The Twilight Child

by Detectivefish

Flashback the First: Wandering Off

Twilight Twinkle, aged seven
"Oh, come on Whisper. It's totally safe."

"I don't think it is." The colt said, making sure to keep a good distance. Unlike his friend, he wasn't the sort for exploring, or excitement thank you very much. Staying safe, and not gallivanting about the place attacking sacks of potatoes or going to slay dragons (though fortunately not real dragons. Even Twilight Twinkle wasn't that mad) was his favourtie past-time.

The little blue filly scoffed. "It's just a forest. What could possibly be bad about a forest?"

"Oh, lots. Cockatricies, feral manticores, bull dragons, poison joke, black mercy. Wait'll you're sitting pretty with some virus caught from some bug trying to suck your blood. Flash fire might start, cook you to the bone. That place is chaos and trouble and dark and silent." Twinkle paused at her friend's rather... poetic little speech (no doubt recounted from his mother, or one of the Apples). Then laughed.

"Chicken. I'm going in." She clucked and laughed. And then ran right in.

Whisper Wind watched. He had promised his friend he wouldn't run and tell his mother. He had promised. Though that did leave the young pony a lot of leeway.

*****

"Honestly Fluttershy, I can't imagine where she gets it from. I was never like that, her father's not anything like it." Twilight Sparkle sighed. Her friend simply looked at her, gently sipping on the midly warm tea.

"Maybe it's something to do with school. Or she feels the need to prove something. I don't know why, she's only seven years old." She sighed again, willing herself to relax in the chair. It was a really comfy chair. Somehow Fluttershy always seemed to have the most comfy chairs of any place she visisted. Fluttershy had probably gotten them by asking very nicely. Or having Apple Bloom make them.

"I could talk to Cheerilee, and see if there's anything she knows about this."

"Oh, how is she anyway? It's been a while since I visisted Sweet Apple Acres. Little Macintosh must be... how old now?"
"I think... about nine by now. I'm not sure. I haven't really had the time to visit people as much." Fluttershy sighed.
"There's always some disaster, or crisis or piece of paper that needs signed. Sometimes I wonder why I even took this job."

"Nice chair, cosy office, good pay for Whisper Wind, and no heavy lifting?"

"No heavy lifting?" Fluttershy laughed, "I wish."

Twilight looked at the clock, and her ears drooped as she saw the time.
"Oh, darn. We've been chatting so long, I'm going to be late."

"We had so much to talk about." Fluttershy smiled.

"I suppose we did. And it was nice." Twilight frowned. It had been nice, and quiet, and there had been no interruptions.

"Which probably means..." There was a knock on the door.

"Um... ma'am?" A silver-haired mare stuck her head around the door.

"Yes?" Both Twilight and Fluttershy said at once. They both looked sheepishly at one another, then apologised.

"Mayor Fluttershy, your son is here to see you. He says it's urgent."

"Send him in." The mare opened the door a bit, and in rushed Whisper Wind, wings flapping, and eyes wide. He looked out of breath. Probably because he was, in fact, out of breath.

"Mom... Everfree... ran in..." he gestured between gasps.

"Twinkle?" Twilight Sparkle asked. Suddenly the colt juddered, eyes slowly turning towards the alicorn looking down at him, and then almost immediately away

He gulped. "Yes, m'm."

Twilight Sparkle just sighed.
"Every time..."

*****

Twilight Twinkle was beginning to have first thoughts about running into the Everfree. True, she had been told it was full of danger and giant monsters that thought tiny fillies were actually walking snack-food, but being here... it was quiet.
Oh, not quiet in the sense that there was no noise. It was a different quiet. Everywhere she'd gone there was this slight hum of background magic, permeating everything. Here... nothing. It felt like something terrible had happened here once.
A quiet of the mind. And it was beginning to bother her.

Then a tiny voice in her mind spoke up. She was Twilight Twinkle, child of Twilight Sparkle child of Twilight Velvet. She said she was gonna explore the creepy forest, and she was gonna explore. And there was sunlight still showing the way for now. Although it was beginning to sink, making everything a weird red/orange color.
She kept going. What was the worst that would happen?

*****

"I'm sorry." Whisper Wind said again. Twilight Sparkle said nothing. She knew he meant it, and wasn't angry.

"Alright, assuming the size of the Everfree Forest, Twinkle's average speed while walking... Whether or not anything attacks her..."

"Poor things." Fluttershy said.

"If it weren't my daughter in there, I almost feel sorry for them."

*****

A manticore found itself confused, which was a new experience for the creature. A tiny little snack had wandered into its area of the forest, and being a manticore, it had tried to eat the snack. Normally this sort of thing ended with a damp crunchy squeak and one happy manticore.
So... how exactly had it wound up in a tree?

