The Disappearance of Twilight Sparkle casted a blight of sorrow amongst her friends and family. Will her half-human daughter, Aurora, and her new friends be the cure?
After saving Cadence from the Changelings, Twilight was thrown into another world where she is human. She marries a human and has a daughter named Aurora.
Twelve years passed and the portal to Equestria opens again.
However, Twilight is kidnapped by the fabled Glizani Court and Aurora is alone.
Now under the care of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, can Aurora adjust to her new life and new body while waiting for her mother's return? And will those who were present at the wedding rehearsal twelve years ago overcome their guilt for Twilight?
This story was inspired by the concept of Survivor's Guilt after playing American McGee's Alice.
Image's base belongs to Shadow-Bases on Deviantart.
Update: I've added the "Gore" tag due to nightmares and possible future battles.
Of all the things he could've said, why couldn't have he said something less terrible. Sure, she was suspicious, but he shouldn't have gone so far. Even when it had been exposed to her that her sister-in-law to be was a fake, those words haunted her as she and the real bride raced through caverns of crystal. Now, just as the wedding was about to begin, their foes blocked their path. Narrowing her violet eyes, she spoke to her former foalsitter.
"I'll take care of them. Go!"
She was reluctant at first, but time was running out, so the bride past by the insect-like ponies and dashed for the exit. The creatures were about to turn when a blast of magic stopped them.
"Leave her alone!" The lavender pony shouted.
Enraged, they attacked her. Despite her magic and developing skills, she received many beatings from her foes, bruising her flesh and cracking her bones.
It hurt, yes. But it was for a good cause. For her brother and his bride. One of the creatures struck her in the gut, causing her to kneel as she gasped for breath. They then chittered something amongst each other, the only their body language gave her an understanding on what's going on. They were motioning amongst each other to bring her mangled body somewhere and she only got the idea when two of the creatures picked her up by her hooves and dragged her to an adjoining chamber.
In the chamber was an arch with images of alicorns carved into it, the beneath the arch was a strange light that illuminated only a small fraction of the chamber. Menacing green eyes narrowed in wicked glee as she realized what they were going to do.
They were going to throw her in.
She struggled to get out of their grasp, but with her injuries and the loss of energy, she was unable to escape as she was thrown into the fading portal.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!"
On a group of islands unfamiliar to Equestria, a human boy of fifteen was riding his bicycle down a winding road as the sun began to set. His short brunette hair moved in the wind and his clothing, composed of a brown jacket, a green shirt, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes protected his body from the breeze.
He was hoping to get to the docks before the sun could set in order to get home on a neighboring island. But he wasn't near his destination when a flash of light caught his eyes. It came from a lone island northwest of the archipelago. Curious, he pedaled down to the docks and freed his sailboat he would take every day across the islands and to save time, he placed the motor he used in emergencies into the water and took off.
Once he reached the island, he looked around the foliage until he neared the base of the plateau when he saw her. A girl his age with straight, indigo hair with a pink highlight and a purple highlight down the center of her hair. And she was in the buff with a magenta star tattoo on her 'flank'. A blush overcame the boy's face as he reached towards her to wake her.
"Hey. Are you…"
But his voice trailed off as he saw bruises and cuts on the girl's body.
Worried, he tested her arm and felt that at least one of her bones was broken. His eyes widening, he reached into his pocket and dialed the emergency number.
"Hello? Yes, I need an ambulance. I found an unconscious girl on Fortuna Island with bruising, cuts, and I'm pretty sure she has some broken bones. My name is John O'Reilly."
John then called his parents to let him know what was happening before the ambulance boat arrived.
Back in Equestria…
It had been about five minutes since the defeat of the queen of the Changelings and already celebration was in order. In the ceremonial chamber, the real bride and the groom were talking with the princess and five other ponies.
"Well, now that the queen and her Changelings have been defeated, shall we get ready for the real wedding?" Princess Celestia spoke with a kind smile.
The groom nodded before he noticed there was a pony missing.
"Where's Twilight?"
Remembering her future sister-in-law, the bride spoke in worry.
"She's still down in the caverns where I was imprisoned!"
Heeding the bride, the eight ponies entered the caverns with her in the lead. But as they find themselves in the caves, they found no trace of her.
"Are ya sure she's here, Princess Cadence?" the orange, freckled pony with the Stetson hat asked.
"Yes. This was where we parted. Twilight stayed behind so I could get away." The bride, Cadence, replied.
Now the groom was getting worried. Where was his little sister? And he wasn't the only one. All of the ponies present were getting worried. After thirty minutes of nothing, Cadence remembered something she had seen when she was imprisoned.
"Wait a minute…"
She then headed towards the entrance of the cavern where she got separated from Twilight and looked around in a different corridor until she saw something familiar. "Over here!" The princess, the groom, and the five friends followed Cadence's voice until they found her in front of the strange arch that Twilight saw. The only difference is that the light that Twilight saw earlier was gone.
Celestia recognized the arch.
"I don't believe this. The Gate of Sleipnir."
"Who-the-what-now?" The rainbow manned cyan Pegasus, Rainbow Dash, asked.
"Sleipnir. One of the ancient pony gods. Legends say that he created a magical gate that can take a pony to another world. Unfortunately, the gate can only stay open for three days every twelve years."
"TWELVE YEARS!" the ponies cried out in shock, fearing the worst.
Cadence spoke up. "I was able to overhear that the queen was going to toss me into another world using this gate once she took over Equestria. If that's true, then…"
Tears filled the bride's eyes as she now figured out what happened to her future sister-in-law. The others, especially the groom, refused to believe such a fate would befall on one pony.
"Check the caves again! Maybe she's hiding somewhere!" Rainbow Dash cried out in desperation.
The others were about to agree when the princess, Celestia, spoke. "I'm afraid the deed is already done. I had just casted a detection spell and the only source of life in these caves are ourselves."
She then looked sadly at the gate.
"I am afraid Twilight Sparkle…is lost to us."
The ponies' inner worlds fell into a piercing silence. The groom, however, was shattered emotionally. His little sister, the only one who was able to detect that something was wrong with his wedding and his dearest friend, was gone.
"No. It can't be." He choked as tears began to fall from his eyes.
His guilt over his lack of action and the hurtful words he had said to her earlier created more tears.
This was his fault.
As Cadence began to comfort her fiancé, she looked to Celestia and spoke.
"I think we should postpone the wedding."
There wasn't a single argument against that, but it could be seen that the five smaller ponies believed that Twilight was still alive.
However, it was going to be a long wait to truly know what had become of her.
Meanwhile, with Twilight…
Twilight struggled to get a grip on her consciousness. Whatever those creatures did to her, it was quite a number. While she was mentally conscious, her body was too weak to respond right away.
"I hope it's only sleep paralysis. Please let it be only sleep paralysis!"
It felt like hours before she managed to open her eyes to find herself in an unfamiliar surroundings. Looking around, she was able to quickly deduce that she was in a hospital. Could somepony found her and brought her here?
But she got the shock of her life as she reach for her head, only to find that instead of a hoof, it was some sort of five-digit appendage in a peach-colored tone. She looked down and saw that her entire body had changed. Even though she couldn't see due to the sheets and the hospital gown, she figure she was bipedal and oddly-shaped. She had two mounds on her chest and she felt no tail beneath her.
She wanted to scream, but was too weak.
Suddenly, the door to the room opened up and, to Twilight's further surprise, a biped similar to her new body although she could also see some differences.
"Is this…a male?"
The male smiled as he stepped in, she could see that he was holding a vase filled with lilacs, her favorite flowers.
"I see you've finally woken up. You've been out for three days."
Twilight's plum eyes struggled to widen.
"Three days?! What about the wedding? What about everypony?"
The male set the lilacs on the table next to her before he sat down.
"I found you unconscious, naked, and beaten up pretty badly." He said as he blushed at the second condition. "I called an ambulance and had you brought here. Doctors said a good portion of your bones were broken, but they should heal in time. Nothing too damaging, thankfully."
As Twilight listened to the story, her thoughts drifted from Equestria to the male. He was so kind as to call for help and from the look of the additional vases of flowers across the room, he had been coming at least once a day.
For her.
"Wh-where…in the world…am I?" She managed to ask.
The male raised an eyebrow at the question.
"Uh…I just told you. You're in a hospital."
"No. I mean…what land am I in." She managed to mutter.
The male folded his arms, confused.
"You're in the Divine Archipelago. This hospital we're in is on Solis Island."
Divine Archipelago? Solis Island? Where in the world was she? Unless…she wasn't in her own world.
"That could explain the different body."
"But where are my manners. My name's John O'Reilly. Can you tell me your name?"
She thought for a moment. She was in a world where nopony was familiar and ponies weren't the dominant race. Not to mention there was by far no way she could get back without knowing how she got here in the first place. This left her with one option.
She had to adapt.
"My name is…Twilight Sparkle."
Narration…
Things had been difficult on both sides of the gate, but while the ponies of Equestria were dealing with their apparent loss, Twilight was adapting well into her new environment. It was a couple of more days before she could tell John about her true identity and of Equestria. At first, he thought it was because of the drugs the doctors were giving her. But her eyes told him she wasn't lying. So he agreed that once Twilight was well, he'd help her adapt to this new world.
The first hard part was finding a place for Twilight to live. He couldn't tell his parents. He would've had to give a lengthy explanation to his parents and there was no way they would believe him or Twilight. So that left them with one other option: make Twilight a new home.
They both agreed that if the portal does open again, it would most likely be on Fortuna Island. So over the summer, the two got to work in making a small cabin until they could expand. John then taught her how to sail and how to act like a human, as Twilight soon found out what they were called.
When fall came close, Twilight went and got enrolled at the same school as John. She stayed close to him once school started, but eventually she made some new friends. Since John was her only ride to Fortuna Island by far, Twilight had to make sure they weren't late to catch any ferries.
But over time, Twilight and John soon fell in love. At first, they both tried to deny it, knowing it would be awkward for them. But love was stronger and by the end of the first year, the two started dating. And when graduation came two years later, John proposed and the two immediately married before entering college.
Because of his love of ancient history, John decided to study archeology; while Twilight studied to become a teacher. And thanks to her high scores, it wouldn't take her long to get her degree. But during their first year of marriage, Twilight and John received an immense blessing.
Twilight was pregnant.
While studying, Twilight spent most of her free time reading about becoming a mother, both excited and afraid, with good reason. She feared for her baby's health. Would it be alright? Would it have attributes the same as its mother? Would it look like a human or a pony?
Needless to say, John had to be careful at what he had to say.
But with this great news came sadness. John's parents, who loved Twilight like their daughter, were killed in a hurricane that came shortly after graduation, leaving the young couple with a small inheritance. John decided to use this to build a better house for him and his family. With his childhood home destroyed by the same hurricane, he recycled the lumber and paid architects to build them a two-story red farmhouse with two bedrooms and a front porch.
A few months later, Twilight gave birth to a healthy baby girl.
When John came to see her, she was lying in the same hospital bed where they had met. And in her arms was their baby daughter, wrapped in a blanket, and very human. Like the first time Twilight saw him, her husband had a lilac bouquet. This time, with red roses.
"Isn't she beautiful?" The former unicorn said with tearful glee.
The infant eyes remained closed, but had inherited her mother's hair coloring.
"Just like her mother." John replied as he gave his wife a one-armed hug.
He then asked something that had been bothering him for a while.
"When are you going to tell her? You know. About your history?"
Twilight knew what he was talking about. She wanted her daughter to know about her pony heritage, yet at the same time she didn't want her to be an outcast because of that.
"I'll have to tell you when I know." She told her husband.
John shook his head.
"You know the longer you wait, the harder it will be to tell her."
"I know. But I want her to grow up with a normal childhood. If I tell her too soon, it could harm her."
John didn't say any more about the subject. He knew one day, they would have to tell their daughter the truth: that she was half human, half unicorn, and her mother was a unicorn from another world called Equestria.
But Twilight was right. They should let the child experience normal human life first.
Wanting to be rid of the silence, Twilight spoke. "So…what should we call her?"
That changed John's mood as he smiled at his wife.
"I think I have the perfect name for her."
Twilight raised an eyebrow as she smirked.
"Oh? And what name would that be?"
John answered Twilight's question as he stroked their daughter's soft hair.
"I say we name her after her beautiful mother, but I didn't want to confuse you both during her life. So I say we should call her…'Aurora.'"
It was first day of summer vacation and Twilight was able to relax after another hard year of teaching. She was relaxing in her favorite rocking chair on the porch of her house, facing the islands as the sweet, salty air greeted her lungs. From her island, she had a beautiful view of the town that contently sat on the specks of land, hardly changing, living at one with nature.
This was Twilight's favorite spot from the house as the view and air eased her. Especially this particular year after hearing the terrible news. Her husband, John, was working at an archeological dig in Egypt when one of the support beams broke, trapping John and several workers in the tomb they were excavating. According to the workers, John dug furiously to help get the workers out before the collapse could finish them.
Unfortunately, John never made it out in time.
Hearing the news was one of the worst days of Twilight's life. She was grateful for the faculty to give her paid leave to mourn and received a surprise from her former and present students: cards and handmade crafts that showed their symphony.
But the one person she was most grateful for was her own daughter: Aurora.
Despite her own sorrows in losing her father, Aurora was the one who kept Twilight's depression in check, calling for help whenever it got too deep. It was near Thanksgiving when it finally got into the new widow's head that John wouldn't want her to be so depressed. He would've wanted her to continue to live and raise their daughter.
Besides, she had a promise to keep to him.
With her slow recovery, Twilight was able to teach the second semester and relieve the students and faculty. Now, she was able to relax and plan for the future.
The sound of the front door opening was enough to break Twilight out of her stupor and turn her attention to that particular direction. Standing in front of the door was a human girl about ten. She had indigo hair with two pink stripes like Twilight's, only her hair was wavy. She was dressed in a teal one-piece swimsuit and held a windsurfing board under her arm. Hanging across her body was a satchel with a button made from an animal claw she found.
The girl set her amethyst eyes to the former unicorn.
"You ok, Mom?"
Twilight nodded at the child.
"I am, Aurora. I'm just relaxing in the breeze."
The girl, Aurora, placed a hand on her mother's shoulder and spoke again.
"You know, I don't have to go."
But Twilight shook her head as she smiled.
"No, sweetheart. You should go out and have some fun. It's the first day of summer vacation, after all, and aren't you looking for new shells for your collection?"
Aurora was hesitant. Since her father died, she had been worried about her mother non-stop. While she was happy that Twilight was making a recovery, she still worried about a possible relapse.
