon for the day to begin. It would continue the illusion to the ponies of Equestria that everything was fine with their world, their country and their lives.

=======

The Dawn Express, the train that ran from Canterlot to Crystal City overnight, came down from the mountains as the sun rose from the east. The sleeper cars were fully-insulated and darkened to allow for those sleeping to continue to sleep up until they arrived at the new station inside Crystal City, if they desired to get more rest.

As the train reached the plains before the Crystal Empire, conductors went around waking everypony on board that hadn't notified them that they were sleeping in. Stellar was instantly awake as the latch to her compartment was fiddled with, and she sat up as the conductor looked in. "Ah, good morning." He said with a soft but cheerful voice. "Breakfast will be served in ten minutes if you'd like it in here, or the dining car is open for the breakfast buffet." He told Stellar.

"In here is fine." Stellar replied, stretching.

"Very well, Miss." He answered her, then departed.

Stellar slid out of the lower bunk onto her hoofs and stretched properly. She'd modified the routine she vaguely remembered for her quadrupedal body, also remembering to stretch her wings. Preening took a short five minutes, and after a bathroom break in the tiny bathroom, she was ready when her breakfast arrived, her bunk retracted and the table deployed. By the time the train pulled up at Crystal City, Stellar was waiting to disembark.

Once out on the platform, she had to go through the gate to get outside, but once there, she took to her wings and flew for the Palace Tower, its immense size making it easy to see in the middle of the crystal buildings that composed the city. Stellar gave the city a good look as she circled it, smiling as she saw everything below her and around her. She settled to her hoofs again just at the edge of the square where the Tower stood. The Crystal Guards there noticed her, of course, but since she looked like Twilight and the sister of the Prince was well-known to them, they simply smiled and allowed her to enter the Tower. Stellar did feel a scan as she entered, though. She recognised it as one for dark magic objects and certain other spells, as well as compounds and weapons. Her armor and the great-sword were tucked away in Hammerspace and, although they registered on the scans, the seal on the sword meant that the scanners merely registered it as a weapon of marque and Stellar wasn't stopped as she passed the scanning station. Stellar was impressed. The technomagical scanners were quite advanced. "Maybe we should put a set of these together for the Palace and Twi's castle..." She noted to herself.

The rows of Guards leading to the Throne Room made it easy to find. But there were a lot of ordinary ponies there waiting for their turn to see Princess Cadance and Shining Armor wasn't with her, Stellar could see. She looked at one of the few officers there. "Where is Prince Shining Armor?" She asked the lieutenant.

"He's at the Guard compound, Miss." He replied, then noticed whom he was addressing. "Uh, Princess, sorry."

Stellar chuckled. "It's okay." She said. "And thank you."

He nodded and said "It's a bit hectic today. Princess Cadance is organising the next major festival, and the committee is all here at once."

"Oh, no wonder there's so many people here." Stellar replied. "I'll go see if Shining can talk, then."

The Lieutenant smiled and gestured to two of the Guards-ponies that were waiting as back-up. "You two! Take Her Highness to see Prince Shining Armor."

"Aye, Sir!" They replied, and stepped into line with Stellar, guiding and 'protecting' her as they headed back out of the Tower.

The main Crystal Guard compound was to the south of the Tower, a new compound made from an area that was destroyed during King Sombra's last attack near the Tower before he was destroyed. Now Shining Armor was using it to train a force the equivalent of the Royal Guard for the Crystal Empire and its surrounding territory. He'd had a modicum of success, but getting recruits seemed to always be a problem, and experienced officers were in short supply. Some of his old friends from the Royal Guard had decided to come with him and help, but it was always an uphill battle, with a lot of the younger Crystal Ponies still having some distrust of Equestria from a battle that, for them, was only seven years ago, now. Shining was watching and helping to train a few of the best soldiers they'd recruited in becoming officers, but he didn't have the resources of the Guard Academy to help him, so he was having to do a lot of the work himself.

Stellar walked in and looked about. "Thank you, Gentlecolts. You're dismissed." Stellar told her escort.

