As soon as the door handle was enveloped by a golden aura, Twilight sprung up from her seat, pressing herself urgently to her mentor - or rather, her tight golden-trimmed white jersey dress - the second the alicorn revealed herself.
Celestia startled a little, barely out of the door, before smiling and nuzzling lovingly into the little unicorn’s mane. She nudged her student a bit until she was fully outside and nodded in thanks to the doctor once more before shutting the door and sitting down to better accommodate Twilight, arms squeezing her student’s shoulders gently and wings lowering themselves onto the filly.
They stayed like that for a comfortable while, neither wanting to break the rare moment.
Eventually, Twilight removed herself from the familiar chest and looked up, concerned, “A-Are you okay? Did he find out what was wrong? Are you going to get better? Do-”
The Princess chuckled and silenced her with a brief kiss on the forehead, “Oh Twilight, don’t look so worried, that’s my job.” Celestia ran her fingers through the unicorn’s thick mane and smiled as Twilight nestled back into her rightful place. Just like how it used to be. Gods, she could stay here all day. “The doctor doesn’t know what’s wrong-” Twilight immediately tensed, “-yet. But I’ll be just fine. I promise.”
Twilight was still worried, but was placated for now. “I still think Chrysalis did something to you.” She muttered, fluffy ears flattening.
It was the love coloring every word that made Celestia’s heart melt, “Twilight, they’re just headaches. It could’ve been anything from simple stress to banging my horn on something. I’ll get better in no time.”
Of course, her Twilight hadn’t known about the dizzy spells or her weakening magic, and Celestia was going to keep it that way. It was bad enough that she noticed the headaches to begin with!
“O-Okay.”
“Come now, where’s that happy little smile I so cherish, hm?” The Princess teased, watching her student’s cheeks colour slightly as a tiny grin peeked out. Like sunshine parting a storm of clouds. “There’s my little filly.”
As much as she wanted to stay here forever, they were on the tiled floor of a hospital corridor. She sighed.
“Time we head home, Twilight. Do you think you’ll be able to stay for a while longer? I do not wish to keep you, and I know you and your friends have already prolonged your stay for me, it’s just... we so rarely see each other anymore, and the Wedding...” The alicorn suddenly felt like the most horrible being in the world the second she saw Twilight flinch and that clear hurt dart into such bright amethyst eyes, but the student recovered before she could say anything.
Twilight stood, and Celestia noted absentmindedly that Twilight was now a whole head taller with her sitting down. She still remembered a time where the unicorn had to stand on tiptoes, just to reach the top of Celestia’s calves. ‘ She grows so fast...’ She mused wistfully.
“Well, of course I’m staying! If-If it’s stress then I’m going to have to make sure you don’t overwork yourself and actually rest!” The little mare said determinedly, making her mentor smile once more. “I think Rarity and Fluttershy might probably go back to Ponyville though. I shouldn’t keep them here.”
In a swift movement, Celestia was on her feet again, extending her hand almost instinctively to grasp that of her filly’s.
They headed down the corridor in comfortable silence, one alabaster wing gradually coming to rest over Twilight’s shoulders. It was when they almost reached the bend that Celestia suddenly started to feel a familiar throb in her head again, her vision blurring and her energy just leaking out like water.
“Not now...” She muttered through grit teeth.
Celestia’s eyes clenched and she hissed out a breath as she stumbled, one hand releasing Twilight’s only to clutch her forehead and the other gripping the hospital’s white walls, trying futilely to stabilise herself.
“Princess!” She heard her precious little filly cry, and Celestia felt something tugging at her arm, a warm staticy energy enveloping her, and finally, the feeling of a cold, plastic hospital chair underneath her. “H-Hold on, I’ll get help!”
“Wait... T...Twilight. Please...” Her mouth moved on instinct, murmuring out the words as she extended a shaky arm and her eyes cracked open weakly. She saw Twilight a few hooves away, panicked tears budding as amethyst eyes darted rapidly from her to the doctor’s office they’d just left and back to her again. “C-Come here.” She gasped out.