"Well…I'll come back at lunch, just in case."
Twilight hugged her daughter, letting her know she had nothing to fear.
"Don't worry. The most I'll be doing today is grocery shopping. No need to call the hotline."
It took a while before Aurora could agree with her mother.
"Alright, Mom. Just take it easy, ok?"
She then headed down to the island's beach.
"I'll see you at lunch!"
"I'll see you then, Aurora!" Twilight called down as her daughter began to sail off to a neighboring island on her windsurfing board.
Once Aurora was out of sight, Twilight went inside her home and collected her purse and grocery list after she got dressed from her pajamas and into a lavender sundress and her hair was brushed, soon donning a white sunhat with a magenta flower on it.
Once she ready, she grabbed some shoes and headed down to Fortuna's docks. She placed her purse and shoes into a sailboat she often used to reach the other islands. Her bicycle and its trailer were already in the boat as she got in and unmoored from the dock. It was her late husband who taught her how to sail and found the experience quite relaxing.
As she sailed to the largest island, Solis, she found herself going over her memories and focused on the ones where she took her baby down to the boat and let the sea rock them to get Aurora to calm down. Especially since she was fussy as a baby.
After docking in her usual spot on the large island, Twilight got her bicycle onto the dock and hitched the trailer before putting her shoes on and pedaling off. This was another thing her husband had taught her during her first year as a human and like him, preferred this method of transportation than the automobiles on the island.
It didn't take Twilight long to reach the local grocery store. After locking her bicycle, Twilight took the list out of her purse and began to shop. She hit the produce section heavily since she and John had decided to stick with her vegan diet and passed this on to Aurora. Something they took into preparing if the three of them ever make it to Equestria.
As she examined the apples, she couldn't help but think of Applejack and the Apple family. This, in turn, would make her think of everypony she was forced to leave behind. And eventually, turned towards her late husband. Thankfully, her thoughts broke as a familiar voice called out to her.
"Twyla! Hello! How've you been, dear?"
Twilight turned her attention to where the voice was coming from and found it belonged to one of her friends on the faculty.
It was John's suggestion that her name be changed to Twyla to avoid suspicion and used it in her relations outside her family.
Talking to the teacher kept Twilight's thoughts in check as she continued to shop. Once she was done, she bid the teacher farewell and loaded her groceries onto the trailer and returned to the boat.
But as she sailed back to Fortuna Island, a flash of light caught her eyes. It fit the description John had told her when she arrived in this world.
So could this mean…?
Having only used it for storms or emergencies, Twilight moved to the back of the boat and turned on the motor. Once she reached the island and moored, Twilight left the groceries behind and dashed toward the area where John had found her.
Sure enough, there were two bare women lying unconscious on the forest floor next to a glowing portal.
One woman had pale pink hair that flowed gently on the ground and had equally pale sink. On her flank were three very familiar pink butterflies.
The second woman had a bit of a tan on her as well as some freckles on her face. She had blond hair that was tied at the end and not far from her was a Stetson hat. On her flank was also a familiar mark: three apples.
"Applejack?! Fluttershy?!" Twilight gasped.
She quickly checked their vitals only to find that they were only unconscious and not in the same condition she came in. But still, Twilight took her old friends to her house and gathered some clothing. She helped on Fluttershy a green sundress and a red one for Applejack. Once she had them dressed and propped on the couch that sat at the side of the stairs, Twilight returned to the dock to collect the groceries. It took her a few trips in order to get them all inside, each time she came inside, she checked to see if the other ex-ponies were awake. So far, nothing.
Sighing, she got to work on putting groceries away while she went over what she was going to say to them and the possibility of Aurora finding them here and the secret gets out. But as she kept herself busy, she failed to notice that the ex-ponies were awakening.
Upon awakening, Applejack rubbed her eyes as she sat up.
"Hoo-wee. What a trip. You ok, Fluttershy?"
Simultaneously, Fluttershy performed the same action as she answered the Element of Honesty.
"I…I think so."
But she fell silent as she realized that her hoof was no longer a hoof. Applejack also took notice before she and Fluttershy looked towards each other and found a different body instead.
A loud pair of screams came from the living room, nearly causing Twilight to drop a jar of jam on the table. Taking in a few breaths, she calmed herself before facing the archway that lead from her wooden kitchen into her living room.
"Looks like they're awake." She muttered.
Leaving the kitchen, she found the two women screaming amongst themselves as they examined their new bodies.
"What the hay happened to my body!" Applejack shouted.
Fluttershy fell silent as she saw a strange creature that looked similar to them behind Applejack. Clearing her throat, Twilight got Applejack's attention for the first time in twelve years.
"There's no need to scream. The portal you came through changed your body to fit in this world."
Applejack narrowed her eyes as she struggled to stand like the creature before her.
"And how do YOU know that?"
Calmly, Twilight answered her.
"Because it happened to me…twelve years ago."
Suddenly, a connection was made in the ex-ponies' minds. It was a possibility, but one they couldn't ignore. It was Fluttershy who dared to ask the question.
"Twilight?"
Twilight gave a nervous smile, nodding ever so slightly.
"Long time, Fluttershy. You too, Applejack."
To Twilight's surprise, however, despite the inability to walk on two legs yet, Fluttershy and Applejack got up and glomped her. Normally, this would be something she could see Pinkie Pie doing. But Applejack and Fluttershy? Could this mean…?
"Oh thank goodness! Twilight! We found you!" Fluttershy called happily with tears in her teal eyes.
"We was lookin' for ya since Cadence and Shinin' Armor defeated the changelings. When we found the gate, we were too late!" Applejack explained, tears in her emerald orbs.
Despite the many questions in Twilight's head, she let her emotions get out as she hugged the two women, for once crying in happiness.
"I missed you both so much."
After hugging, the two ex-ponies began to exchange their stories with the ex-unicorn. After discovering the Gate of Sleipnir and that it only opens for three days every twelve years, the ponies had to wait about a month before the real wedding could take place, although it was, as Rainbow Dash had put it, 20% less happy than it should. The reason they had to wait was for everypony to recover from the loss of Twilight Sparkle.
As time went, things had become sort of "grey" for the Elements of Harmony. Spike, Twilight's faithful dragon assistant since his hatching at her magic exam, had taken over as head librarian at the Ponyville library. Rainbow Dash still worked on her moves, but they weren't as dazzling as they used to be. Rarity still made fabulous outfits, but with less enthusiasm than before. In fact, she made an entire line star-themed in memory of Twilight. And Pinkie Pie deflated from her usual self, but continued to perform for parties. Although she was soon restricted to helping around Sugar Cube Corner when her depression went further.
Princess Cadence and Shining Armor soon after inherited a place called the Crystal Empire after it reappeared from a thousand-year disappearance. Twilight was proud of Spike once she heard that he with the help of Applejack managed to find a missing element to the Crystal Empire and saved it forever from the empire's wicked former king.
When the twelve years were coming to an end, Applejack and Fluttershy both returned to Canterlot to ask Princess Celestia if they could watch the gate for anything. Despite the gate being guarded since that day, Celestia agreed and a few minutes ago the portal opened.
"…and so here we are." Applejack concluded, her throat parched.
After teaching the ex-ponies how to hold a water bottle, Twilight told them of her time in the human world. Of course, both AJ and Fluttershy did a spit take once she got to the middle.
"You got married!?" Applejack coughed.
Twilight nodded as she got up to bring a picture of her and her family to her two friends.
"Yes. John was so wonderful and I couldn't help but fall in love with him. Soon after, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl."
Immediately, Fluttershy took Twilight's photo and immediately went, "Aww!"
Applejack looked at the picture and did the same thing, with added dialogue.
"Why, Twilight. She's purdier than the last Zap Apple blossom on the tree."
Twilight laughed, despite the confusing lingo.
"Thank you, Applejack. Her name is Aurora."
Fluttershy beamed.
"It's a perfect name for her. I hope we get to meet her and your husband."
That made Twilight's face sadden, catching the attention of the ex-ponies.
"Twilight? Everything ok?" Applejack, concerned for their friend.
Sighing, Twilight answered her.
"I'm sorry, girls. But…John died a few months ago in an accident."
This caused the two to gasp as they hugged their friend.
"Oh, Twilight. I'm so sorry. I had no idea-"
"None of you had any idea, Fluttershy. To be honest, I'm still getting over losing him myself." Twilight interrupted them.
She then stood up and walked over to a fireplace and took something from the mantle: a Ming urn about the size of a watermelon.
"But before he died, we made a promise."
"And what promise is that, Twilight?" Applejack asked, eyeing curiously at the urn.
Cradling the urn, Twilight answered her.
"I promised him that when the opportunity arises, I would take my family to Equestria, to see where I came from. He was the one who asked that his remains would be cremated, so that even in death, I could still fulfill my promise and take him with me."
Now the former ponies understood. The urn held John's ashes.
"But what about Aurora?" Fluttershy managed to ask.
Twilight sighed as she placed the urn back on the mantle.
"To be honest, I never told her of her Equestrian heritage. As far as she knows, she's a normal human child."
This caused the women to gasp in shock.
"You never told her? But what about Equestria? Your promise to your husband?" Fluttershy asked.
Sighing, Twilight looked out to the window, seeing Aurora beginning to sail back as promised.
"I know I should tell her soon. But I'm afraid for her. Afraid she'd become an outcast in Equestria and here."
Managing to stand, Applejack spoke as she struggled to walk to Twilight.
"We understand, Twilight. You want what's best for your daughter. But the longer you keep it a secret, the harder it will be once she eventually knows. And the portal will stay open for another two days. Once they're up, it'll be closed for another twelve years. Do you really want her to know once she's grown up instead? Don't ya want to go back to Equestria?"
Twilight knew Applejack was right. For years, she longed to go back to Equestria with her family. But her fears kept her from doing something important during the past ten years.
Seeing Aurora approaching the house, Twilight made her choice.
"I'll try and tell her tonight. If she's ok with it, we'll move to Equestria. But could the two of you keep this a secret until then?"
Applejack nodded.
"Sure thing, sugar cube."
"Of course, Twilight. If you need us to help in any other way, we'll be happy to help."
Smiling at the pair, Twilight spoke.
"Thank you both."
She then headed to the kitchen.
"But for now, how about I treat you both to lunch? You must be quite hungry after your trip."
Growling stomachs answered her question as she went into the kitchen to make a meal for four just as Aurora came in.
"Mom! I'm home. You should see the lagoon. It's covered in shells…"
She then trailed off as she saw the two strange women sitting on the couch in her house.
"Mom?"
Twilight then called out from the kitchen.
"I heard you, sweetheart. Those two in the living room are friends from my hometown: Applejack and Fluttershy. Girls, that's my daughter: Aurora."
The two smiled at the girl as she walked forward.
"Well nice to meet ya, sugar cube. I'm Applejack. And this one's Fluttershy."
"Very nice to meet you, Aurora." Fluttershy spoke.
Aurora didn't know what to make of this. These two were strangers with strange names in her home, yet her mother, who also had a strange real name, was familiar with them. Yet, she could somehow sense that these two are ok.
So, being polite, she spoke.
"Nice to meet you, too." She then look to herself. "Sorry for my appearance. I was shell-collecting. I'll be back down in a minute."
She then left the others and headed up the stairs to get changed. Once she got back down, the four of them began to enjoy a nice meal. It relieved her greatly that her mother was truly smiling again and not half-smiling as she's done for the past few months. And despite some obviously chopped up bits, she enjoyed the two women's stories about her mother.
Perhaps things will be back to normal soon.
Once lunch was done and Aurora went back to her room to tend to the new shells she collected, the three ex-ponies gathered around the hidden portal.
"Ok. So you'll tell everypony about what you've learned?" Twilight asked.
Applejack nodded as she spoke.
"Eeyup. And we'll make sure that, if Aurora says yes, Pinkie will only put on a small party. Don't wanna scare the little darlin', do we?"
"And we'll also let Princess Celestia know about this. I'm sure she'll be happy to meet you both."
With a nod, Twilight spoke once more.
"Alright. We'll meet back here in the morning. Hopefully, all goes well."
Placing a hand on Twilight's shoulder, Applejack spoke before she and Fluttershy returned to Equestria.
"Good luck, Twilight."
Once her friends were gone, Twilight was now charged with the most difficult task she ever had to take: telling Aurora the truth of her heritage and convincing her to move to Equestria.
Twilight paced back and forth in her living room that night. Aurora had gone upstairs to get ready for bed and Twilight was going over on how to tell her daughter the truth.
"Ok. 'Aurora, sweetie, there's something I have to tell you. I'm a Unicorn.' No. That's too obscure. How about, 'Aurora? Have you ever wondered where I came from?' No, that's not gonna work. She'll think I mean something else."
She then sat on the couch and sighed as she looked at her husband's urn.
"You were right, John. I should have told her when she was younger."
Hearing footsteps, Twilight stood up and headed up the stairs. With each step, her heart beat faster, dreading on what her own child would say. Compared with being Princess Celestia's protégé, being a mother was hard. But it was a worthy title to her.
She entered her daughter's room, where Aurora was already in bed but not asleep. She was wearing a pair of lilac pajamas that had a maroon collar. Seeing her mother, Aurora spoke.
"Everything ok, Mom?"
Twilight took in a deep breath before sitting down on her daughter's bed.
"Sort of, sweetie. I've just been thinking about something."
Now Aurora was alert. Whenever her mother said that she was thinking about something, she would have a different face. And Aurora grew to know that the face that Twilight was making was one of anxiety.
"Mom? You remember those deep breathing exercises Dad taught you, right?"
Twilight gave a chuckle as she blushed, remembering the time she originally thought she was supposed to send a Friendship report at least once a week and went crazy with her fears and worries. And unfortunately, that type of worry would plague her with different subjects.
"Don't worry. It's not that kind of thinking." "At least, not what you're thinking." Twilight thought.
She then took a breath and spoke.
"Aurora. Do you remember the stories I told you when you were little?"
Aurora raised an eyebrow.
"You mean the ones where there is a world of ponies that talked and acted like humans and the ponies were made up of normal ponies, pegasi, and unicorns? What about them?"
"Well, what would you think if those stories were true?"
Now Aurora was wondering if her mother finally gone off the deep end. Her mother made up those stories, right? To put her to sleep at bedtime?
"Well…it would be weird, but I guess it would be neat. I mean, I loved those stories when I was little. In fact, I used to wish very hard that those stories were real and I could learn magic."
That last bit made Twilight smile. If Aurora was truly like her mother, there was a possibility that she could have inherited her mother's magical abilities. It was Twilight's biggest dream to teach her daughter everything she knew about magic and to see her grow as an accomplished sorceress.