"Aye, Princess." They replied and headed back to the Tower as Stellar moved to where she saw Shining Armor standing, talking to several Guards in their newly-styled armor. Shining saw the proto-officers glance behind him, and he turned to see what they were looking at. He was surprised at somepony he thought was Twilight walking towards him, but she hadn't send a message like she always did to tell them she was coming. Then several things clicked in his mind: It wasn't Twilight. The way she walked, the look on her face, the new saddlebags she was wearing. They all added up to this not being Twilight. He turned to face her and, with a slightly cooler and more formal voice, he said "Hello, Stellar. What brings you to the Crystal Empire?"

Stellar smiled. "Good to know you don't merely take me at face value, Shiny." She replied a little more warmly. "I need to find a village on the north-east perimeter called Hoofington." She answered him.

"Hoofington." He replied, looking... sad, yet stern.

"Yes." Stellar confirmed. "I take it you know of it?" She asked.

"Intimately." Shining replied. "I was there once for four days... I do not wish to set hoof there ever again." He told Stellar.

Stellar nodded, also looking sad. "You led the clean-up detail, I presume."

"That's correct." Shining answered. "It was one of the worst duties I have ever had to perform... even trying to teach these thistleheads can't compare." He then looked at Stellar suspiciously. "Why do you want to go there?" He asked.

"A mystery has come to light, involving Canopus Star." Stellar explained, Shining looking slightly astonished when Stellar mentioned their grand-uncle. "Celestia recently gave me his armor and great-sword as a gift for me, since I'm now a lieutenant in the Lunar Guard and Luna's apprentice." That really got Shining's attention. Stellar smiled. "Yes, it's all true. Anyway, the armor set isn't complete. I think the rest of it is in Hoofington, and Canopus Star did that deliberately to make anypony who was given it come to him." She told Shining Armor.

"I see you're not above dropping names." Shining Armor said with a stern look, but then smiled. "Congratulations, Stellar." He told her, moving close and giving her a hug. "That's two-for-two then, for our family."

Stellar chuckled. "In more ways than one." She agreed. "So, you'll show me where it is, then?"

"I can't myself, but I know somepony who can." Shining answered. "Go see Sargeant Jade Pillar over there." He gestured to a jade-green pegasus stallion. "He knows from going there with me." Shining told Stellar.

"Thanks, Shiny." Stellar replied, giving him another hug. "Keep at them. You'll get through to them eventually." She told Shining, gesturing to the troops.

"Yeah, hopefully before I pull out a warhammer I found a few months ago and use their hollow heads for practise." He said, grinning at Stellar.

"Oh, before I forget." Stellar told Shining. "I have news. Now, don't get frantic, Shiny. This is going to be a shock. It made Mother faint." Stellar warned him.

Shining blinked, nodded. "Okay... if Mother fainted, then it's gonna be something really big."

"Yeah. Twily's pregnant..." Stellar started.

Shining Armor's eyes opened wide as his brain digested the news, then he started to almost shout "Preg..."

Stellar put a hoof over his mouth to prevent Shining from freaking out. "Seven months pregnant." Stellar finished her sentence. "Special circumstances."

Shining nodded, then took a deep breath after Stellar removed her hoof. "How the hay did that happen?" He asked.

"A wounded, pregnant mare, hit with a cursed crossbow bolt, Twilight using a very old and powerful transference spell to move the foal from the mother to herself, and the mare dying of the curse before they could save her." Stellar explained to Shining using the saliant-point method. "So Twilight's stuck with the baby, literally, and we barely managed to keep Velvet from going crazy before we explained everything."

Shining chuckled. "I can imagine." He said. "So, seven months gone, eh?" He asked. "No idea of the father, I take it?"

"Not a clue... yet." Stellar confirmed.

"Do we know what the foal is?" Shining asked.

"Sort-of." Stellar answered. She moved closer to Shining. "We don't know what gender it is yet, but... It's an alicorn." She whispered the last part.

Shining started at that, but then shook himself. "It's been confirmed?" He asked.

Stellar nodded. "Yep. Two doctors and Twilight herself confirmed it."