Twilight Twinkle carried on walking, determined not to let manticores get in the way of her exploring. She wondered if her mother had felt like this, when she had travelled to stop Nightmare Moon.

But then, her mom had been older than her. And had five friends with her.
She stopped.
"Uh-oh."

*****

"Anything?" Fluttershy asked.

"No. It's like she's figured out how to hide herself. Or the forest is doing it for her. Probably because of the low magic level of this place." Twilight looked around. The idea of flying to look for her had been suggested, but the trees were too packed together to find Twinkle. Fortunately most of the animals in the forest knew to stay away from them, and those that didn't... well, if Twilight couldn't send them packing, Fluttershy would.

"Did anypony hear that?" said Whisper, sniffing the air.

"I, uh, didn't hear anything." said Fluttershy.

"What did you hear?"
The colt pointed a hoof, and his wings flapped.

"That way." He said.

*****

Twinkle sat in a convenient clearing, trying to figure out which was she was going and how to get back to Ponyville. It wasn't very light now, but not dark enough for there to be stars for her to make her way by. So she decided to wait for whoever Whisper had fetched, absentmindedly poking the dirt with a stick.
"Never get to have adventures." She muttered.

*****

"Well?" asked Twilight. Whisper shrugged.

"I... don't know. Sorry." Apologising for something he had no control over. This kid was Fluttershy's alright.
Twilight looked around. The dry ground and her daughter's lack of mass meant there were no tracks to follow. She stared at a bunch of trees. And stared. And stared.

She set out at random.

"Twilight?" Fluttershy exclaimed, quickly following after her.

*****

Twinkle sat, trying to cast some magic. Any magic. Even a snowflake would have been something.

"C'mon" She said, tapping her horn. She was rewarded with a slight jolt.

"Oh come on!" She yelled. She was seven, and she could barely use even the tiniest sliver of magic. Her, the daughter of Twilight Sparkle. Sure, she could lift heavy objects, but beyond that she had barely anything in the way of good magic.

"Element of Magic my butt." She frowned, glowering at the Cutie Mark gracing her flank.

There was a crashing and cracking from in front of her. Something was coming towards her. She got to her legs and prepared. Whatever came through the undergrowth, she would stand her ground.

Unless it was a dragon, or something. She was brave, sure, but not stupid. Even her mom couldn't fight a dragon. At least, as far as she knew. And she was pretty sure Spike didn't count.
To her relief, it was not a dragon. Just a rather irritated looking mother.

"Mom!" She cried, rushing over to her.

"Twinkie!" Twinkle stopped, and looked up at her mother.

"What did I say about running off?" The purple mare said sternly.

"... don't do it?" Twinkle said.
Her mother sighed.

"It's a good thing Whisper didn't listen to you. What have I said time and time again about wandering about on your own?"

"I'm sorry. I won't do it again." Her mother laughed.

"C'mon. Let's get going." Twinkle scampered after her.

"What a way to start a holiday." Twilight Sparkle laughed.

The filly's eyes went wide.
"We're going on holiday? Where?"

"Oh, it's a secret." Twilight Sparkle said, slyly. Twilight Twinkle rushed in front of her.
"Tell me! Tellmetellmetellme!" She squeaked.

"It wouldn't be much of a secret then, would it?"

*****

Fluttershy and Whisper Wind watched the Twilights walking towards the library.
"I'm sorry mom."

"For what?" The yellow pegasus said, confused by her son's remark.

"You said I wasn't supposed to use my... abilities."

Fluttershy smiled warmly. "Oh, no. I said don't show them off. I didn't say anything about using them to help a friend."

"Oh. But you said Princess Twilight would..."

"Don't worry, honey. She understands. I made sure she'd understand." Whisper Wind went quiet. His mother was the bearer of the Element of Kindness, but the way she'd said that was more than a bit scary.

*****

"Can you tell me yet?" Twilight Twinkle asked.

"No." They were walking towards the train station. Things clicked in Twinkle's mind. Her smile faded.

"We're not going back to Canterlot, are we?" Twilight Sparkle just laughed.

"No. Bit further."

Twilight didn't even have to look to know Twinkle was pouting.

"Why can't you just tell me?" She whined.

"Because it's a surprise, and a treat. That's why."

"And how come we're taking a train. Can't you just teleport us there?"

"Not... really. And who'd bring all our bags?"

"Oh yeah." The little filly scampered ahead. She was shaking with excitement. Then something clicked. She gasped.
"We're going to see Uncle Armor and Auntie Cadance?"

Twilight Sparkle said nothing.
"YES! YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES!" And she continued like that until they were on the train, gaining them a few stares from passers-by. Twilight Sparkle laughed, and wondered for the umpteenth time since in seven years whether she'd been like this for her parents, or P-... Celestia.