So maybe, just maybe, this would be easier than she originally thought.
"Well, what would you say that…" But Twilight failed to complete as she heard the sound of crashing downstairs. "What was that?" She managed to end her sentence.
Both mother and daughter felt that something wasn't right. No one would be dumb enough to sail to their island and Twilight knew her friends would be back tomorrow morning.
"Burglars?" Aurora asked, inching closer to her mother.
Twilight gulped at the possibility of it being so.
"Wait here." She told Aurora.
Quietly, she retreated to her room and got a baseball bat from her closet. Her house did have a security system, but why did it not go off? She had it checked every month despite the fact that the only big crimes on the islands were vandalism and shoplifting. As she made her way down the steps, Twilight pleaded internally that with the portal open, she would be able to perform magic again.
But as she reached the ground floor and flipped a light switch, she found nothing. Her husband's urn was safe, thankfully, but what of the invader? Carefully, Twilight, peered into the kitchen and bathroom, once again finding nothing. It was strange. She was sure she heard a crash. Aurora heard it too. So why did it sound like something did a few minutes ago?
Her answer came as she looked at the front door. The screen and glass door was shattered. How could she had not seen it before? And how is it that the intruder could smash her door, but not enter her home.
"MOM!"
Twilight's ears picked up a scream coming from the stairs and immediately, her maternal instincts went into overdrive. Aurora was a brave girl. She would never scream like that unless she was in trouble. And judging from the volume, something was defiantly scaring her.
Twilight dashed up the stair and burst through the door to find some sort of black sludge creeping into her daughter's room from the window at frightening speed. Aurora was already at the door when her mother came in as the sludge began to expand in the room.
"What is that!?" Aurora cried out.
Twilight said nothing but held her daughter in terror. There was nothing like this in any of the books she had read. It wasn't a disease or a form of animal.
But whatever it was, it was alive and was on the hunt.
"Twilight… Sparkle…" A voice came from the sludge. "Twilight…Sparkle…"
Twilight's eyes widened further as the sludge breathed in and out her name.
It was after her!
Without a second thought, she grabbed her daughter by the hand and ran out the room with her, slamming the door behind her. Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, Twilight grabbed John's urn and handed it to her daughter, knowing where to go.
Aurora looked up to her mother as they could hear the sludge perusing them. The two of them ran out the door to find their house was being overrun with the sludge, coming after them like a slimy serpent. Perhaps they could escape into the sea? They had her mother's sailboat, they could get off the island at least.
But Twilight took Aurora to a place different from the dock: the lone forest that was on the island. When she was little, the forest was the one place on the island she couldn't go into without one or both of her parents. It was a strange rule, since there were no predators on the island, so how could a forest be dangerous.
It was then that Aurora noticed something different about the forest: it was glowing.
"This way, Aurora! There's a place in there that will take us to safety!" Her mother told her.
They worked their way towards the center of the forest until they came across a glowing light. Unbeknownst to Aurora, the same light Twilight saw many years ago.
"Through there!" Twilight called.
But as they were about to jump through, the sludge caught up to them and seized Twilight with so much force that both mother and child flew through the portal. As they passed through the light, Aurora felt a strange sensation at her lower half. Too scared to open her eyes, she failed to notice an immediate change as they came out of the portal.
Opening her eyes, Aurora was met with shock as she looked at her mother. She was no longer human, but looked like a pony about three-quarter's her size. Her hair remained the same, but had a matching tail. Her fur was lavender with a magenta star and six white smaller stars on her flank. On her forehead was a horn. Aurora realized what her mother had become.
"Mom? Are you…"
But she couldn't finish her sentence as the sludge came forth and grabbed Twilight, ripping her from her daughter's grasp.
"MOM!" Aurora screamed, too focused on her mother to notice her surroundings.
As the sludge held Twilight, a wicked male laugh boomed as glowing red eyes came from the black sludge, glaring at both mother and child. The child was frozen in place as the sludge formed a sinister giant hand and slowly reached out to her. Seeing that the sludge was going after her daughter next, Twilight powered up her horn and sent an energy blast at the muck.
"Stay away from her!"
The blast splattered the mire hand but forced the eyes to focus on Twilight. Suddenly, it covered her in sludge like how two hands capture a fly. Seeing this, something in Aurora snapped.
"NO!"
Suddenly, a light appeared out of nowhere and shone brightly at the sludge, its howling indicating it was in pain because of this light. From what Aurora could see, it was coming from her forehead.
It was clear to the sludge that this light was very powerful and that if it stayed long enough, it would be destroyed. Seeing there was no choice, the sludge dove into itself and released a cloud of black smoke as the sound of an explosion was heard.
As the light faded, Aurora fell to her stomach, one arm protecting her father's urn, reached out to the origin point of the smoke as she uttered a word.
"Mom…"
With tears in her eyes, Aurora's world soon went black.
The sound of the explosion did not go unheard of. Almost all of the castle residents heard it, but it was Princess Celestia who first awoke not at the sound, but by the emergence of a great power soon preceding the explosion. From where the princess could locate it, it came from the caverns below.
"The Gate…"
Immediately, Celestia left her bed and retreated down the corridors. She stopped at one room and knocked hastily. The door soon opened to reveal a tired Applejack, back in her pony form, and struggling to keep awake.
"Princess? What are ya doin' knockin' on doors in the middle of the night?"
"No time to explain. Just wake Fluttershy and meet me at the Gate of Sleipnir." Said the princess.
Upon hearing the location, Applejack fully woke up and headed down the hall to Fluttershy's room, leaving her hat behind. Upon answering the door, Fluttershy asked the same question Applejack asked the princess. And just like Applejack, she became alert once she heard that something was happening at the Gate.
The two Elements made their way down to the caverns, soon greeted by the princess.
"What's the problem, princess?" Applejack asked.
Celestia turned her gaze to a fallen form before the Gate. It was a strange creature, for it had a lavender pony body, but where the head should be was the upper body of another creature. Upon seeing the creature's mane, Applejack and Fluttershy became worried.
"Is that…?" Fluttershy asked as Applejack turned the head to get a good look at the face.
Thanks to the light of the portal, the farmpony could see who this creature was.
"I don't believe it. It's Aurora!"
After placing Aurora in one of the guest chambers sometime later, Fluttershy waited for Applejack and the princess to return. Seeing Aurora alone made them worry and while Fluttershy was tasked with staying with Aurora, Applejack went through the Gate to see if she could find Twilight at her home while Princess Celestia searched the caverns with her guards.
Every fifteen minutes to an hour, Fluttershy came into Aurora's room and checked on the guest. From what she could see, the stress of whatever happened coupled with the power of the Gate took its toll on the child. The butter-colored Pegasus would dab a damp washcloth on the girl's forehead, hoping it would grant the child comfort.
After an hour had passed, Fluttershy came out of the chamber to find both Applejack and Celestia approaching, both with solemn looks on their faces.
"What…what's wrong?"
Looking at the Pegasus, Celestia spoke.
"I'm afraid something terrible has happened to Twilight. She is nowhere in the caverns and Applejack has just informed me that no one was home and that it looked like they were attacked."
"Attacked?" Fluttershy gasped quietly out of sheer habit.
Applejack nodded.
"The house was a mess and windows and doors were shattered. I saw a black trail of sorts make its way around the house and back to here. The trail ends just a couple feet from where we found Aurora."
Fluttershy covered her mouth with her hooves to silence another gasp as the princess spoke.
"I have just contacted my sister to peer into Aurora's memories to see what had happened. By far, the poor child is the only witness as to what happened."
"And how long will that take, princess?" Applejack asked, her gaze focused on the door and the child behind it. "And what are we gonna do about Aurora once she wakes up?"
Celestia became silent in thought. There was no way they could make the child return home after what she had heard. Looking to Applejack and Fluttershy, she had her answer.
"Applejack. Fluttershy. I must ask that you tend to Aurora both while she is sleeping and when she wakes. She knows you two and thus you have a better chance of talking with her without unintentionally instilling more fear in her. And while we wait for Luna's report, I'll send a letter to Spike and the rest of the Elements in Ponyville. She and I will send soldiers to the far reaches of Equestria if we have to if we are to find Twilight. I will send a chariot to Ponyville at once."
The Elements of Kindness and Honesty bowed to the princess as she left to perform her tasks. They then turned their attention towards each other.
"How about we take shifts. I'll watch her for two hours and you take the next two." Said Applejack.
Fluttershy nodded and returned to her room while Applejack wen inside the room to check on Aurora.
Applejack gazed sadly at the girl. She was going to be so heartbroken once she remembers what happened. This was, sadly, Applejack was familiar with. Although her parents were taken in a completely different fashion, the mare never felt so alone once she received the news. It took a while for her to recover after she and her siblings came into the care of her Granny Smith.
But for Aurora, it was going to be a worse feeling.
In Ponyville….
It was peace and quiet in the small village of Ponyville. The ponies who call this place home were nestled in their beds dreaming away. Near the village square was a large oak tree that doubled as the town's library. It had a door and windows, even a couple of balconies here and there. Inside, the tree was hollow, shelves carved out from the wooden walls and were filled with books. A set of stairs lead to the second floor of the tree, which was home to the head librarian. But the librarian wasn't a pony, no. He was a dragon.
Spike was a long and nimble adolescent dragon, no longer the small purple and green baby dragon that he was when he moved to Ponyville. He was about the size of a normal human teenager and had already grown in his wings. He was still learning how to control them, though.
It seemed to be another lonely night for the purple dragon, having missed Twilight, the one who hatched him and raised him so many years ago. After she disappeared, the Mane 5 took on the task of taking care of him, although he stayed in the library with Twilight's pet owl, Owlicious. As he grew older, the responsibilities of the library soon became an everyday thing. Nothing was new, good or bad.
But suddenly, Spike awoke from his sleep at a familiar case of indigestion and burped some green flames. From the flames, a scroll appeared. Curious, Spike opened the scroll and read its contents. His eyes widened as he read.
"Twilight? Her daughter? Come to Canterlot at once?!"
He tossed the blankets off him and headed down the steps of the library. He had to find his friends immediately. He first stopped at the local boutique and knocked furiously on the door. He kept knocking until a greyish-white unicorn with a curled violet answered the door.
Yawning, she spoke. "Spike? What are you doing waking ponies up in the middle of the night?"
Despite his long-standing crush on the unicorn, Spike held up the not for her to see.
"Read this, Rarity, and see."
Hoping to humor the dragon so she could go back to sleep, Rarity read the scroll, only to have the same reaction as Spike.
Looking up from the scroll, Rarity spoke. "I'll get some supplies from my shop. Go and get Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash."
Without another word, Spike headed to the local catering company, Sugar Cube Corner, and flapped his wings with all his might to the room of a pink pony. Knocking on the window, he managed to wake her up and motioned her to open the window. She yawned.
"Spike, it's too late for a slumber party. You'll wake up the twins."
After the wedding, Pinkie was very slowly reverting to her "normal" self, forcing herself to put on a smile for the shop owners' twins, who were about Aurora's age at the moment. Like with Rarity, Spike held up the scroll for Pinkie to see. Once she read it, her straight mane has regained some of its former curls, but about a quarter of what it used to be.
"Twilight is missing and has a daughter in Canterlot? Why didn't you tell me sooner? Who knows how many birthdays I've missed!"
But Spike shushed the Earth Pony.
"Quiet, Pinkie. Remember?"
Remembering, Pinkie saluted and opened her armoire and pulled out her cobweb-and-dust-covered party cannon.
As Pinkie got ready, Spike headed to the last place on his list: Rainbow Dash's home. Unlike his friends, Spike had to fly to a home-shaped cloud that hung near Ponyville. Granted, it wasn't the only cloud home in Ponyville, but Spike could pick out Rainbow Dash's home in a thick fog on the first try.
Upon reaching the cloud, Spike went to Rainbow Dash's bedroom window and knocked hard. The rainbow-haired Pegasus was a heavy sleeper, so the dragon had to put some effort into waking her up. When she did, she did not look happy until Spike shoved the parchment into her face.
That changed her mood.
The two fliers met up with Rarity and Pinkie at the square, both with suitcases, although Pinkie had her party cannon and Rarity had a cartful of fabric and sewing supplies.
Landing, Rainbow Dash spoke.
"I take it you got the word about…"
"Of course we did, Rainbow Dash. After all these years, we finally have some word about Twilight. Although I wish it was better news." Rarity replied.
"Are you kidding? Did you forget about Twilight's daughter already? I missed a lot of birthday parties and I gotta catch up."
"I don't think a party is what's needed, Pinkie." Rainbow spoke.
"Quite right. From the look of things, something terrible has happened. We need to take things gently. Although I am quite curious about this 'Aurora' girl. I am still surprised that Twilight of all ponies is in fact the first of the six of us to become a mother. Not even Princess Cadence and Shining Armor have any foals yet." Rarity spoke.
"Well, we'll get to meet her soon. Here comes the chariot." Spike spoke up as the chariot approached Ponyville from the sky.
Sometime later, Spike and the remaining Elements were in Canterlot and were being lead though the castle to where Princess Celestia and their friends were. Seeing them, Celestia approached them.
"I am so glad that all of you have come. Luna is about done peering into Aurora's memories. In the meantime, Applejack can tell you about what has happened."
The ponies and the dragon looked on the farmpony anxiously.
It took nearly an hour in order for Applejack to properly relay the information she and Fluttershy had received earlier that day and what was happening now. By the time she was finished, Celestia and her sister, Princess Luna, were coming out of the guestroom with grim looks on their faces.
"Well? What did ya find?" Applejack asked.
Luna took a few steps forward before giving her answer.
"I'm afraid that you're assumption was correct. Both mother and child were attacked by something. Something that clearly wanted Twilight. And sadly, it took her before the girl passed out."
Hearts became heavy at the news, but the Elements, save for Kindness, became alert.
"Just point us in the right direction and we'll show that thing whose boss!" Rainbow declared, ready for a fight. But Celestia shook her head.
"No, my little ponies. I cannot let you go and search."
The ponies and the dragon gaped.
"Huh? Why not?" Pinkie asked.
"Because while Luna and I will have our royal legions search Equestria for Twilight, you six are to be tasked with a very important mission." Celestia answered.
Rarity raised her eyebrow. "And what mission is that, Your Highness?"
Applejack turned her head to the doors as the answer came quickly.
"You want us to watch over Aurora, don't ya?"
Celestia nodded.