Shining chuckled again. "Wow, things are never dull around our family." He said lightly.

"Definitely." Stellar grinned.

Shining sighed with resignation. "Okay. I'll let you go and do what you have to do, then all of us can sit down and discuss what happened when you get back."

Stellar nodded. "You know it, B.B.B.F.F." Stellar said back, grinning.

"Go on, Scamp!" Shining chuckled as Stellar lightly skipped out of range of the swung forehoof.

"Gonna have to work harder than that to give me a noogie, Bro!" Stellar yelled back as she skipped over towards Jade Pillar.

Shining just shook his head, a big smile on his face, then turned back to the trainee-officers. "What? Never seen somepony have a conversation with his sister before?" He asked them. Many of them laughed, then they got back to business.

= = = = =

Stellar approached the green pegasus stallion Shining had named as Jade Pillar, then gave a cough from beside him. He looked up to see her and smiled. "Can I help you, Miss...?"

"Stellar Sparkle, Sargeant." Stellar gave her name.

"And what does the sister of His Highness, the prince of the Empire, want with my lowly time?" He asked, a charming smile on his face.

"I don't think you're going to like what I want, Sargeant." Stellar said. "But Shining Armor said you'd be able to help me."

Jade Pillar got serious. "Very well, then. Ask me."

"I need to get to Hoofington." Stellar told Jade Pillar.

To his credit, Jade Pillar almost managed to hide every trace of his shock at hearing that name again. "Oh?" He then asked. "And why would somepony as lovely as yourself want to go near that cursed place?"

"Familly business." Stellar answered. "I need to see if something from my grand-uncle was left behind there, as I suspect it was."

"Ah." Jade Pillar nodded. "I can't think of any other reason, save for something macabre, to go near that village, or any of the six."

Stellar nodded. "So, will you guide me there?" She asked him.

Jade Pillar nodded. "Of course. The Prince said I would, so I shall." He replied with a friendlier smile.

Stellar smiled back. "Can we go now?"

"Sure. No fur off my muzzle. It means I'm off-duty until we get back." Jade Pillar said. He turned to head out of the compound, then took to the skies, Stellar right behind him after she'd brought out her great-sword and secured the scabbard over her shoulders and under the backpack she was wearing.

The flight carried them to the north-east over Crystal City, then the Empire, which was slowly expanding out onto the plains that were situated to the south of the Empire. More ponies from the crowded areas of the east, between Manehatten and Baltimare, were heading west to take up residence in the Empire's new flanks, expanding its population and filling a need for the Empire in her food production and other areas. New methods of detecting minerals meant new mines were being explored, giving the Empire valuable resources it could trade for things it needed. And its trademark crystals were being highly sought-after for new inventions, including crystal radios and communicators. But not every area was being exploited.

Stellar followed Jade Pillar over two small villages, with only the westernmost one was being sparsely occupied at that time. The other one was being left alone for the moment, as they headed up around the curve of the mountain range that the Empire was seated in. The main train line from Canterlot was more than fifty miles away and wound up behind the Empire, with Mount Everhorn, the biggest mountain in Equestria, to the north of it. In that long sliver of a valley lay another village, and it was there, to a village that once bore the name Hoofington, that Jade Pillar was leading Stellar.

The winds down the valley were mild that day, and they dodged them by going in low and landing swiftly, not even circling. Stellar looked around the spot where they'd landed. There were a number of what looked-like small hills with grass all over them around a much larger one that was long and sat along the valley. Jade Pillar looked at the spot they'd landed near: a graveyard with rows of thick, pillar-like columns of stone. "This is the legacy of Sombra for Hoofington, Miss Sparkle." He told her as they looked at the tombstones.

Stellar moved through the gateway into the graveyard, eventually locating a section with the name 'SPARKLE' carved into a large stone set in the ground before a number of graves. They seemed to share names, as if many ponies had been buried together. One older one read faintly "Canopus Star' and 'Aurora Bright' under the name 'Sparkle'. The next one read 'Sirius Blaze' and 'Borealia Light', and a smaller stone had two names, but they were partially missing as the stone had cracked and the upper part shattered. Only part of the upper name that read 'ight' and the lower name 'na Blaze' remained. Stellar sighed. She said a prayer for the family the Sparkle Clan had lost that day, hoping they were safe in the Elysian Fields and Elysia.