“But-But-” Celestia doubled down, quivering with pain and forced to retract her arm, pressing her hand hard to her chest - even the migraine was forgotten in favour of this new source of agony, it was almost as if she’d just been stabbed. “Princess!”
Tethering on the edge of consciousness, Celestia felt a warm figure squirm into her hold, wriggling somehow into a gap between her arms, her hunched back and her lap, and pressing their cheek against her collarbone, nuzzling her desperately as she finally allowed herself to be dragged into the bliss of the dark.
And as she was, a shred of relief suffused her, feeling her filly safe and near.
Aurelia paused in the middle of flipping a page, her pointer finger and thumb delicately feeling out the familiar rough feel of parchment as she looked up. Her hand dropped that page and lit up, wisps of dark magenta flickering as she reached deep, bringing out her Sight and looking to nothing but herself.
Times like this was when she appreciated being what she was.
The first layers were of her leylines, she saw lines of different hues of magenta interweaving and reaching her horn, her hands, her feet, and her wings, the familiar swirl of Incantatrix Magic most prominent as it actively pulsed to her fingertips.
She reached deeper, instinct honed by a two millenniums of practice leading her to her destination and bypassing everything she didn’t need at the moment.
She stopped.
The final layer was her heart and soul. But she had no interest for her emotions at the moment. No, she focussed on the swirling mass that was her soul. Her spirit. There were far too many coats to count, and while on the surface, her heart’s emotions bled over, she could still feel the swirling whirlpool of her likes, her fears, her memories, and so much more of what made her her, deeper inside. All revealed, all vulnerable.
How thankful she was that it was only she with that much control over her own.
Aurelia dug a bit deeper until she reached the core, her lifeblood, her spark, her wellspring, her character, her power - everything was here, separated in organised chaos and perfectly complementing the other. It was akin to the eye of the storm, she sometimes mused.
A bit was missing from each, and what used to be her darkness... well, there was nothing left there except for the memories of betrayal and a faint lingering sapphire aura, still here to this day.
But she wasn’t here for that.
She turned metaphorically to the missing bits of each section, narrowing her eyes at the faint strings from each, leading away from her, reaching far into the distance. To Canterhorn, perhaps.
Emotions were the most prominent on these strings as well, and Aurelia felt no need to delve further than that, there was nothing in there that wasn’t seen in her own soul. These emotions were bubbling wildly, unusual for who it led to. Fear, confusion, despair and desperation choked all the memories of sunny days along with the joy and love that so often suffused these strings.
The cord connected to the pony’s darkness even throbbed slightly, more movement than Aurelia had ever seen from it.
Aurelia’s heart went out to the part of her she’d abandoned, and wondered just what had caused the filly such anguish. Should she check, just in case? Surely it was what any good... parent would have done?
A mass of souls suddenly caught her eyes and she pulled out of her own, Soulsight turning to the approaching creatures. It had been very long since she’d last seen another living equine here, it was why she’d picked this place after all, and to her knowledge, only one pony alive still knew the exact location of her hom-
She reeled back, her Sight shattering and the light fading out of her irises as she stood up, gasping. A soft and fluffy body weaved in between her boots and Aurelia looked down, finding her dear familiar looking up, whiskers twitching and head rubbing against her ankles.
Aurelia sighed, quivering slightly, and the dark, plum colored feline gave a worried mew, eyes - one sapphire and the other amethyst, to match with her Mistress - lighting up as her pale aura lifted her off the wooden floor and up to Aurelia’s shoulders. The magicat curled around her neck and licked her cheek affectionately.
“Luna is here, Elvira. She's... coming here. She’s almost here. I don’t know why.”
Elvira hissed, ears flattening and eyes flashing with malice until Aurelia reached up, gripping her familiar gently and bringing her into her arms.
Aurelia’s own dark navy tail thrashed with Elvira’s, betraying her rage for only a second before she ran her fingers through her cat’s fluffy fur, taking a deep breath. “I know, Vira, believe me, I do. I don’t want her anywhere near me either-” Deep breaths. “But I want to see what she wants.”
Maybe even see if Lorelei was okay.