"Yes. While Twilight is missing, Aurora needs somepony to watch over her until her mother's return. With what's happened, I couldn't give her to her grandparents. I believe that the best course of action is for the six of you to help Aurora adjust to Equestria and to be there until she is deemed fit to travel."
"Travel? Where would she go?" Spike asked.
"We believe that once Aurora becomes well-adjusted to Equestria she should go and stay with Princess Cadence and Shining Armor in the Crystal Empire. With our soldiers stretching so thin to find Twilight Sparkle, the two of them would be able to keep their niece safe until further notice." Luna replied.
"But what could we do?" Rainbow Dash asked, not sure about taking care of a strange creature, even if that creature was the child of her lost friend.
To everypony's surprise, Applejack answered with a certain authority in her voice.
"I'll give her a home on Sweet Apple Acres, give her some security. Rainbow Dash can help teach her how to walk."
"What?!"
"Rarity can make her some cloths and everything else in that department."
"Goodness!"
"Once she's a bit better, Pinkie can throw a small party to help her along."
"Okie-dokie-lokki."
"And Spike can help her with her education such as reading the Equestrian language."
"Me? A teacher?"
Luna then asked the farmpony, "What about Fluttershy?"
Applejack already had an answer.
"Since Aurora already knows me an' Fluttershy, I'd figure that it should be the two of us that breaks the news to Aurora. If she meets somepony familiar, it could be easier for her."
Celestia smiled and nodded in approval.
"Looks like you were well-prepared, Applejack. We are grateful to you."
Applejack tipped her hat as she blushed.
"Thank ya kindly, princess. But I was only thinking of Aurora."
As the ponies left for their designated rooms, Applejack walked inside the room and gazed sadly at Aurora. This was going to be a difficult journey for her, but the farmpony was going to do whatever it took to ease the burden. Placing a hoof on the sleeping girl's forehead, Applejack whispered.
"Don't worry, sugar cube. We'll take care of ya and we'll get your mother back. And that's a promise."
As the ponies retreated for the night, Celestia and Luna gathered at the castle's observatory to hold a private meeting.
"So. Do you know who is behind this foalnapping?" Celestia asked.
Luna walked over to a window and gazed at the moon, letting Celestia know who was the culprit.
"I believe that it is him, sister. After all these millennia, he finally makes a new move."
"But why Twilight? What could she have that he wants?" Celestia asked.
Luna shook her head as she gazed out into her dark night.
"I do not know. But I have a strong feeling that Aurora is the key to our salvation."
The sunlight was what brought Aurora back to consciousness. A comfortable bed and sunlight waking her. Perhaps what had happened to her and her mother was but a nightmare. Soon, she would wake up, perform her morning routine, and join her mother for breakfast. Just the beginning of another normal day.
That was…until she opened her eyes.
The first place she saw was not her room. It was a beautiful pale blue room with a circling wall ending at the door. The floor was white and blue checked and, as she sat up, saw beautiful furnishings unfamiliar to her. She also found that she was in a large canopy bed with the foot facing one of the windows.
Aurora started to slide out of bed in the hopes of seeing out of said windows when she noticed something was off. The stone floor she was expecting to sense beneath her feet wasn't cold. In fact, she couldn't feel anything. Looking down, she quickly covered her mouth with her hands to cushion a scream.
Instead of human feet, she had horse's hooves.
The girl's eyes followed the hooves up to her legs, which were covered in lilac fur, and found that the horse's half only ended just below her navel under her nightshirt. With one hand, she tossed the blankets off to the side to uncover the rest of her. Lilac with a tail that matched her hair. Out of instinct, she placed her hands to the top of her head and was relieved to find that she didn't have horse's ears too. But she did touched her ears to be sure and what she felt made her look at a nearby vanity's mirror. Removing her hands, she found that hidden within her hair were her ears, but they were pointed and elfish.
Not moving from her spot, Aurora managed to choke out her words.
"W-what happened? What's happened to me?!"
She found that she had said the last sentence a little loud for a knock on the bedroom door caught her attention.
"Ya alright, sugar cube?"
Aurora immediately recognized the voice and a heavy feeling came from the pit of her stomach.
"M…Miss Applejack?"
Hearing the name, the door to her room opened and what was standing at the other side shocked Aurora. Instead of the woman she met the other day, it was a pony maybe about a few inches shorter than her. She was an orangish color with freckles. Her golden mane was hanging over one side and tied at the end as was the tail. On the pony's head was a familiar hat.
The pony's emerald eyes gave off a soft, kindly feeling that was beginning to make Aurora feel a little better as she spoke.
"I know what yer thinkin'. 'Why is der a pony in my room and why is she talkin'?'"
Aurora gave a slow nod, carefully absorbing the situation. She then looked down.
"And…my legs?"
Applejack took in a deep breath as she approached Aurora. It was no wonder Twilight said telling Aurora the truth was the toughest job she has to face as a parent.
"You might wanna get back on the bed, sugar cube. I've got a few things to say. Things yer mother was going to tell you."
Aurora's eyes widened not at this sudden information, but upon remembering what had happened to her mother.
"M…my mom?"
The pits in both pony and child's stomachs got heavier in the silence until Applejack spoke.
"I'm sorry, Aurora. But we couldn't find yer mother anywhere. Whatever it was that attacked you…it got away with her."
Grasping realization was worn on Aurora's face as she slid back onto her bed.
Her mother…was gone?
Quick to change the mood, Applejack spoke.
"But don't worry. Princess Celestia's got her guards looking every inch of Equestria for her. We'll find her. So don't go thinkin' otherwise."
But thinking otherwise was all Aurora could do. This was a situation she was dreading for nearly a year. She had already lost her father, she didn't want to lose her mother, too.
She felt a hoof on her shoulder, Applejack's no doubt, as Aurora herself managed to softly ask a different question.
"But…why…am I a…a centaur?"
Applejack raised an eyebrow at the word.
"Centaur?"
This only made things worse for Aurora.
Softly again, she spoke.
"A…a creature…that's half-human…half-horse… A creature of…myth."
She then turned her head to Applejack, whose face was back to concern.
"Why am I a centaur? Is it because of…of my mom?"
Applejack frowned sadly.
"You were able to see yer mother before she got caught…right?"
Aurora nodded as the farmpony continued.
"You see, sugar cube. The reason for why you look like a creature of myth and yer mother looked funny was because…well…"
Applejack had to force the words out of her mouth in order to get them said. It had to be done. For Aurora's sake.
"...yer mother…was never human."
She paused for a moment before she continued, letting her words sink into the child's mind.
"Yer mother was born a unicorn."
Slowly, the information wrapped itself around Aurora's mind as the words echoed in her psyche.
Her mother was a unicorn?
"And she was born here. In Equestria. In this here town, to be exact."
Still grasping the former information, Aurora managed to speak.
"E…questria?"
Before Applejack could speak, Aurora interrupted her.
"So…my mom's stories…they were true?"
Now it was Applejack's turn to be confused.
"Stories?"
Slowly nodding, Aurora answered her.
"Wh-when I was little, Mom would tell me bedtime stories of a magical kingdom of ponies called 'Equestria.' She told me those stories like she was there. But…I thought that's what they were. Stories."
She then looked out to the window, the sun still gleaming brightly. Then, she struggled to get off the bed. She was able to stand, but when she tried walk, she nearly fell weren't for Applejack catching her.
"Easy there, sugar cube. Ya ain't used to these legs yet."
She then helped Aurora make her way to the window, seeing the longing look in her eyes. She then proceeded to guide the child to the window.
"Start with the side you normally start with. Back hoof first, front hoof second. Same with the other side."
Following Applejack's instruction, Aurora tried walking again, this time slowly. She was still new to this way of walking, but at least she was getting somewhere.
With Applejack's help and instruction, Aurora was finally able to cross the room and look out window without the suns glare. What she saw furthered surprised her. She found that her room wasn't part of a house, but a tower in a beautiful-looking castle. At least, from her angle. Below the castle was a town that seemed to fit in with the setting: ponies of different sizes, colors, age, and gender walked the streets below. She had to squint her eyes to see that there were not only normal ponies, but unicorns and pegasi, too.
And beyond the town was a wide world that was both beautiful and unfamiliar to her. And that somewhere out there…was her mother.
Leading Aurora back to the bed, Applejack proceeded her lecture.
"This is the world yer mother was born, Aurora. And whether or not you accept it, yer a part of this world too. You just need to discover what you never knew."
As she propped herself on her bed, Aurora spoke.
"Then…can you tell me why my mom never told me any of this herself?"
Applejack agreed to the child's request as she sat on a chair she brought over from the other side of the room.
"Yer mother was tellin' me an' Fluttershy the same answer the other day. She wanted to wait until you were both ready. She wanted ya to have a normal upbringin' first before telling you. Yer father wanted you to know sooner, but yer mother felt neither you nor her were ready."
"So my dad…knew?" asked Aurora.
Applejack nodded.
"He did, sugar cube. And despite that, he still loved yer mother dearly from the way Twilight told me."
Another word came to Aurora's attention as she continued to ask question after question.
"How do you know my mom's nickname? I thought me and my dad were the only ones who knew Mom's nickname was 'Twilight'."
Applejack knew this and answered.
"Actually, Twyla is yer mother's nickname. Her real name is Twilight Sparkle."
Applejack then proceeded tell Aurora nearly everything she knew about Twilight, the child listening intently.
There was one part she left out, though. And that was the fights between Twilight and her friends while preparing for a wedding between a fake Princess Cadence and Shining Armor.
It was probably best if she didn't know the nastier facts that lead up to the climax.
"…yer mother found Princess Cadence suspicious and went to investigate. She discovered that the princess her brother, yer uncle, was about to marry was a fake and was able to send the real Cadence to us. But then she disappeared. We figured something' happened that sent yer mother to go through the gate forcefully and end up in the world where you were born. She met yer father immediately after she arrived."
Once she was finished, she found Aurora completely mesmerized by the tale. Over the course of the story, Aurora gave hard looks at Applejack's eyes, searching for anything that could tell that she was lying.
Being the Element of Honesty, Applejack's eyes were giving nothing but truth.
Aurora did not know whether to be amazed or terrified. On one hand, she found that the truth about her mother was really cool and she wanted to know more about her and Equestria. Yet, there was a strong fear growing inside her. A fear that would try many times to consume her. She then proceeded to ask another question.
"What am I gonna do now?"
Applejack knew this was coming. She would be wondering the same thing if she found herself all alone in a strange world with nopony familiar to her. She was lucky that she had her Granny Smith as well as her older brother and younger sister to help take the feeling away. Aurora, however, wasn't as lucky. But experience prompted Applejack to take charge in helping her.
"Well, sugar cube, I've been talkin' about it with the princesses and my friends and we believe the best thing for you is to stay in Equestria. Nopony knows when we will find yer mother, and the gate is only open for three days every twelve years. I know you don't want to, but we can't just leave ya all alone back in yer birth-world. My friends and I are willin' to help you."
Aurora brought her front legs to her face as she asked, "But how?"
Applejack explained the plan.
"Well, my family and I can take you in at our apple orchard, Sweet Apple Acres, in Ponyville. We'll gladly give you a home until ya feel better. Rainbow Dash will help you learn how to use yer new legs, and Rarity will make you new clothes. Fluttershy and I are right here if you want help and Spike can help you learn anythin' you want Equestria-related. He can even tell you more about yer mother. You can even ask Princess Celestia and Princess Luna about her."
"And…what about when I've gotten used to this place?" Aurora asked.
"Then you get to go and live with yer Aunt Cadence and Uncle Shinin' Armor in the neighboring Crystal Empire. We're afraid that whatever took yer mother might come after you next and since the princesses' guards will be stretched so thin to find her, it would be safer for you to stay in the Crystal Empire with yer kin."
A growl from Aurora's stomach interrupted Applejack, causing her to give a slight giggle.
"I'll go and get ya somethin' to eat and have Rarity help clean ya up. We can talk more after you got a full belly."
Aurora gave a nod before Applejack left.
It was about ten minutes before the door opened again, the gap giving Aurora additional time to process what she had just learned.
From the way things sounded, she could return home and await being sent to an orphanage, never seeing her mother again, or she could relocate to Equestria and perhaps help find her mother. But she would have to deal with being the only half-pony there. Weighing both options, she found that there was no way she could escape loneliness.
There was only one beneficial option for her.
When the door opened, Aurora snapped out of her thoughts just as she was on the verge of crying as a whitish-grey unicorn with a curled violet mane and tail entered her room. On her flank was a mark with three diamonds on it. Her sapphire eyes coupled with her smile sent a warmth at Aurora.
And it turned out that she wasn't alone. Flying next to her was a cyan-colored Pegasus with a rainbow-colored mane and tail. On her flank was a mark that looked like a storm cloud with a rainbow-colored lightning bolt from it. Her magenta eyes focused on her.
The unicorn was the first to speak.
"Aurora?"
Aurora nodded at the unicorn.
"I am Rarity. And the Pegasus next to me is Rainbow Dash. We're friends of your mother."
Aurora remained silent as the cyan Pegasus flew towards her.
"Alright, kid. The first order of business is to get you to the washroom."
Rainbow then held out her hooves so Aurora could use her as support.
"Ok. Applejack said she already got you started. Let's continue that pattern from there."
Aurora nodded and took the Pegasus' hooves and used her like a walker, practicing the pattern as they moved.
As they made their way out of the room and down the corridors, Aurora couldn't help but notice the beauty of the castle's interior as well. A part of her kept saying that she's still dreaming, but the rest of her senses told her otherwise.
Once they were halfway down the corridor, Rainbow spoke.
"Ok. Wanna try it on your own?"
The very thought made Aurora nervous, but she knew she had to pass the task of walking before she could continue. She just had to try. Giving a nervous nod, Aurora released her grip and spread out her arms to balance herself. Rainbow hovered close while Rarity watched nearby.
Remembering the pattern, Aurora took her first steps as a quadruped. She only got to five paces before she collapse, prompting Rainbow to catch her. With a knowing smile, she helped the half-pony up.
"Not bad for your first try. We'll just keep practicing."
The trio then continued down the corridor until they reached a lavish washroom unlike anything Aurora had ever seen. It was practically the size of her school's gym and just as pretty as the rest of the castle.
Rarity took on the task of helping Aurora getting herself cleaned up, which the unicorn did not need to do much. This was something Aurora was familiar with, with the addition of using shampoo and conditioner on her tail as well. This left Rarity to work on the shirt she made for Aurora. It wasn't fancy like her normal designs as Applejack advised her not to overdo it. It was a plain turquoise blouse with silver trimming. At the bodice was a small plum bow with a pink diamond in the center.