*****

Twilight Twinkle didn't get much sleep. It was like Heart's Warming Eve... only with less theatre. Or any at all. She spent much of the night wondering what the Crystal Empire would be like, before eventually her drowsiness finally caught up with her.
When she woke up she saw snow covering everything.

She rushed over to her mother and began nudging and jabbing her.
"Mom! Mom! Mom! Wake up mom! Mom!" There was a slight grunt and a waved hoof from the purple princess.

"slpin'" She muttered.

"But we're almost there mom! Mom! Wake up!" Eventually her pestering bore fruit.

The train eventually pulled into a solitary station. Twilight Twinkle rushed about the platform, trying to get in a look at everything.

"Doesn't look like much." She huffed. She could feel the cold through the coat her mother had eventually gotten her to wear, along with a tiny woolly hat covering her head.

"That's because we aren't there yet." Twilight Sparkle laughed.
"Oh."

Twilight Sparkle lifted the child onto her back.
"I can walk." She asserted.

"Through snow of several inches?"
Twinkle paused, her little face scrunching up with thought.

"Maybe." Her mother laughed.

The two walked for a short distance, and then... it was like a curtain was pulled away, revealling vast plains of green, and beyond a grand city that shone and glittered in the sun, with a vast tower at the centre, a shining needle that seemed to stretch into the heavens.

"Behold the Crystal Empire." Her mother said.
As the mare walked into the city, a question occured to the filly.

"Mom?"

"Yes, my little pony?"

"Why's it called an empire when there's only one city?"

"It's a long story."

"Uh-huh." There were a few seconds as the filly waited for her mother to continue.
Twilight Sparkle sighed and shook her head.

"Well, a long time ago..." She began.

"Do the voice! C'mon, it's ancient history. Big it up a bit!"

"All right, fine." She coughed.
"Long ago, far before the Fall of Luna, there was a city, unlike any other in the world. While ponies in the rest of the world were unhappy and froze at the hoofs of the Windigos, here ponies remained prosperous, and peaceful.
The Empire of the Crystal Ponies, united in peace and tranquility and love. The crystal ponies spread across the northern tundra, the warm of their joy removing the snow, and allowing them to build towns and roads, all the while maintaining unity in their hearts.
But time passed. The rulers of this great empire grew proud. The wisdom of the ancients was forsaken. Kings made tombs more splendid than the tombs of the living and counted the names of their ancestors more dearer than those of their sons. Their childless lords sat in aging halls asking questions of the stars, or in high cold towers"
"Very high towers" The little unicorn smiled, pointing at the Crystal Palace.
"In high cold towers asking questions of distant stars. And their empire shrank, their cities fell never to be seen again as the cold returned more bitter than before. And so the empire fell. And with no more kings, the rule of this city fell to lesser ponies. And you probably know a bit of what happened next."

"Nuh-uh." The filly shrugged.

"What are they teaching you in school then?"

"Stuff I already knew. And useless stuff like math. When am I gonna need math?" Twilight Sparkle simply smiled at that. She'd let time show Twinkle when she would need math.

"Tell me the rest!" The filly said, sliding off her mother's backside, bouncing as her hooves hit the ground.

"Maybe later. Probably best not to recount it around ponies who were there for some of it." Twilight Sparkle said as they walked past houses and stores occupied by the crystalline ponies of the city.

"Don't stare dear." She said, as her daughter craned her head to keep looking at the locals.

*****

"Presenting their royal majesties, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and His Grace Shining Armor."

There was a polite cough.
"Apologies. Princess Cadance."

"Thank you."

"Sorry your highness. Your majesty. Ma'am. Miss. Cadance."

"Calm down, Clear Voice. You'll hurt yourself."

"Yes ma'am."
Cadance and Twilight bowed. And then, of course the customary greeting.

"And who's this?" Cadance smiled.

"Hi." said Twinkle, who had come down with a very sudden case of shyness. Also possibly embarrassment from seeing her mother waving her behind about.

"You must be Twilight Twinkle. I've heard a lot about you."
There was a tiny squeak.

"Twinkle." Twilight Sparkle smirked, nudging the little unicorn.

"Hello, Aunt Cadance."

"You must be... how old by now? Seven, eight?"

"Seven." She squeaked again. Cadance simply smiled warmly.

"Gosh. Seven and you've already got a Cutie Mark. You must be really clever."
Twinkle smiled.

"I guess you're probably a bit hungry after that long train ride."

"Yeah." The unicorn said. True, there had been snacks on the way, most of which had been eaten by her, but an actual meal would be better.

"Well, how about you and your mom get settled in, and we'll see about getting some lunch."

*****

Twinkle's first act upon seeing her room was to test the bed.
"Twinkle, it's a bed, not a trampoline."