Stellar saw that Jade Pillar was also praying for the dead of Hoofington as she turned to leave, and she left him with his prayers and thoughts as she wound her way amongst the hillocks that she realised were sodded-over houses. She wandered aimlessly for a while, passing the much-bigger long hillock and amongst the houses to the North. Then she felt something. Something impinged on that place in her mind where she'd felt the Light Magic touch her before, and she headed in that direction, towards a hillock that was slightly-larger than the normal-sized ones. She found the door in the side of it, but she couldn't see how to open the door. The grass had completely grown down over the doorway, so Stellar lit up her horn and she Blinked to the other side.

Inside, it was pitch black. She lit up the tip of her horn to begin with, looking around inside the very dark room. Stellar felt cold as she looked about and considered using a more powerful light spell, when her sword slid from its scabbard to float before her. The runes lit up brilliantly, giving her plenty of light to see by as she continued to slowly look about. Stellar smiled. "Thank you." She said to the sword. While part of her thought it was silly to anthropomorphosize an object like the sword, another part of her knew that Magic here meant that even simple objects could be far more than they seemed.

What she found as she looked around was a single stone-walled room, fully sealed and well-insulated against what she knew had been a very bitterly cold environment. There were racks for clothing and other things, but it was long-empty now; for years, Stellar knew. But it didn't seem to lead anywhere. She was back at the door after circling the room once, when her sword turned upside-down and pointed to a section of the floor. Face-hoofing, she said "How could I be so dense? Of course most of the houses here would be underground, considering how cold this place used to be." She said to herself, and she found the edges of a large trap door. Moving to the opposite side of the room, she opened it to reveal a wide staircase descending into darkness.

The sword preceeded her down the stairs and through a door that opened easily this time, to reveal another great-room, this one showing furnishings much more like a living room than the one upstairs. Stellar nodded. "Almost like houses I saw in... oh damn!" She grumbled as another name vanished from her memory. "I have to get Twilight to dig this bucking editing program out of my brain!" She swore to herself as she noticed the sword moving towards another section of floor. "So, another trap door?" She asked it, as it stopped and pointed down, bouncing up and down over the spot. "Okay, I get the point."

The sword stopped moving. Stellar swore it understood the pun and was telling her it didn't like it. "Sorry." She said, then it moved aside and allowed her to open the trap door. More stairs led down into a sub-basement where old jars full of preserved foods and other things were stacked on shelves. As she perused the objects in the room, Stellar noticed that most of them were well-past their use-by dates, by their condition. Then she looked at her sword. "Well?" She asked it. "You seem to know your way around here better than I do."

It just spun on its long axis, not really pointing anywhere... "Or is it?" Stellar asked herself. She moved to where it was and looked up. Sure enough, there was something different about the roof supports above the sword. She levitated herself up to it and looked. It seemed the floor in this was lower than between the other beams. She closed her eyes and scanned it... to find there looked like another big chest inside. "Well, you really do know your stuff." She told the sword, as she returned to the ground. Stellar carefully teleported the roof panels away to bring the chest out, also showing the floor joists above it. She set the chest on the floor and looked it over. Sure enough, it had the same winged Sparkle Star as the original chest had. Stellar touched it with a hoof, the wings clicked back like the first one had and the lock opened.

Inside, Stellar found what she'd been looking for. "The missing sections." She grinned as she stroked the sections of red-laquered silver-edged armor that lay in the chest. But there was more. Inside was a tome-like book, sealed like her own tome was. "Okay..." Stellar said. She lifted the book out and looked it over. It was uncannily like her own tome, but older, she knew. "Hmm..." She checked it over for the lock, but found none. "Okay then. I'm not going to try and open you here." She said to the tome, as she closed the chest and it locked again. Stellar slid it into her backpack and made sure it was secured, then she started heading back out of the house. Stellar did stop up in the living room and look around a little, finding an old framed picture of the family that used to be here. It showed all six members, from the older pegasus stallion whom she figured was Canopus Star, to a four-year-old unicorn colt. She ended up taking it with her. "Maybe I can find out their names and replace that broken tombstone." Stellar said to herself as she reached the surface room. Once the trapdoor was shut, she Blinked outside again and looked for Jade Pillar.