Hey, she said she would lay off. She didn't say anything about making an outfit appropriate for the location.
After Aurora was finished with her bath and dried off, Rarity then took to styling the child's hair and tail, much to Aurora's confusion until she decided to ask a question.
"Um…Miss Rarity?"
Rarity looked at the child's reflection as she used her magic to brush Aurora's thick hair.
"Yes, dearie?"
"Why am I getting dressed up like this? I'd be more than happy to wear something plain and left my hair alone."
Rarity was in shock for a few seconds before she remembered what Applejack told her.
"Oh. I guess Applejack hasn't said anything to you yet."
This alerted Aurora and her anxiety deepened.
"What?"
Rarity's eyes expressed concern towards the girl as she told Aurora what Applejack had yet to tell her herself.
"Well… Princess Celestia wants to meet you after breakfast."
If she had a beverage, Aurora would've immediately done a spit-take as she swallowed a gasp as she looked to Rarity's reflection.
"P…Princess Celestia…wants to see…*gulp*…me?"
The unicorn immediately took notice of Aurora shaking in anxiety as she placed a hoof on her shoulder, hoping to calm her.
"Well…yes. But you don't have to worry, dear. Princess Celestia is very nice and she was your mother's teacher. I bet she'll be very happy to meet you."
"But I don't know what to do! I mean, what if I accidentally insult by bowing the wrong way? What if my appearance grosses her out? What if…"
Rarity had to place her hoof over Aurora's mouth to get her to stop panicking.
"Easy, dear. I'm certain you don't have to worry. From the sound of it, your parents did a fine job at teaching you good manners. And this won't be the first time the princess saw you, either."
Aurora then cast a confused glance at Rarity's reflection as the unicorn got to work on making a waterfall braid on both hair and tail. "What do you mean by that?" Rarity answered her, not taking her eyes of Aurora's hair.
"It was Applejack, Fluttershy, and Princess Celestia who found you unconscious near the Gate. You were also visited by Princess Luna while you were in bed."
Despite the information clearly not easing the child, Rarity couldn't help but laugh inwardly as she saw Aurora's look.
"She is just like her mother when she worries."
After the unicorn was finished, Aurora was ready to go physically. But mentally, she was in a state of unrest. So much was happening and it wasn't even breakfast yet.
The fact that she was meeting the Sun Princess from her mother's stories was the icing on the multi-layered cake.
She had no idea how to act when meeting royalty. Heck, she never even met the officials of her island town. The closest she got was the local policemen who visited the school every year for safety checks and that was it.
She soon snapped out of her thoughts as Rainbow Dash returned to help the groomed Aurora to the kitchen. Unfortunately, the next hurtle were stairs. Seeing the winding staircase and couple going down said stairs with her new legs gave Aurora a nauseating feeling, freezing her in her tracks.
Rainbow noticed this and ceased the training.
"You ok?"
Aurora placed a hand over her eyes to keep herself from fainting from vertigo.
"Sorry. Stairs."
Rarity noticed and motioned Rainbow to speak with her privately.
"And how exactly are we going to get Aurora down? One misstep and it could prove disastrous."
As Rainbow and Rarity talked amongst themselves, Aurora looked around for any other pony before she could put her idea to the test. After careful positioning, and making sure no one else saw her, Aurora slid down the banister until she was at the bottom, gaining the attention of both the unicorn and Pegasus.
"Sometimes it's a good idea to practice sliding down the railing." Waved Aurora.
Rainbow approved while Rarity made notes to continue Aurora's instructions so she wouldn't need to do something so unladylike.
Without another word, the trio continued onward to the kitchen.
Meanwhile, with Twilight…
Twilight awoke in the same place she succumbed to sleep. A dark, dank cell. She looked at her right hind leg and saw the shackle that kept her imprisoned, the glowing symbols on it keeping her from using her magic. It was daylight according to her window, but it still felt like Celestia's sunlight was a million miles away from her.
She then went on to remembering why she was brought to this place. The…monster…that took her. He wanted her to use her magic against Equestria. How he would've accomplished it, Twilight had yet to find out. But what she did know was that something happened in the caves that severely weakened him. Twilight's instincts immediately told her who was responsible for the delay.
Aurora.
Even though she was concealed in the sludge, she felt the warmth of a strange power emanating from where her daughter was. Even though she wished she could have seen it for herself, Twilight knew what that power was.
It was Aurora's awakening magic.
The very thought of Aurora inheriting her magical abilities thrilled and frightened Twilight. While she was proud that her daughter did have the makings of being able to perform magic, there was the threat of uncontrolled outbursts.
Aurora was brought up with no training in magic whatsoever. This would mean that if used, her magic may become extremely difficult to control. Amplify that with the challenges the girl will have ahead of her and you've got a ticking time-bomb of magic set to go off. In the end, there was one thing that Twilight could do until she can escape.
She had to pray.
I pray you'll be my eyes
And watch her where she goes
And help her to be wise
Help me to let go
Every mother's prayer
Every child knows
Lead her to a place
Guide her with your grace
To a place where she'll be safe
I pray she finds your light
And holds it in her heart.
As darkness falls each night
Remind her where you are
Every mother's prayer
Every child knows
Need to find a place
Guide her to a place
Give her faith so she'll be safe
Lead her to a place
Guide her with your grace
To a place where she'll be safe
As she prayed, Twilight could have sworn she could feel her late husband comforting her. But when she opened her eyes, she found nothing, yet the feeling still lingered. And she had no qualms about it. In fact, she welcomed it.
It was then that Twilight finally allowed her tears to fall.
She wanted to get out of here and hold her daughter in her arms. Well, forelegs now. She wanted to go home, whether it was on the islands or in Equestria and just forget about this nightmare. How she wished her beloved was still alive, then at least he could care for their daughter. But most of all, she wanted to be in his arms again. The safest place in any dimension to her.
Tears staining her cheeks, she turned her attention to the morning sun and made another plea.
"Please, Princess Celestia. Please Princess Luna. Please watch over Aurora. Please protect my child."
When the trio finally got to the kitchen, they were more than relieved to reach it. Both hunger and frustration were the culprits for the tension in the air as they entered the kitchen. Thankfully, only three ponies and a dragon were in the room. One Aurora was familiar with right away. The second mare, a timid butter-colored Pegasus, took a little bit to sense that it was Fluttershy.
The third mare was totally new to Aurora. She was bubblegum pink with a dark pink mane and tail, both wavy. On her flank was a trio of balloons in blue and yellow. For some reason, Aurora got the idea that the pink Earth Pony should actually be more cheerful than that. Maybe it was her hunger getting to her brain.
The fourth figure caused Aurora to freeze temporarily, for the fourth figure was an honest-to-goodness dragon. He was about the size of a human teenager and had green and purple scales. Immediately, Aurora figured that this dragon was this "Spike" she had heard about from Applejack.
The quartet shifted their attention to the child and the two ponies with her. If she wasn't too preoccupied with reaching the nearest source of food with a body she wasn't used to, Aurora would've been shaking in her place. Applejack smiled at her as she motioned to a nearby table.
"Good to see you doing well, sugar cube. I've made my Granny Smith's apple pancakes with hot cinnamon syrup for ya."
Much to Aurora's embarrassment, her stomach growled loudly in response, causing a red blush to appear on Aurora's cheeks.
"Heh-heh. Sorry. I guess I'm real hungry."
Applejack just smiled as she let Aurora eat while she and the others talked about how she was doing so far.
"Is she doing alright?" She asked.
"She is an absolute darling. Although she shook like a leaf when I told her that Princess Celestia wanted to meet her." Rarity spoke.
"She seems ok in my book, so far. I won't lie that it'll be a pain teaching her how to walk, but she does possess her mom's brain." Rainbow Dash spoke.
Rarity turned to her friend.
"You mean when she slid down the banister at the stairs? I will admit it made things easier, but we can't let her do that for the rest of her life. It is simply not ladylike."
Applejack got in between the two before a fight broke out.
"Now hold on, you two. Let's not fight in front of her. The important thing is that we make her feel welcome. Besides, whether or not she stays in Equestria is her choice, after all."
As the three talked, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Spike joined Aurora in breakfast as they talked to the hybrid.
"Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie and like everypony here I'm a friend of your mother's. Do you like parties? What's your favorite treat? Color? Hobby? Cupcake?"
Pinkie chattered until Spike pulled an Applejack and stuffed an apple in her mouth to get her to stop talking. Aurora was surprised at the recovering hyper pony, but smiled as she complied.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Pinkie Pie. As for your questions: yes, lemon poppy seed muffins and chocolate anything, any color actually, shell collecting, and of course chocolate."
Pinkie beamed at the answers as Fluttershy spoke.
"Your mother told us you love to hunt for shells and that you have a large collection. I'd really love to see it sometime."
Aurora was about to answer until she saw Spike bite into a large sapphire and ate it like it was a brownie. Seeing Aurora's surprised look, Fluttershy smiled.
"That's what I was like when I first met a certain baby dragon twelve years ago."
She then turned to Spike, who got the hint. He set his sapphire down as he held out a claw to Aurora.
"Nice to meet you, Aurora. My name's Spike. I was hatched by your mother and was her assistant."
Aurora was hesitant, but shook the dragon's claw. Surprisingly, he was quite gentle with her hand.
"Nice to meet you too, Spike. Did you say my mom hatched you?"
Spike grinned proudly as he proceeded to tell her.
"Yep. When your mom was a filly, she had to pass this super-tough magic exam. For her, it was to hatch me."
"And she did it?"
"Of course. Got her Cutie Mark the same day, too."
Aurora raised an eyebrow.
"Cutie Mark?"
Pinkie finished her apple and proceeded to explain.
"A Cutie Mark is a magical marking that shows what a pony's talent is. Like with parties for me."
She then showed her Cutie Mark to Aurora who saw that it was an image of three balloons.
"And Fluttershy's is taking care of animals, so she has three butterflies."
Fluttershy shyly showed her Cutie Mark to the curious child as she spoke.
"And what's my mom's talent?"
"Magic!" Pinkie called out, confetti flying from her mane.
Aurora blinked.
"Magic? How could she get a Cutie Mark in magic?"
Pinkie pointed to Rainbow Dash, who was still talking to Rarity and Applejack.
"She got startled by Rainbow Dash's first Sonic Rainboom and lost control. Princess Celestia sensed Twilight's magical capabilities and enrolled her as her student."
"And she was very talented in studying magic. I wouldn't be surprised if she wants to teach you. I mean…if you can, that is…"
Aurora knew what Fluttershy was slowing down about.
She didn't know if she could do magic.
But as Aurora was about to wonder, she remembered the light from the night before.
"I…think I can use magic."
This caught the interest of the trio before her.
"What do you mean?" Spike asked.
Aurora proceeded to explain.
"When that…thing…took Mom, something happened to me that caused it pain. It was a light coming from above me. I think it came from my forehead."
This was a new development for the group. If Aurora could perform magic, then what? Hearing the conversation from the table, Rarity approached the girl.
"I'm sure if this is true, Princess Celestia can find a teacher for you. I'd be willing to teach as well, but the final word is the princess'."
That reminded Aurora why she was originally anxious. Looking at her plate, she found that she already finished eating and stood up.
"I…wanna try walking alone again."
The ponies and the dragon looked at each other with concern before Rainbow flittered toward her and held out her hooves, seeing the kid was determined to walk on her own.
"Ok, kid. Let's get you into position."
With Rainbow's help, Aurora was able to turn around until she faced the entryway. Giving a nod, she let go of Rainbow Dash's hooves. Rainbow fluttered back as Aurora stood at attention.
"You can do it, kid."
Aurora took a deep breath and picked up one hoof.
"Alright. 1…2…3…4" she repeated in her head as she walked again.
It was slow, but this time, she wasn't falling. Instead, she kept up the beat as she moved forward. She couldn't help but smile widely.
She was walking on her own once more.
Pinkie went into a cheer-fest followed by the others as Aurora reached Rainbow Dash with little trouble. Rainbow grinned at her student.
"Atta girl! Finally got you walking. But we've still got a long way to go before graduation."
The fact she was walking on her own was enough for Aurora.
It was just the first step of what she really wanted to do: find her mother.
It took some time, but the Mane Five, Spike, and Aurora were able to reach the throne room. Much to their shock and relief, the princess wasn't there. Rainbow Dash breathed a sigh of relief.
"Phew! We made it."
Rarity did not share her enthusiasm.
"But…what if we were late enough that the princess grew impatient and left?"
Aurora raised an eyebrow.
"Sounds like something Mom would say."
Just then, a gentle voice caught their attention.
"My apologies, everypony. There was an urgent matter that couldn't wait."
The girl froze as an alicorn mare that had fit the description of the Sun Princess to a "T" approached her. With a smile whose warmth could rival the sun itself, the mare spoke.
"Welcome to Equestria, Aurora. I am Princess Celestia. I was your mother's teacher once upon a time."
Gulping, Aurora did her best to bow. Granted, she still had little control of her legs, but at least she didn't fall flat on her face.
"It…it is an honor, Your Highness."
Celestia smiled at the nervous child as she used her hoof to lift the child's chin up.
"You need not to fear me, Aurora. You are among friends."
She then removed her hoof before speaking.
"But the reason I called you here is because of what had happened. My sister, Princess Luna, told me you were attacked. But I wish to hear the story from you."
Aurora knew this was coming. She proceeded to explained what had happened to her and her mother, about the living sludge, and what her mother looked like after exiting the portal before she got to the finale.
"…and when that thing covered my mom, something happened. I don't know what, but I was able to see a light coming from my forehead. Whatever the light was, it caused the sludge pain. It disappeared with my mom when it couldn't take it anymore and I passed out."
The princess took in every word of the story and found that her assumption was correct. Aurora did possess magic like her mother. Maybe even stronger? She would have to figure out a way for Aurora to unleash her magic again so she could analyze it. But that would have to be another day. For now, the child's fate was at stake.
"Rest assured, Aurora, that we are doing everything in our power to find your mother. But for now, there's another matter I wish to discuss."
This was another thing Aurora was expecting.
"Yes?"
Celestia proceeded to speak.
"I am certain Applejack has told you that the Gate is only opened for three days every twelve years. I do not know when we will find your mother, but we are willing to have you stay in Equestria. But it is not our place to decide for you."
Aurora nodded.
"I understand, princess. I have laid out my options and I have already made a choice."
"And that is?" Celestia asked.
Aurora gulped.
"I think it would be best if I stay in Equestria. If I stay home, I'll be sent to an orphanage at who-knows-where. But if I stay here, I might be able to find my mother. So if it is alright, I want to stay here."