She felt the bunch of ponies step through her first ward, receiving the information as they did. One valkyrie, four chiropterans, one magus... One alicorn. Three mare, four stallion. Blood types, one A+, one AB-, two AB+, two B- and a Z.
Into the second ward they went. Details of their clothing, their armor... A peytral, but the tiara seemed to have been set aside. Weaknesses in their wear, body temperature, tension, position, it went on and on until they stepped through the fifth and last ward, the first to impact them as it easily blocked the intruder’s magics.
Likely, none of them had even realized how much information they had just given Aurelia.
The mare sighed and lit up her horn, temporarily dispelling the defensive shields the group were prepared to go through next. Another quick flash and her pale violet wings were gone with a breeze. No touch nor spell would bring them back until Aurelia did it herself.
She could still feel her wings, a mild discomfort but one she had used to be familiar with, with all of Lu- her visits.
Three sharp knocks sounded on her door.
I am charmed by your description. Though, I am curious at what Shining Armors role was or is...considering his...mother abandoned...them?
You have laid out the situation in captivating manner. Enthralling with three characters that have much to lose...and hope for.
One thing that stuck out though. I am hoping that you humanize? Humanise? Celestia? Like from the description I am seeing two faces that gaze at Celestia.
One...A loving daughter that...worships her...mother? Concerning, lol. This could go so many ways its very spicy.
Two. A witch that abandoned her daughter and...son? That fears what her presence could bring for all...a coward...but, not wrong none the less. Celestia seems to be paying something? A price for deed's done?
One has to wonder if she was so concerned with who Celestia is...why would she let her daughter be raised by a supposed...monster?
Ps. Just some thoughts that I had before reading the first chapter. Great job! Liked and favorite for that alone.
Perhaps, Shining could know of his mother? What of their father?...curious.
I had thought what if...She feared what Celestia would do to her daughter if she approached her? Hmm.
My only thought that I hope does not happen...is Celestia is given to be written as perfect being that can not be held accountable. I have read in the past stories where she has literally commited genocide. But no one! In story acknowledges this or the hypocrisy that she did this...its ok? You know?
Further to expand...even further. what if...both Twilights mother and Celestias have crimes. But the thought that echos in my mind...whos crimes are greater?
And who among each was brought to justice? What even is justice? Since Luna was sent to the moon for her crimes?
Ultimately does Celestia deserve to die? And what would consquences be if she doesnt?
Who is Celestia when she awakens from her turmoil? Her old self? Or what has always been? Or her kindess?
And is their a reason that witch reviell Celestia? What do the witchs think of Luna and her own dark deeds being forgiven?
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Well, actually, Shining Armor isn’t going to be Twilight’s brother in blood here, only a surrogate brother.
For the rest, well... you’ll just have to wait and see!
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ah, cool. Thanks. Im excited! Thats probably apparent.
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So what’s the romance tag for? I noticed in the description that Twilight is getting married? Who is she marrying? Who is the pair that warrants the romance tag?
it is 11:00 pm for me, my dad is asleep in the room next to mine, and I am currently screaming. I literally added this to my tracking before I even started reading it just because of the description, and I was not disappointed when I actually read the first chapter.
*reads summary*
...I think I missed a trilogy or two.
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No, sorry, the Wedding - if that’s what you’re talking about - is for the Canterlot Wedding of Shining and Cadence. Romance will develop later.
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So the romance tag is for Shining Armor and Cadence?
So curious, reading anatomy - they are basically Umamimi, I take it? Like, Kemono-style, more or less?
Definitely fascinated by level of detail and worldbuilding here, have a like and fav :)
It is evident that those two are very close, they are so cute
it is almost certain that impotence will push Twilight to the limit.
I'm glad you decided to write, this looks promising!
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Nnnope.
What a coincidence! I also have an oc named Aurelia (^_^)
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Then who is it for lol
Hello. I just found out about your story and I think it's great ! Every word is detectable ; it is rare that I feel such pleasure reading a story (only 6 stories have this effect on me to date). Three of those stories are by Meowofy, so given that Meowofy is helping you with A Good Witch, maybe it's related. In any case, well done for your work, it's remarkable ^^
I have three questions regarding this chapter :
N°1 : In the first part of the chapter, Celestia calls Twilight "filly". However, marriage and Chrysalis are mentioned (without forgetting the Changeling attack mentioned in the summary). So I figured that the plot would take place with A Canterlot Wedding at the end of season two. But in the series, Twilight is an adult at the time. Why then, does Celestia call Twilight "filly" ? Is it because in your story Twilight is younger than in the series ? Or maybe there is another explanation ?