She found him to the south of the village, looking at the weather nervously. "Cold front moving down." He commented as Stellar moved to him.

"Yeah, I could feel it." She replied. "Shall we go home?"

Jade Pillar nodded. "We'd better get going, or we'll be walking back." He told Stellar, as they opened their wings and took to the skies.

"At least we can ride the winds back." Stellar yelled at him as they were shot into the air.

"The only advantage!" Jade Pillar agreed loudly. After they'd flown for nearly an hour on the winds, Jade Pillar moved closer to Stellar and commented. "You fly very well for an alicorn."

"I was a pegasus before I was an alicorn." Stellar explained, fudging it a bit, but her body, according to Starlight, had been that of a pegasus before it had become an alicorn, so she wasn't really lying.

"Ah! That explains it, then." He replied, grinning. "Like our beloved Princess."

Stellar nodded. "Yeah. Cadance and I have that in common. My sister, Twilight, is okay in the air but most pegasi can run rings around her."

Jade Pillar chuckled. "Yeah. Shows you can give wings to a unicorn, but it still doesn't make them a pegasus."

Stellar laughed at that one, as they banked around out of the winds, into the safety of the Crystal Heart's influence over the weather.

= = = = =

Once they landed, Stellar went to her room in the Tower after saying good-bye to Jade Pillar. She put the chest beside the original one Luna and Celestia had given to her, seeing that the original one locked on top of the second one, making a nice big trunk. The box the sword had been in was splinters, but it had been obvious that it hadn't been anything special, unlike these two.

A quick shower and groom, and Stellar slid a filmy scarf around her neck, letting it drape nicely, then she headed out of her room. From what she'd heard, she, Shining and Cadance were going to be having Dinner in a short while. The staff were courteous and directed Stellar to a small, cosy dining room, with a small table set for three. "This is nice. I guess the big dining room is for state occasions." Stellar said as she looked out of the window over Crystal City, towards the new train station.

"You're right about that, Sis." Shining said as he walked in.

Stellar hugged him and gave him a sisterly nuzzle. "So, where's Cadance?" She asked.

"Coming." Shining replied. "She's just making sure the new desserts and confectionary cook knows his stuff." He explained. "The last mare we'd gotten for that position wasn't up to Tower standards, although we did get her a nice job at a good diner down near Garnet Street." Shining moved closer. "She was okay, but she couldn't leave the Empire to look elsewhere for work. Her husband is working here as the meats cook. Apparently he's had training in Griffonia and knows all the best recipes for every cut of meat you can get served in Griffonia, including fish."

"Mmm... sounds like he'll be invaluable if you get the Griffonian ambassador coming to visit." Stellar commented.

"Yeah." Shining agreed. "Even I liked his river trout."

"Twilight likes trout too." Stellar said slyly.

"Really?" Shining looked very surprised. "I never knew she'd tried it."

Stellar giggled. "You know when I was stuck in her body?" She asked. Shining nodded. "I had Spike cook some for myself and Rainbow Dash, and ate it in front of her."

Shining barely stifled a burst of laughter. "Really? And she didn't try and throw you out as you did so?"

"No!" Stellar giggled louder. "She said it tasted incredible! Then she started eating fish wraps the next day."

That got Shining laughing. "Wow! That's... something, Stellar. I guess having you in her head did her some good, after all."

Stellar laughed at that, just as Cadance showed up. "Was there something I missed?" She asked as she moved to Shining and kissed him lovingly.

"Nah, Stellar was just telling me of some things she's found out that Twily's been keeping hidden from us." Shining told Cadance as she sat with him.

"Oh? Like what?" Cadance asked, like a school-filly getting gossip from her schoolmates.