Celestia nodded approvingly. Aurora's logic proved correct. She would be better in Equestria with friends than at home alone.
"Then you should take today to return and gather your possessions. Your new friends can help you."
The Mane Five and Spike nodded as Applejack approached Aurora.
"Come on, sugar cube. Let's get going."
As the seven left, Celestia remained in the throne room before looking out towards a stained glass window. It depicted the defeat of Nightmare Moon by the new Elements of Harmony. She approached the window as her eyes fixated on the purple unicorn in the window.
"Soon, Twilight. Soon."
She then turned her gaze to the door, her thoughts on the girl that had just left. It bothered her greatly that there was a chance this child is their salvation from whatever foalnapped Twilight Sparkle. She read the legends.
Could they be true?
Meanwhile, in the Crystal Empire…
Princess Cadence sighed as she stepped out of another meeting. She had been running the empire for twelve years and the meetings and summits were still tiring her out. She had expected this since Princess Celestia had taught her all she knew about running a kingdom. Of course, she had the duty of tutoring Shining Armor about how to be a prince. Day by day, they would go about their duties and still continue with their happy lives. But today, things were dim.
Because it was the Anniversary.
Even after a while, Shining Armor still hadn't fully recovered from what happened to Twilight Sparkle. Even though he tries, the guilt still ate at him from the inside out. She couldn't blame him. Twilight was his little sister, after all. And after what she had heard about what the changeling queen did, she understood the guilt that was consuming her husband.
But she felt that it won't be enough. Not unless Twilight comes back.
Cadence was soon pulled from her thoughts as a mail pony arrived.
"Princess Cadence? I have a letter from Princess Celestia."
Cadence took the letter and thanked the mail pony. Once he was gone, Cadence opened the letter and read its contents.
She was very surprised at what she had read.
"We have a niece…"
She ran off with the letter to the courtyard, where Shining Armor was. He was drilling the guards as usual when he saw Cadence approaching him. He gave the signal to take a break before he approached his wife.
It was the third and final day that the Gate of Sleipnir was to remain open and Aurora was finishing up with the move to Equestria. Much of what was in her home was to be placed in storage until her mother could be found. All that remained in her house was Aurora's own personal effects.
Among them were her shell collection, her two hermit crabs, Pinchy and Herman; her clothing, and her family albums. The books she took last because she wanted to look at the photographs during the last night in her old house.
Thanks to that sludge, much of the house was in ruins but livable for the night. Upon Aurora's request, Princess Celestia allowed the child to spend the night in her old home one last time with Applejack staying to watch over her. During the later part of the afternoon, Aurora wrote letters to all of her friends, explaining that her mother had been kidnapped and that she was to stay at a friend of her mothers.
She also explained that she did not know if she or her mother would return to the islands but said that she would miss them terribly and hopes to see them again. She then made the windboard trip to the island's post office and canceled their mail.
Applejack watched sadly as Aurora took the time to catch her final waves on her surfboard. The blond saw very well that Aurora had a deep love for the ocean and allowed her to surf until the sun went down. She actually brought Rainbow Dash, who was struggling in her new body, to see Aurora's surfing abilities. Needless to say, Rainbow was impressed by the girl's skill in the water. If she looked like a complete pony instead of a human, the former Pegasus could have mistaken her for a kelpie or a hippocampus.
So when the sun rose the next morning and the move was just about complete, she stayed behind to breath in the salty sea air once more. It was going to be tough, yes. But it was for the best. After all, she couldn't picture herself with another family or in an orphanage.
"Take one last look, guys. This may be the last time we'll see the islands for a long time," she spoke to her hermit crabs.
After what seemed to be ten minutes, it was Applejack that approached her and gently nudge her.
"Come on, Sugar Cube. Time to go."
The two humans then walked through the portal as it closed once again for the next twelve years.
In Equestria…
The Elements waited at the gate, knowing this was the day. They backed away as Aurora and Applejack came through the portal. Aurora was once again in her centaur form while Applejack was in pony form. Behind them, the light from the portal faded until it disappeared completely.
Aurora was stranded in Equestria.
"Welcome to Equestria, Sugar Cube." Applejack spoke to her.
Fluttershy then noticed the aquarium in Aurora's arms and flew towards the child.
"Oh my goodness! Are those yours, Aurora?"
Aurora nodded at Fluttershy.
"Yes. They're my pet hermit crabs."
She then pointed to a small crab in a white spiral shell.
"That's Pinchy, for obvious reasons."
She the pointed to the large crab in a needle-like shell.
"And that's Herman."
Fluttershy cooed at the hermit crabs as the made their way out of the caverns.
"Oh, what cute names!"
"And I must say, those shell look fabulous on them." Rarity complimented. This made Aurora smile.
"Thanks, Miss Rarity. I actually share my collection with them."
This surprised the unicorn as well as the animal-loving Pegasus.
"Really? How?" Rarity asked.
"Oh! I know," Fluttershy spoke up. "When hermit crabs get big, they tend to outgrow their shells. So they search for new shells, sometimes giving their old shells to smaller crabs."
Aurora nodded.
"That's right. Whenever they get too big for their shells, I take them to an area where they won't get away and I pour out some of my collection. I let the crabs choose their shells and I keep the old ones in return."
This impressed Fluttershy greatly and caused Rarity to become curious.
"If I may ask, may I see your shell collection when we get the chance? I am quite curious about their designs."
Applejack smiled as Aurora agreed, talking casually with Rarity and Fluttershy, who also wanted to see her shell collection. Things might get better after all. Soon, they were splitting up, leaving Applejack and Rainbow Dash with Aurora in front of the latter's room.
"We'll let you get settled in for the rest of the day. We'll send the rest of yer things to Sweet Apple Acres today so you'll be ready to unpack tomorrow."
Aurora nodded as she opened the door to her room.
"Thank you Miss Applejack. Miss Rainbow Dash."
"And for the record, you don't have to call us 'Miss.' Just our names is ok." Rainbow spoke, earning a nudge from Applejack.
"She's just being polite, Rainbow."
"I'm just saying she doesn't have to be so formal."
Aurora shook her head in amusement as both the farmpony and the Pegasus walked off, arguing.
After walking inside her room and placing her aquarium down, she looked at the Ming urn on the dresser.
"Can you believe it, Dad? We're actually in Equestria. The very one from Mom's stories."
She then walked to the center of the room, checking her lower body.
"But…Miss Applejack said you knew Mom's a unicorn. And that makes me…half-pony…"
Her words trailed off, her tone changing, realizing the challenge that laid ahead of her.
Looking in the vanity mirror, she placed one hand on her human face while her other hand touched the fur that began beneath her navel. From the waist down, she was a pony. A very tall pony, but a pony. But from the waist up, she was a human with elfish ears. Her stomach began to churn as she realized something.
She wasn't going to fit in.
If she came to Equestria as a complete pony, then maybe she'd have a chance to adjust quickly. But with the way she was, it was going to be painfully obvious that she was only half pony. What would the other ponies think of her once they see her? Would they laugh at her? Would they be terrified by her?
But then…what about Applejack? And Fluttershy? And the rest? What about Princess Celestia?
Aurora then knelt down to the ground, clutching her stomach. Normally, she wouldn't be feeling like this. Heck, her mother would always encourage her to make friends. But this particular situation was out of her expertise. Back home, she was human. At least, when she thought she was human.
"How am I going to go through this?"
She then remembered the kindness of the Elements and the princess and shook her head.
"What are you doing, Aurora? You're no coward. What would Mom say if she saw you cowering at thought of meeting other people? Err…ponies."
Screwing her face, she got back on her hooves and placed her hands on her human hips.
"This is silly. There may be ponies who'll think badly of you. So what? It's the same with people back home. Just got to sort out the friendly ponies from the jerks."
She then turned to her father's urn and grinned.
"I think I'll get by, Dad. Just you wait."
Just then, there was a knock on her door. With newfound confidence, she spoke.
"Yes?"
"Aurora? It's me. Princess Celestia."
Aurora raised an eyebrow. What could the princess want?
"Come in." she called out.
The door opened as Celestia entered the child's temporary bedroom.
"I came to see how you are settling in Equestria, Aurora. I heard you speaking and I was wondering if everything was alright?"
Aurora blushed beet red as she answered the princess while her fingers fiddled with a violet lock of her hair.
"Oh! I-I was just trying to boost my confidence, princess. After all, I have to be confident if I'm going to stay in Equestria."
Celestia smiled at Aurora's words, but knew that the child was worried about her appearance to other ponies. It was definitely going to be Aurora's greatest test and hoped that she would make new friends soon. Perhaps the gift she had for her would give Aurora more faith in ponies.
"Well, I'm glad to hear that. Without confidence, nopony can move forward. And I have every confidence that we will find your mother as soon as possible."
She then decided to tell Aurora about the "welcoming gift."
"But before you leave for Ponyville tomorrow, I have a gift for you."
This intrigued Aurora's curiosity even more. What could the Sun Princess have for her?
Celestia then told Aurora what the gift was.
"I have invited your grandparents to the castle to meet you."
The lump in Aurora's stomach returned in full force.
"M-my grandparents? As in…my mother's parents?"
Celestia nodded, silently knowing of Aurora's returning anxiety.
"Yes, Aurora. I do not know how long before you'll return to Canterlot, so I have informed your grandparents about you. Do not worry about explaining your appearance. I have already told them of your origins. And despite that, they are eager to meet you."
Aurora blinked several times before she managed to speak.
"They…they want to meet me?" Celestia nodded.
"They have been longing for a grandchild for some time now. And especially since you are the child of their missing daughter, it's only natural that they'd be curious and eager to meet you."
"I guess it won't be so bad. I mean, I've always wanted to meet members of my mother's family. And besides, this will give me the chance to learn about her during her life in Equestria." Aurora thought.
"W-when will I meet them?"
Celestia's heart lifted when she heard Aurora ask. Despite her growing fear, she was willing to overcome it. With a warmer smile, she answered Aurora's question.
"They shall be here in an hour. I will let you have the parlor for the afternoon."
"YOU'RE MEETING YOUR WHAT?!" Rarity shrieked.
After Celestia left to prepare the parlor, Aurora made her way to Rarity's room, though clumsily, and told her about what had transpired in her room.
"I'm meeting my grandparents! In one hour!"
Rarity was in a hustle, gathering fabric and materials and dashing to her makeshift sewing table.
"Goodness gracious! Oh, I do wish Princess Celestia had told me they'd be coming in three hours. But to meet them in one hour…"
"Do you need any help? I may not know to sew, but I'll do what I can." Aurora interrupted.
Rarity, in the midst of designing a new outfit, spoke.
"Oh, I do appreciate the help, Aurora. Could you go and fetch Fluttershy for me? She can help us."
Aurora nodded and ran off to fetch Fluttershy.
An hour later…
In the palace parlor, Aurora was pacing back and forth, struggling to contain her emotions. She, Rarity, and Fluttershy were able to assemble a lovely casual dress for her. It was a navy-blue color with a light blue color and short sleeve cuffs. Her hair was combed back with a diamond-studded barrette keeping the sides of her hair back. The dress was one of the more complicated, yet simple designs Rarity had done. She was used to doing dresses for four-limbed ponies, not a six-limbed centaur.
"Come on, Aurora. What happened to that confidence you built up an hour ago? Come on. I'm sure they won't be as frightening as you think. You're just overreacting because you've never had met living relatives before, much less grandparents."
She then began to chant "you can do this" until she heard the door open. While her voice fell silent, her head was in shambles.
"They're here!"
Aurora's heart beat faster as she laid eyes on her grandparents for the first time in her entire life.
Both of them were unicorns, the stallion was a blue color with a navy mane and tail, both greying. On his flank was a crescent moon. His eyes were a shade of amber. The mare with him was a grey color with a white-and-violet stripped mane and tail, her mane in a low bun. On her flank was a speckling of violet stars. Her eyes were light blue.
Aurora gulped as their eyes fixed upon her. There were minutes of silence before the mare approached her.
"Are you…Aurora? Daughter of Twilight Sparkle."
Aurora gulped as she nodded.
"Y-yes."
Once the mare was right in front of her, she motioned the child to kneel down. Gulping, Aurora managed to get down on all four knees. What was the mare going to do? She found out in three seconds flat.
The mare embraced her with a loving hug.
"I am so happy to meet you, dear!"
Aurora blinked in confusion as she dared herself to ask.
"Are you…are you my grandparents?"
The mare pulled away, a teary smile plastered on her face.
"We are. I'm your grandmother, Twilight Velvet."
The stallion then spoke, a weary smile upon his face.
"And I'm your Grandpa Night Light."
Aurora honestly wasn't prepared for such a warm reception. She was expecting the worst, not the better.
Realizing she was silent for a minute, Aurora spoke.
"I-It's nice to meet you both."
Twilight Velvet continued to smile as she placed a hoof on Aurora's shoulder.
"There's no need to be afraid, Aurora. We won't bite."
It was then Night Light spoke.
"What your grandmother means is that we are happy to meet you."
Aurora blinked in confusion before she asked a question.
"Y-you are? I-I mean, I'm pretty sure I am not the grandchild you would expect…"
Twilight Velvet waved a hoof as she interrupted her granddaughter.
"Well… When the princess explained your *ahem* 'condition' to us, I must admit we had no idea what to think."
"But despite that, you are still our grandchild and we wanted to meet you." Night Light replied.
Aurora didn't know what to say. Like with Applejack, the hybrid searched for any deception in her grandparents eyes. But much to her relief, there was uncertainty, but nothing malicious. So, Aurora decide to try and connect with her grandparents.
"Th-thank you, sir."
Night Light smiled as he spoke again.
"Please, Aurora. Call me 'grandpa.'"
The rest of the day turned out the better for Aurora. She and her grandparents spent the entire afternoon talking and looking through each other's photo albums. She smiled as she heard all sorts of stories about her mother and was becoming more curious about her uncle and aunt in the neighboring Crystal Empire.
Of course, unbeknownst to Aurora, both Twilight Velvet and Night Light also kept quiet about what happened at the first attempt of Shining Armor and Cadence's wedding by request of the Elements and Princess Celestia. And it was a memory they themselves wanted to purge from their minds completely.
Unbeknownst to the family, Celestia, Luna, Spike, and the Elements watched from the crack in the doorway. Once the three had gotten past the awkward point and things began to roll smoothly, the spying party became relieved, allowing the majority to leave the door. The ones who remain were Rarity and Pinkie Pie, who wanted watch more.