"But mom! It's both, see?" She said, bouncing higher and higher. Then Twilight Sparkle's horn glowed.

"Bed. Not trampoline." She smirked, before letting the filly drop back onto the mattress.

"Now Twinkle, while we're here, there's something I need to tell you."

"Don't wander off?" The little filly deadpanned.

"I mean it this time. Really don't wander off."

"I won't."

"Good to know."

Five minutes later, once she was sure her mother wasn't looking, she went exploring.
"Not wandering off" She smirked.

*****

"Does she do this often?" Cadance asked as she rushed after Twilight through the palace.

"Only every single time." Twilight sighed.

"Why, exactly?"

"Something about adventures and excitement. Apparently she's convinced she's a fantasy hero. I can't imagine why."

"Maybe because she's the daughter of a princess, and the aunt of a princess and wants to be like her mom, fighting chaos gods and invading armies and saving the day."

"Do you ever have this trouble with Sapphire?"

"Never. She barely ever stops studying. I really hope one day she'll meet a nice boy and stop reading so often." Twilight stopped dead and turned to her sister in-law, her mouth agape.

"What's wrong with reading?"

"Nothing. But she reads a bit too much, if you understand my meaning. Even you went outside once in a while."

*****

Twilight Twinkle wasn't lost, not by the accurate definition of the word. True, she didn't know exactly where she was, or where she was going, but she knew she was in the Crystal Palace. Also long as she kept walking she'd probably find somewhere to be.

She heard a noise. Well, a noise probably meant someone. She looked around the corridor. She wondered what to do.

Shining Sapphire sighed, and leaned back in her chair, enjoying the peace and quiet of reading in her own private library, turned bedroom. A few minutes ago, she'd though she'd heard a strange repetitive tapping noise. Almost like hooves.
She looked around, the noise had stopped, and she couldn't see anything.
So she was leaning back in her chair, and then she looked up and saw the clock. Almost lunchtime. But she didn't feel hungry. She gave this some thought.

"Maybe a few minutes more studying," she said to herself, "Then I can go eat."

Then she heard the noise of hooves again. She turned her head to the open doorway. She got out of the chair and wandered over to it, brushing a loose lock of sapphire blue hair out of the way.

"Hello?" She called. No response. She shrugged, and wandered back to the chair. She sat down. There was a scrabbling noise.

"Hi." Came a tiny voice. She looked up. A small royal blue face was staring straight at her with curiousity-filled burnt orange eyes, which belonged to a unicorn who was small enough to be perched on the head of the chair without falling off She yelped, and leapt out of the chair.

"What'cha reading?" The filly said, jumping onto the table where Shining Sapphire's books were lying open. She looked at them.

"Looks complicated. ... tri...gon... metry? Sounds boring." She giggled, closing the book before staring at Shining Sapphire.
"I'm Twilight Twinkle." She paused.

"Hello?"

There was the sound of hoofsteps. And voices.
"You didn't see me." The little filly said, before scrambling under the table.

Shining Sapphire returned to her desk and tried to look like she was reading.

"Shining Sapphire?" She turned to see her mother in the doorway, Aunt Twilight standing behind her.
"Yes, mother?"

"Have you seen a little blue unicorn filly around? She has blue hair with orange streaks? Incredibly hyperactive?"
She placed a hoof on one of her books.

"... No." She said. Twilight Sparkle walked into the room, she seemed to be looking for something.

"Twinkle? Are you in here?" There was no response.

"You've got till the count of three to come out, or I will be cross." Still no response.

"One... two... two and a quarter... two and a half..." She sighed.

"Fine, no dessert."

"NOOOOOOOOOO! .... fudge." Shining Sapphire giggled as the small blue unicorn appeared from under the table.

"Did you just fib, Shining Sapphire?" Cadance said, trying to look stern.

"Er... perhaps. A bit." Cadance just shook her head, though to those who knew her there were clear signs she was trying not to grin.

"Come on, you two. Lunch."

"But... mom... studying!" The light pink alicorn said, holding up a book.

"Lunch." Her mother repeated, in the exact sort of tone that told the filly there was no room for discussion.

"What did I tell you about wandering off?" Twilight Sparkle said to her daughter, who looked almost offended at the accusation.

"I was exploring. Totally different!"

Twilight Sparkle sighed.
"Why do I bother?"

Author's Note:

All good stories deserve some embellishment.
Especially when telling it to impressionable children who are prone to not listening.

Comments

[Music-and-magic]

Tolkien refs everywhere!

[TwilightShipper]

She was Twilight Twinkle, child of Twilight Sparkle child of Twilight Velvet.
I was speechless when I read this part.

[tamales]

7734645
fr. i was sooo taken aback.😭