"Apparently Twily has a hidden predeliction for fish, especially trout." Stellar revealed. "Not that I don't love it myself." She added.

Cadance's face broke out in a huge grin. "My little sister-in-law likes fish?" She asked, almost squee'ing in delight. "I must have her served some the next time you two come to visit."

Stellar grinned. "Mmm... serve me fish any time." She said to Cadance.

The three all laughed and settled in, as serving staff bring out a very delicious dinner.

= = = = =

After dinner, Flurry Heart joined her parents and met her Aunt Stellar for the first time. Stellar found the little alicorn filly to be extremely curious and very snuggly, settling between Stellar's legs as they sat together, with Flurry Heart asking Stellar all sorts of questions.

"You're my Auntie Stellar, then?" Flurry asked.

Stellar grinned. "That's right, Flurry."

"But I only have one aunty who looks like you; my Auntie Twilight." Flurry insisted.

"Maybe once, but now you have two." Stellar told her.

"How?" Flurry asked.

"Blame Magic." Stellar replied, grinning.

"Oh." Flurry just said, looking confused.

"Magic sometimes does things in ways even we alicorns can't explain... Fluffers." Stellar told Flurry.

"Fluffers?" Flurry asked.

"Sure." Stellar grinned wider. "Every pretty little filly needs an awesome nickname, and mine for you is now 'Fluffers'." Stellar answered.

Flurry Heart wondered about that for almost a minute, before asking "But what does it mean?"

"It means I can fluff you when you get sad or confused!" Stellar replied, before 'fluffing' Flurry with her wings, tickling her mercilessly.

Cadance and Shining laughed out loud as Flurry Heart squealed and giggled, while Stellar hugged her lovingly. "Never gonna let you get sad or confused around me, Fluffers." Stellar said, as she nuzzled Flurry tenderly, Flurry nickering as she nuzzled back.

"Okay, so since you're done molesting our daughter, Stellar, maybe you can fill us in on our sister's advanced state of pregnancy?" Shining asked.

Stellar nodded as she straightened up. "Okay. Twilight and I were walking home a couple of nights ago, when we encountered a pregnant unicorn mare being chased by a group of ponies shrouded in shadow cloaks." Stellar began. "She was wounded in the shoulder with a small crossbow bolt. Twilight Blinked her to the Palace infirmary while I took the ponies on in combat. They turned out to be dark-coated unicorn stallions, all in strange gear that was charged with Dark magic."

Shining Armor scowled deeply, as Cadance looked shocked. "And you were able to take them on, even with their Dark magic?" Shining asked.

"I'm studying a very old type of forgotten magic at the moment that seems to be specifically designed to counter Dark magic." Stellar went on. "And it's very effective, too. I think Great-Uncle Canopus Star had also studied it to an extent, because the runes on his armor and sword are linked to this Light magic, and are beyond the ones we know today as Rune magic, even though they're essentially from the same school."

"All right, so how did Twilight get pregnant?" Cadance asked.

"While I took the stallions on, Twilight found the crossbow bolt was cursed with a very nasty Dark curse, called the Black Ash curse." Stellar explained. "She was able to temporarily halt it, but had to get the foal out of the mother to treat the mare. Twilight invoked some old magic of her own, essentially preparing her body for pregnancy and then transferring the foal over to herself. She had hoped that, with the child safe from both the curse and the powerful magic needed to stop it, they could treat the mother properly. But almost as soon as the transfer was complete, the curse reached the mother's heart and she was turned into a pile of black ash, hence the name of the curse." Stellar concluded.

"How horrid." Cadance stated, looking sad.

"That's why that curse is banned in every civilised country that we know of." Stellar said, with Shining nodding his agreement. "Anyway, so Twilight is now carrying an alicorn foal and is seven months gone. Velvet and Night Light are now being supportive, and Twilight and I are going to be looking after the foal together."

Cadance was smiling softly as Shining grinned. "I think you'll make a lovely couple." Cadance replied.

"Well, until Twilight manages to catch a stallion she likes." Stellar said, but she didn't disagree with Cadance. "But I am going to give her every bit of support I can until then, or the foal reaches their majority."