They all agreed that this was one hurdle that Aurora had to overcome. After all, despite the fact that she was going to live with the Apple Family, she still needed to bond with her own kin. Hopefully, this would be a major stepping stone in Aurora's adjustment and health, both physical and mental. Especially mental. Once they were a good distance from the door, and the two remaining eavesdroppers, the princesses took the time to speak with the remaining three Elements and Spike.
"It seems the plan was a success after all." Luna spoke.
Celestia nodded as she spoke.
"Aurora is going to need all the support she can get. And nothing is more supportive than family and friends. But I fear that this is only the beginning for Aurora."
"What do you mean by that?" Rainbow Dash asked, scratching her head with her hoof.
Luna answered the Pegasus.
"Not all ponies will be as accepting of Aurora as we are. I, for one, am certain there will be some who would go out of their way to ostracize her."
This caused Rainbow's fur to bristle, remembering the ponies who would harass Fluttershy when the two of them were in Flight Camp.
Fluttershy's stomach churned at the memories and the very thought of Aurora going through what she went through as a filly.
And it won't be because she didn't have a Cutie Mark or can't fly. It would because of her two different bloodlines and how obvious they would be.
Spike huffed, smoke coming out of his nostrils.
"Not if we have anything to say about it."
But Celestia shook her head disapprovingly.
"I am afraid that is not the answer. Aurora needs friends she could become close with if she is to overcome such prejudice. Like for her mother, Aurora needs to make friends. Ponies at least her age who can offer genuine friendships with her. This will help rid the loneliness in her heart."
Pinkie turned away from the door and whispered to the group.
"Oh! Oh! Oh! I can set her up with Pumpkin Cake and Pound Cake!"
"And I'm sure Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell, and Scootaloo would befriend her. Especially since Aurora doesn't have a Cutie Mark." Applejack added in.
It was then Fluttershy's turn to voice her concerns.
"Oh, those ideas are lovely. But what about when she moves to the Crystal Empire?"
"Don't worry! They can write to her and visit her. Plus, she can make friends in the Crystal Empire, too! Can't have too many friends, right?" Pinkie replied.
Celestia nodded in approval.
"Exactly, Pinkie Pie. One can't have too many friends."
They then returned their attention to the bonding family, smiles glowing upon their faces.
Aurora watched the scenery past by as she and her companions rode the train that led to the town of Ponyville. After meeting with her grandparents the previous day, Aurora was both curious and nervous about meeting other ponies. After saying good-bye and giving thanks to the princesses for taking care of her, the hybrid, the Elements, and Spike left before the crack of dawn just so they could catch the immediate train to Ponyville without cause of alarm.
It was an hour and a half before the train stopped at their destination. Aurora and the others were the last ones off. Not because of Aurora, but of Rarity's luggage. Once they were off the train, Applejack spoke to the ponies and Spike.
"Alright, ya'll. I'll take Aurora to Sweet Apple Acres and we'll see ya later."
In agreement, the ponies and the adolescent dragon went their separate ways, although Pinkie promised to bring Pound and Pumpkin Cake later on.
The sun was barely rising and by far, most ponies were still sleeping in bed. By far, Aurora had practiced her new legs just enough to get her to her destinations, but she still had some work to do before she could be an athlete again. Straightening out her cobalt blue and black-and-white stripe shirt, Aurora spoke to her new guardian.
"So. This is Ponyville."
She then spotted Spike entering a giant tree that had been carved into a home.
"Is that the library where my mom lived?"
Seeing the library, Applejack nodded.
"It sure is, Sugar Cube. I had rarely seen yer mother without her head in a book. In fact, her stay here was supposed to be temporary on account of the Summer Sun Celebration."
This caused Aurora to raise an eyebrow.
"Summer Sun Celebration? What's that?"
Applejack slowed her gait as she proceeded to tell the story to her charge.
"Well, the Summer Sun Celebration is a holiday on the longest day of the year. It celebrates not only the defeat of Nightmare Moon, but the return of Princess Luna as well."
Aurora thought for a moment before she spoke.
"Nightmare Moon? I think Mom told me about her. She wanted to take over all of Equestria?"
Applejack nodded, the stories and the memories engraved in her mind.
"Nightmare Moon wanted to cover the land in eternal night. She was what Princess Luna had become when the jealously of her sister, Princess Celestia, overwhelmed her. Princess Celestia had no choice but to use the Elements of Harmony, six gems of unimaginable power, to banish Nightmare Moon to the moon. Then, twelve years ago, she escaped. But me, the others, and yer mother were able to find the Elements and turned her back into Princess Luna."
Aurora blinked in surprise as she matched the stories up.
"Sounds about right. But I take it you've shortened the story a bit?"
Applejack nodded again.
"I'm sure yer mother gave you more details than I had. Like when Rarity cut off her tail to help an upset water serpent. Or when Fluttershy tamed a manticore by removing a thorn in its paw."
Aurora let out a gasp at the last bit of information.
"Fluttershy was the one that tamed the manticore?! Mom said, according to her story, 'a pony as quiet and timid as a mouse was the one who tamed a fearsome beast. All she did was bestow her great and boundless kindness and the second passage was open.'"
It was Applejack's turn to blink.
"Yer mother said all that? About Fluttershy?"
Aurora nodded.
"I think she was trying to bring extra 'oomph' into the story, since apparently she couldn't give names…"
Her voice trailed off. Applejack didn't need to say anything. The child was still recovering from the shock of Equestria's existence and her mother's identity as a unicorn. It was still a lot to take in. The farmpony could only hope that things will get easier for them all soon.
The smell of fresh apples assaulted their senses. For Aurora, it was a wondrous smell. To Applejack, it was home sweet home. Soon, despite the little light, the pair could see the beginnings of leagues and leagues of apple trees of various types. Eventually, a large red barn surrounded by a couple of other buildings could be seen at the end of a white wooden fence that bordered the path from the orchard.
"Is that it?" Aurora asked.
Applejack smiled as she breathed in the fresh apple-scented air that she was so familiar with.
"It sure is, Sugar Cube. Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres. Finest orchard in all of Equestria as well as yer temporary home."
As they passed the gate, the pair were approached by a yellow mare with her crimson mane tied back in a low ponytail. On her flank was a Cutie Mark in the shape of a shield. The shield bore three colors: red, pale pink, and pale lavender. There was a purple apple in the center of the shield and a pinkish-purple heart in the center of the apple.
Her amber eyes cast upon the older mare and her unusual companion.
"We've got yer letter, Applejack. We didn't have much room, so our guest can use the old clubhouse until we're finished."
She then took notice of the mixed girl. She was surprised, yes, but the foresight of Applejack as well as Princess Celestia kept the younger mare from flipping out. Calmly, she walked over to the pair and raised a hoof to Aurora.
"You must be Aurora. I'm Apple Bloom, Applejack's sister."
"Younger sister." Applejack pointed out.
Apple Bloom made a face at her sister before returning her attention to Aurora. The ten year-old was hesitant at first, but went on shaking the young mare's hoof with her human hand.
"Uh…nice to meet you, Miss Apple Bloom."
A faint blush came to the mare's face as she spoke.
"Well, shucks. Ya don't have to call me 'Miss' now. Just 'Apple Bloom' will be fine."
She then led the girl to her quarters while Applejack went to address the rest of the family.
"Now, our guest rooms are filled up for the upcoming Apple Family Reunion. So for the time bein', you'll have to sleep in an old treehouse of ours."
"But why a treehouse?" Aurora asked. "I could sleep in the barn."
But Apple Bloom shook her head.
"Nuh-uh. Yer under our care, Aurora. You should have yer own room and the barn is no place for a young filly."
She then gave a cock-eyed look at the girl.
"Uh…how old are you, by the way?"
Giving a mental eye-roll, Aurora answered.
"I'm ten. I'll be eleven next spring."
Apple Bloom blinked.
"Really? Well, yer the tallest ten year-old I've ever seen."
It was Aurora's turn to blink before placing her fists on her waist.
"Hey. Being tall is not a bad thing."
"I never said it was." Apple Bloom replied with a kindly smile.
As Aurora began to compose herself, Apple Bloom noticed something else odd about Aurora.
"You don't have yer Cutie Mark, yet?"
Aurora blinked again before looking at her barren flank.
"No. And I don't think I'll ever get one."
Apple Bloom gasped in shock.
"What? Why not?"
Aurora kept walking, not meeting the mare's gaze.
"Because I'm only half-pony. Chances are I'm more human than pony and humans don't get Cutie Marks. At least, that's what I believe."
Apple Bloom's eyes widened at the sudden information.
"Humans don't get Cutie Marks?"
"Nope." The younger female replied simply.
Neither said anything for the duration of the trip. But Apple Bloom's mind was on fire with memories and personal thoughts about the subject. She and her friends, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo, knew what it was like to be called a 'blank flank.' But none of them ever met a pony, no matter if they were half or whole, that completely believed she would never obtain an important part on a young foal's life.
She didn't mean to be critical. She was just curious about the kind of…"person" Aurora was. Not just in her appearance, but in her personality. She was recovering from the shock of her mother being taken and the discovery of her mother's heritage, but there must be more to Aurora than what anypony thought.
The two of them halted when they came across a refurbished treehouse. It had been altered over the years, a porch and a cobblestone fireplace with chimney being added thanks to Apple Bloom, who found that designing from architecture to outfits to be her special talent. There was a ramp instead of stairs, which would be helpful for Aurora for the time being, and there was a fresh coat of paint on the miniature building. There was the addition of four wooden pillars under the clubhouse's four corners for extra support.
"Well. This is it." Apple Bloom pointed out.
She then pointed to the ramp in front of them.
"Go on and check it out."
Nodding at Apple Bloom, Aurora walked up the ramp and, after crouching a bit, entered the treehouse.
The interior wasn't decorated with her chosen décor yet, but it held a bed just her length with fresh linens across from the unused fireplace. It was small, but not too small that she couldn't turn around. More or less the size of her old bedroom. There was also a bookshelf at one corner and an end table near the door where she set her aquarium down. She then tested the bed and found it comfy. She then heard Apple Bloom's hoofsteps made their way to the door, where the young mare stood at the doorway.
"So? What'd ya think?" she asked.
After having another look around, Aurora gave an answer.
"It's cozy."
She couldn't think of any other answer. It wasn't exactly a house. There wasn't even a stove for her to cook.
"It will have to do until we can get a room cleared out." Apple Bloom explained before she proceeded to blush. "Sorry about the inconvenience. Once we've organize everything, we'll move ya to the house."
She then turned around and took a few steps before looking back to Aurora.
"Breakfast will be ready at 9. Granny Smith and Big Macintosh wanna meet ya, too."
As Apple Bloom left, Aurora proceed to set her bags on the bed and proceeded to open one saddlebag. She reached inside and pulled out the photograph that Twilight had showed Fluttershy and Applejack. She set it on the end table next to the bed and reached for her father's urn. Seeing the shelf over the fireplace, Aurora placed the urn in the center of the shelf and stepped back a bit, only to trip backwards on the bed.
"Well. That was embarrassing." She muttered.
She then looked up at her father's new placement.
"At least it's in front of you, Dad. I just hope I can get used to this body soon. At least I kept my hands. Silver lining, and all."
Aurora then proceed to stand up and returned to analyzing the mantle.
"Maybe a small vase or two will do. Just to liven things up."
She started to head back to her bed when her eyes reached the photo. Her gaze focused on her parents. She had her father's ashes, so that could count as one parent, right? Or was that too weird?
Aurora turned her gaze to a Victorian music box clock she pulled from her suitcase and looked at the time.
"8:45?! I'm gonna be late!"
Dropping the clock onto her bed, Aurora burst out the door, but tripped once she reached the ramp. She slide down until she hit the grass.
Standing up, Aurora made a mad dash to the home of her caretakers, stumbling and tripping every few feet or so. She slowed her clumsy gait once she reached the house and brushed off the grass and dirt from her body. She wanted to make a good first impression, not to become a grassy mess.
Swallowing down her anxiety, Aurora entered the home, where the smell of apple cider assaulted her senses. Her stomach made its presence known as Aurora followed the smell to the kitchen, where Applejack and an elderly green mare cooking in the kitchen. Aurora stood behind once side of the archway as the elder mare spotted the girl when she went to stir some sort of batter.
"Sweet Celestia! What is that!?" she gave out a weak scream that caused the hybrid to cringe.
Turning around from the griddle, Applejack saw what the elder was hollering about and gave a slight eye roll.
"Granny. I told ya before. That's Aurora, Twilight Sparkle's daughter? Our charge?"
The elder mare squinted her eyes at the child, causing Aurora to become nervous. Suddenly, her eyes widened and gave an apologetic glance.
"Oh! Well sorry there, dearie. Applejack did tell us about you. I was just startled."
Quickly, Aurora raised her left hand, her fingers bent.
"I-It's alright, ma'am. I'd probably be in the same if I were in your shoes. Err, horseshoes, that is."
"The lingo of this world's gonna be a pain." She thought to herself.
The elder then proceeded to speak.
"Well, quit hiden' like a groundhog after it sees its shadow. Come in and help make breakfast."
Aurora obeyed as she approached the table.
"What would you like me to do?"
Granny Smith pointed to some apples and a knife on the table.
"I'll take over the peelin' and slicing. You, on the other hoof, work on this batter here."
Aurora nodded and took the bowl from the mare and began to stir.
As she stirred the batter, she smelt cinnamon. After Granny Smith sliced and cut the apples into small chunks, she handed the apple bits to Aurora.
"Put those in the batter until you get about four cut apples in it. Then hand the batter to Applejack."
She then looked to Applejack.
"I'm going to ring for Big Mac and Apple Bloom, then set the picnic table set up."
After the elder left, Aurora looked to Applejack as she returned to the batter.
"Well. That was something."
Applejack frowned as she flipped another pancake.
"I was hopin' it would turn out better, myself. But I'm certain she'll get used to your…*ahem*…appearance. Just give her some time, Sugar Cube."
There was some silence afterwards until final preparations were made. It was during breakfast that Aurora met Big Macintosh. The stallion took her appearance better than Granny Smith, though he was a stallion of few words. Turned out Applejack was right about giving her the Apple Family elder some time, because no sooner than they had started to eat, both Granny Smith and Apple Bloom bombarded her with questions after questions. It was thanks to Applejack that the five were able to eat at all.
After breakfast, Granny Smith and Applejack proceeded to do the dishes while Apple Bloom and Big Mac returned to work. Aurora, with a full stomach, decided to explore Sweet Apple Acres after she had digested. Not only would she get a work out for her new legs, but to get a layout of the land as well. But before she could, she returned to the treehouse and went through one of the saddlebags and pulled out an object.