N°2 :
In this passage, Twilight is standing and comes up to Celestia's eye level when she is seated. Since people are human/pony hybrids but have a humanoid build, I imagined their sizes was similar to that of humans (at Know currently I'm assuming Twilight is an adult). Celestia being taller than the other ponies in the series, I imagine Twilight to be around 1m60 and Celestia around 1m70 or 1m75. But with those sizes, Twilight couldn't get to Celestia's eye level if she was sitting on the floor and Twilight was standing. My question is therefore : what sizes have you given to your characters ?
N°3 : Elvira has minnow eyes, which one is sapphire color ? And which one is amethyst ?
I hope my English is correct, as it is not my native language, my English maybe bad. I'm sorry if this is the case.
In any case, this story is superb and the plot is very interesting, well done ^^
Ps : Elvira is too cute ^^
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Hi Nalhya,
BrownieCat has hit a particularly rocky part of their life, and hasn’t really felt like sparing much time to spend on FimFic, so I hope you don’t mind me giving you some answers! (Though I assure you she has read your comment, and thanks you! :))
Well, she is 16/17, I’d assume so, at least, (it isn’t something Brownie and I have actively discussed) and she was around 15 when she first met the Main 6. I don’t really know what Twilight’s age was in canon, but I’d assume it was older than it is in our AU. As for why Celestia calls Twilight filly, not only is it sorta logical if you think about it, given that she’s much older than anybody else, it also stems from their relationship and how she sees Twilight - somepony she’s bought up from foalhood. It's only natural that Twilight remains the same filly she’s ever been! ^.^
The part you quoted is probably incorrect, now that you’ve pointed it out, hehe
. I’ve told Brownie, and they’ve promised to change it, thanks!
“Twilight stood, and Celestia noted absentmindedly that Twilight was now a whole head taller with her sitting down. She still remembered a time where the unicorn had to stand on tiptoes, just to reach the top of Celestia’s calves. ‘ She grows so fast...’ She mused wistfully.”
As for your question, I’ll quickly sketch you up a reference:
cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/527948429259702283/872414857947906048/image0.png
There you go, a bit rushed (and Celestia seems to be floating), but you get the idea. Purple is Twi and White is Celestia.
I’ll admit I was a bit confused by this question, (as ‘minnow’ appears to be a type of fish), but here’s a picture of how Elvira’s eyes are like. The amethyst symbolizes her magical bond with Aurelia, who has amethyst eyes. More will be revealed in later chapters ;)
media.discordapp.net/attachments/527948429259702283/872417400895725568/image0.png?width=669&height=562
I hoped this helped!
~Meowofy
PS.
Haha, tell me about it! You don’t know how much I squealed when Brownie bought me the picture! (Fun fact, we actually bonded over our love of cats
)
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Hello Meowofy. Thank you for your reply and of course I don't mind that it was you who replied and not BrownieCat. I hope there will be improvement on his side, both physically and psychologically. And you're welcome ^^
Okay, I understand better now, thanks. And indeed, that Celestia calls Twilight "filly" seems to me rather logical now. I almost feel like idiot for not understanding it sooner.
You're welcome.
The scene seems clearer to me this way.
Very nice sketches, well done ! And it gives a good idea of the sizes of Twilight and Celestia, thanks.
I'm sorry for the confusion with fish. In French (my native language), "minnow" translates to "vairon". The term vairon is used to write eyes of different colors (which is the case of Elvira). But it is also the name of a fish (which I had totally forgotten). I should have talked about heterochromia, it would have been much clearer.
Thanks for the picture, I have a better idea of his eyes now. And it is very pretty ^^
I look forward to reading new chapters.
I can imagine it. I understand, one of my friendships started for the same reason ^^