"Then we know she's in good hoofs." Shining replied.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Shiny." Stellar said, grinning. "Frankly, I think this is either going to make or break Twilight. She's going to learn big-time that foals don't always work to checklists, but they're good to have for foals, if they're flexible enough. I'm betting she'll be a far more mature mare when she's ready to have her next foal."

"I can believe that." Cadance agreed.

"Is the foal gonna be like me?" Flurry asked.

Stellar chuckled. "Yes, she is, Fluffers. She's gonna have a horn and wings, like you did."

"Wow!" Flurry replied, grinning.

"Yeah, very cool, little Fluffers." Stellar agreed.

"Cool?" Flurry asked, looking about.

"Uh-huh." Stellar said back. "If something's awesome, but not completely awesome enough to rate an 'Awesome!', you say it's 'Cool'." She explained.

"Cool!" Flurry replied, to laughter from the adults.

"Now you got it, Fluffers." Stellar told Flurry.

"Anyway, time for bed, Flurry." Shining said as he got up.

"AWWWWW!" Flurry said as Shining moved across to her.

"Come on, Flurry, you have to go to bed because your tutors will be here early tomorrow." Shining reminded Flurry.

"Can Aunty Stellar give me a ride to bed?" Flurry asked hopefully.

Shining looked at Stellar. "That's up to Stellar." Shining replied.

"Will you give me a ride to bed, Aunty Stellar?" Flurry asked.

Stellar looked at Cadance, who nodded, then at Shining, who gave a single nod. "Okay, Fluffers, you can ride on my back." Stellar said with a grin.

"Yay!" Flurry answered and, spreading her wings wide, she jumped lightly up onto Stellar's back and settled there. Stellar strode easily and smoothly along between Shining Armor and Cadance as they headed for Flurry's bedroom.

After delivering Flurry to her bed, Stellar nuzzled her tenderly, then stepped back and let Cadance and Shining say their good-nights as she headed out of the bedroom.

"She's so cute." Stellar remarked as they all walked back to the lounge area.

"She is now." Shining said. "But she was such a handful when she was first born. Her magic was fully-charged and unregulated." He explained.

"Ouch." Stellar replied, wincing. "Don't tell me: Shooting blasts everywhere?"

"Putting holes in the palace walls and roof." Cadance answered. "That's our little hellion." She grinned. "Fortunately, Sunburst the Crystaller knew the proper spells to regulate her mana outbursts, so after her crystalling, Flurry was a lot easier to handle." She told Stellar.

"Yeah, Twilight mentioned those spells. I'll have to get them off you before I go." Stellar said to Cadance.

"Of course. Maybe she should put them in a pamphlet you could hand out to expectant unicorn mothers. I bet there's a few others who could have wished to know about them." Cadance suggested.

"More than likely." Stellar agreed, before yawning. "And that's my cue to go hit the hay. See you for breakfast in the morning." Stellar said, hugging Cadance and Shining.

"Yes, see you then, Sis." Shining replied and stepped back to Cadance's side, as Stellar was led off by one of Cadance's mares-in-waiting.

= = = = =

As she settled down in bed that night, Stellar felt even more relaxed than she had ever been. Somehow, she'd become truly comfortable with being who she was now, to the point where she no longer cared about her former life, whatever she had been. This was her, right here, right now. While she hated losing any of the information her past had, due to that incessant editing program, it was only of use to her if it helped her life as she was living it now, like it had in her fight with Blueblood. No. She was Stellar Light Sparkle, of the Family Sparkle, and she knew there was no use dwelling on what may-have-beens. Not when she had such an incredible life to lead here.

As she slowly drifted to sleep, Stellar wondered what Twilight's foal would look like, and if Flurry Heart would like her...

=======

Well after darkness fell that night, a medium-sized paddle steamer left Manehatten port supposedly for Griffonia. It would not reach its reported destination, however. Instead, it would turn south and head down the Griffonian coast, heading out into the open ocean, bound for somewhere considerably further away.

On-board the steamer, which was actually an armed luxury yacht in disguise, Armus Darkblood was sitting up, checking over the figures of the projected losses from his businesses after he'd had to withdraw from Equestria. He looked through a set of transparent metal panels, to where a huge bed lay. The figure in the bed was sleeping fitfully, tossing occasionally as she tried to sleep.

Armus sighed sadly. He knew he was ruthless and had had to be heartless at times, but there still was a softer side to him that he kept well-hidden. As much as he had disliked his son for his rashness and reactive nature, Blueblood had been his only son, and the loss of both him and Tourmaline in a single day was still hitting him hard. While he'd taken the two mares into his herd because their bloodlines had given him the best chance for alicorn foals (another reason Blueblood had been considered a failure by Armus), he had found that he'd grown attracted to the two mares in a much closer and loving way as he grew to knew them. Of course, their relationships were clandestine. While it would not have been unseemly for him to take another mare, taking two as proper wives was unheard-of amongst the nobility. While Equestrians may have hardly batted an eyelid, in Unicornia, it would have been scandal for someone of his rank to do so. Only the peasant stallions took multiple mares to live under one roof.

At least with Tourmaline gone, he could take Turquoise home with him without any hint of scandal. Blueblood's mother had died many years ago, so that was no problem. Turquoise and Tourmaline had been married to him in a small service within Canterlot two years ago, and he would formally take Turquoise as his wife in a ceremony that would be performed in the Temple of the Dark in Bastillar after they got home, securing her daughter as his own legitimately. For the little one would become not just nobility, but with her alicorn blood, she would be Unicornia's new royalty, sealing the Darkblood line as the ruling family in Unicornia now and forever, something that Armus had worked towards all of his long life.

Armus had worked his way up from just one son amongst five sons and twenty daughters from three mares in the leading house of Unicornia's elite, working hard to understand the three arms of Power: Politics, Commerce and Sorcery. He had excelled at all three, unlike his siblings, and eventually rose to become powerful enough to take the highest seat on the Dark Council. Once he was there, he secured his title as Lord Sorceror Exemplaris, then raised his family's fortunes to where he controlled at least some part of almost everything that went on in the land. He employed the smarter ponies from his family to keep things running smoothly, then started working on the government. As Lord Sorceror Exemplaris, he had great political power, enough to 'guide' the governing body to do his will, or view it as politically expediant to support him.

But the thought of Equestria still being the protector of such backward ideals as Friendship and Equality of the Tribes made his blood boil. Unicorns were always superior, it was written in the heavens. Only unicorns could become Alicorns, therefore they were the only ones fit to rule. He WOULD bring Equestria into line with the true vision of unicorn superiority and, through his daughter, the world would eventually fall into line. Armus smiled. Maybe he would find out one day how to ascend himself, then he could rule one country while his daughter ruled the other under his guidance.

Armus sat back and gave a deep yawn. While his command of Dark magic allowed him to hold off the ravages of Time and keep him looking and feeling young, sometimes he felt his three hundred years of age. He closed his portfolios, got up from the table and stretched, then headed to the bedroom. Sliding in behind Turquoise, he slowly moved up against her and held her gently. To his pleasure, she snuggled back into him and his face changed. Instead of the steel-hard politician and Lord Sorceror, he almost showed the love of a young stallion with his beloved bride, such love as a pair would have for each other with their first foal on the way. Armus nuzzled Turquoise tenderly, before settling himself with her and slowly drifted off to sleep...

Author's Note:

There's a lot of History espoused in this chapter, so read it care-filly.
Still, you'll start to see a major plot-line developing here. There's very little I've read about Unicornia and its origins, so I've extrapolated on what I've found and surmised the rest...like any good writer.
Hope it's interesting. I know it's info-heavy and not as much action or dialog, but these things become important later on, so please, bear with me.

Comments

[lainverse]

Only part of the upper name that read 'ight' and the lower name 'na Blaze' remained. Stellar sighed.

Oh, this explains that 'grandfather' reference from Stella. Now to figure out how she got back after being reborn (?) and will we see her sister Corona (?)

[Stellar Light Sparkle]

Brother, actually. He was only seven when he died...