It was made of cherry wood and had rosemaling painted on the lid and sides of the box. Behind the box was a gold-colored key protruding out. Aurora gently grasped the key and turned it three times before setting the box onto the bedside table. She then lifted the lid and a mechanism inside began playing a beautiful tune.
It was a music box Aurora received from her parents for her 5th birthday. Her father had the wooden part of the box made while her mother procured the song. She had told her that it was a song she had once sang long ago. And the melody of the song had been one of Aurora's earlier lullabies when she was a baby.
Aurora moved her luggage to the floor and laid on the bed, her head resting on the pillow while she stared at the photo of her and her family. Memories came flooding into her mind. Memories of simpler, happier times. When it was just her and her parents. Sure, she was curious of her mother's origins, but Aurora wished her mother was with her.
With a full stomach, the melody of the music box, and having to leave Canterlot caused Aurora to drift off to sleep.
Meanwhile, in the Crystal Empire…
It had been two days since Princess Cadence and Shining Armor heard the news about their niece and the two of them were greeted by two ponies entering the throne room. Shining Armor recognized them immediately.
"Mom! Dad!"
The prince proceeded to give his parents a hug as his wife joined them in the greetings.
"What a pleasant surprise. We weren't expecting a visit from you two."
"That's because we've wanted it to be a surprise." Twilight Velvet answered her daughter-in-law. "Besides, I'm sure the two of you have heard the news."
Cadence proceeded to ask.
"You mean about Twilight's daughter, Velvet?"
The older mare nodded as the princess proceeded to ask.
"What about her?"
Night Light took the floor as he answered Cadence's question.
"We've met her just yesterday."
This surprised the prince and princess.
"You…you met her?" Shining Armor asked nervously.
Cadence, however, was excited.
"Oh! Tell us. What's she like?"
The older couple chuckled as they joined the royal couple in the castle parlor.
"Well, when Princess Celestia told us about our recently-discovered granddaughter, I'll admit we found the news surprising and exciting. But when she told us about Aurora's heritage, we were a bit shaken. To be honest, we weren't sure at first what to do." Night Light admitted.
Twilight Velvet proceeded to speak as she sat down on a chair near the fireplace as Shining Armor started to light it.
"But regardless of her description, the fact remained that she was Twilight's daughter and our grandchild. Not to mention that after the princess told us about what had happened, we just couldn't let the chance to meet our only grandchild slip past. So we went to visit her."
Shining Armor frowned sadly as he proceeded to tend the fire. "Celestia sent us a letter telling us about what happened to Twily. If I had only-"
"Now don't go blaming yourself again, son." Night Light interrupted. "We were all fooled by the Changelings. And what with the wedding and all, we all simply were unable to see what Twilight was able to see."
But Shining Armor continued his brooding.
"But I was the Captain of the Guard and the groom, Dad! If anypony should have detected something earlier, it should have been me. Twilight would still be with us if I had just taken more precaution, maybe even postpone the wedding!"
The parents sighed sadly as Cadence once again tried to console her husband.
"But dear, Twilight's not dead. And she's here, somewhere in Equestria. We have a better chance of finding her than we would have in the past twelve years."
Shining Armor remained silent as Cadence looked to her in-laws to change the subject.
"You have met Aurora. What's she like?"
Getting the princess' hint, Night Light proceeded to recount their visit.
"Well, she was very nervous when we first met. I've never met anypony that was so worried. Not since her mother. But once we let her know that we meant no harm and wanted to welcome her, she began to relax."
"She was very eager to learn of her mother's life here in Equestria. Apparently, neither Twilight nor her late beloved told her of her Equestrian heritage. So it was a lot for her to take in. She also seems to be as intelligent as her mother, but has her own interests." Twilight Velvet added.
"Such as?" Cadence asked.
Velvet continued with her story.
"Well, her favorite hobby is collecting shells. She enjoys the Great Outdoors and, in her old body, was an accomplished swimmer. She also apparently loves to explore what with the stories of her exploring her islands."
"We could also see a strong fire burn in her eyes. The filly we've met was just what we could see under the thick shell of uncertainty she has around her. But we've grown to love her and are eager for her to come and visit." Night Light spoke.
"Or us visiting her in Ponyville or here." Twilight Velvet added.
The royal couple remembered in the letter that Princess Celestia stated that once Aurora had become well-adjusted that they would become her guardians until Twilight was found. Remembering that fact, Cadence had an idea.
"I think we should meet her before she comes to the Crystal Empire."
The parents and the prince looked to the princess in surprise.
"What do you mean, Cadence?" Shining Armor asked.
Cadence answered him with a smile on her face.
"Why, we'll meet Aurora in Ponyville, of course."
She then began to relay her thoughts.
"Aurora will come to the Crystal Empire, right? Well, wouldn't it be better for her if she met her aunt and uncle and get to know them before she comes here?"
Night Light and Twilight Velvet smiled.
"That's a wonderful idea, Cadence. It would certainly help decrease her anxiety and she would love to get to know the family she'll be staying with. We'd gladly take her in ourselves, but Princess Celestia explained that she'd be safe here than in Canterlot or Ponyville."
"And you'll be better prepared for when she does arrive. Plan family activities and such. Not to mention have an idea for her room. Although I am concerned about the Crystal Ponies' reactions to her."
Cadence raised a hoof as she smiled in reply.
"Leave that to us."
She then looked to her husband.
"What do you say, Shining Armor? Shall we visit her this weekend?"
The idea sounded grand for Shining Armor. Not only would he be meeting a new family member who would be his charge, but it was his little sister's filly. But as he was about to agree, a sudden fear caught his answer before it could be heard.
What if Aurora found out about what had happened between him and her mother? Would she be angry? Or horrified? What would she think of him in general? Questions upon questions began to grow in his mind, coming up with various scenarios that could end up going wrong. Seeing his son's reaction, Night Light intervened.
"Son."
Hearing him, Shining Armor looked to his father.
"I know that look. Rest assured, Aurora knows absolutely nothing about what had happened at the wedding. We are all in agreement that information should be kept under lock and key. At least, until she is ready."
Despite his father's words of certainty, Shining Armor remained uncertain. Seeing her husband's face, Cadence sighed.
Getting Shining Armor to meet his niece, Aurora, was going to be a trying task.
Aurora woke up feeling refreshed and completely energized. She hadn't had a morning nap since she was a baby and although it was unusual, she felt great. Perhaps it was because she had to get up so early that morning and come to Ponyville coupled with a large breakfast that wore her out. She rubbed her eyes as she let out a yawn.
"How long was I out?"
She removed one of her fists to look at the clock on her bedside table. As soon as she saw the time, Aurora's eyes shot wide open.
"10 O'CLOCK! SHOOT! I OVERSLEPT!"
With that shriek, Aurora once again stumbled out of the treehouse and made her way to the fields, tripping and running into apple trees along the way. As soon as she caught sight of the Apple siblings, she started to slow down.
"I have GOT to get Rainbow Dash to help me run better."
As she approached the nearest Apple, Applejack, Aurora spoke up.
"So sorry I'm late! I meant to close my eyes for a half an hour, not two hours."
Applejack ceased her applebucking and raised an eyebrow at the hybrid.
"Late? Late fer what, Sugar Cube?"
Aurora blinked in confusion for a moment. Then she face-palmed as she made a realization.
"Oh! That's right. I forgot to ask you."
Removing her hand from her face, Aurora spoke as a light blush of embarrassment tinted her cheeks.
"I was going to ask if I could help you and your family while I stay here on the farm."
This caused the other Apple siblings to cease their work and join in on the conversation.
"Ya mean…like doin' chores and stuff?" Apple Bloom asked with wide, surprised eyes.
Aurora nodded.
"Well…yeah. I mean, Dad had taught me that if I was to stay at someone else's place for more than a day, I should help them out as a part of being courteous. You know, helping out with chores."
The Apples blinked for a minute before Applejack spoke to their charge.
"That's a mighty fine lesson yer Pa taught ya, Sugar Cube. But you don't have to do that while yer here. Yer our guest, after all."
"Eeyup." Big Macintosh spoke.
"But I don't want to be a freeloader, either. I should at least do something for the room and board you gave me." Aurora countered.
This made Applejack like her even more. She proceeded to glance at her siblings before making a decision herself.
"Well, if ya insist on helpin' us, then at least give us a day or so to figure out where to place ya. Why don't ya take the time to explore Ponyville? No doubt Pinkie made sure to let everypony know you've arrived. That filly was never one for bein' subtle."
The stone in Aurora's stomach instantly became an anvil upon hearing Applejack say that. Explore Ponyville? This "early?" Aurora rubbed the back of her head as she gazed at the ground.
"I…don't know about that. I mean, I'm most likely the weirdest thing ever to come here."
But Applejack shook her head.
"Nope. Trust me, Sugar Cube. Compared to what Ponyville had endured in the past, you're practically more normal than you think."
And Applejack said that whilst remembering what Discord did years ago.
Aurora raised an eyebrow at this.
"You sure about that?"
"Eeyup." Big Mac answered, remembering when the Lord of Chaos made him act like a dog.
Noting the girl's uncertainty, Apple Bloom decided to speak up.
"Tell ya what. I'll go with ya. I've been wantin' to see my friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, today."
The hybrid was still uncertain, but perhaps if someone familiar to her were to accompany her, maybe this trip wouldn't be so bad. Once again, she rubbed the back of her head.
"Well…I guess that could work."
Apple Bloom smiled as she looked to her siblings.
"Will ya be alright while I'm gone?"
The two elder siblings nodded.
"Ya'll go ahead. We'll finish up here." Applejack spoke.
"Eeyup." Big Mac once again replied.
With that, the youngest Apple and the girl walked away from Sweet Apple Acres and headed into town.
Upon entering Ponyville, the pair were indeed met with stares and glances, much to the dismay of Aurora. Apple Bloom wasn't happy with how the townponies were reacting to Aurora's arrival and had even began looking for any who dare to show hostility. Thankfully, nopony felt that way.
But she knew one pony who would feel otherwise.
Meanwhile, Aurora's emotions were rampant. She struggled to keep a straight, friendly face while her stomach was turning into a pretzel with anxiety. She hated feeling this fear, the feeling that she needed to be judged positively. Not that it was a bad thing. She just wasn't the kind of person who cared about being judged.
Eventually, the ponies began to go about their lives, though they still cast curious glances at her. This was worse than being stared at because Aurora couldn't tell what they were thinking. Her own thinking was halted when Apple Bloom stopped and pointed to what may be the most surprising structure she had seen as of yet. It was a two-story building that was literally covered in sweets with a cupcake spire over it.
Now Aurora was wondering if she hadn't hit her head and was switching from her mother's stories to Hansel and Gretel.
"That's Sugarcube Corner. It's the local bakery, sweet shop, candy shop, and party palace. It's also Pinkie Pie's home."
She then led Aurora into the bakery, where three ponies caught Aurora's eyes. One was, of course, Pinkie Pie, who was behind the counter. The other two were unfamiliar to her.
One was a light grey unicorn with a curly mane and tail of grey-mulberry and light grey-rose. She had pale green eyes and on her flank was the same Cutie Mark as Apple Bloom's but instead of an apple and a heart, the symbols were a star with a song note inside.
The other pony was Pegasus mare with a orange-ish coat and a boyish-styled purple mane and tail. She had purple eyes and like with the unicorn, She had the same shield Cutie Mark as Apple Bloom. However, her symbols were a feathered wing with a lightning bolt in the center.
Upon seeing them, Apple Bloom waved a hoof at them.
"Sweetie Bell! Scootaloo!"
The two mares waved at their friend.
"How's it going, Apple Bloom?" The Pegasus asked.
Apple Bloom proceeded to point a hoof to Aurora, who was still uncertain about the whole situation.
"I'm showin' Aurora here around Ponyville."
She then proceeded with introductions.
"Aurora. These here ponies are Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo. Sweetie's Rarity's sister and Scootaloo's a fan of Rainbow Dash's. Girls. This here is Aurora, Twilight Sparkle's daughter."
The two mares waved down the pair as the duo entered the bakery. Scootaloo was the first to speak up, giving the girl a cheeky grin.
"Nice to meet ya, kid."
Sweetie Bell then spoke up with a kindly smile.
"Rarity and Rainbow Dash told us about you. Although Pinkie Pie's been chattering about you non-stop."
Aurora and Apple Bloom turned their heads to the bubblegum mare, who was looking a lot more cheerful than the previous day. Unbeknownst to Aurora, the ponies that had met with her that day noticed the slow change within Pinkie. A change for the better. The party pony gave a giggle as she spoke.
"Well, that's kinda true. I mean, I'm pretty sure everypony's gonna notice you, Aurora. So I might as well tell the customers about you so everything can be Ookie-Dokie-Lokki for you. I may even get a chance to plan a proper 'Welcome to Ponyville' party for you."
Pinkie then remembered something that caused her to look up a set of stairs.
"That reminds me. Pumpkin! Pound! Can you two come down here a minute? I've got somepony you'll like to meet!"
The thunderous sound of hoofsteps could be heard from the floor above as it made its way down the stairs. Turning the corner, it was discovered that the hoofsteps belonged to two young ponies.
The first was a unicorn filly with a pale yellow coat, azure eyes, and an orange mane and tail. Her main was tied back in a ponytail with cerulean ribbon and her Cutie Mark was a slice of a three-layered orange-colored cake with cream cheese frosting.
The second was a gold-grey Pegasus colt with grey-tangelo eyes and a brown mane and tail. His mane was cut short and his bangs were curled back like a shark fin. His Cutie Mark was a dark tan Bundt-shaped cake that had been sliced to reveal a golden inside.
The two foals stopped once they were a couple of feet from the bubblegum mare.
"What is it, Aunt Pinkie?" The unicorn filly asked.
The mare in question smiled as she pointed to Aurora, who felt her stomach flip again.
"Kids, this is Aurora. She the girl I've told you about during breakfast."
She then turned her attention to Aurora and gestured to the foals.
"Aurora. These two are Pumpkin Cake and Pound Cake, Mr. and Mrs. Cake's twin foals."
Hearing the name 'Aurora,' the twins looked around the counter and focused their gazes to the tall hybrid. At first, they didn't know what to think of her despite Pinkie Pie telling them about her unusual appearance. Thankfully, they were raised by good ponies and approached the girl with friendly smiles on their faces.
"Nice to meet ya, Aurora. I'm Pound Cake." The Pegasus colt spoke as he flew up to the girl's height and held out a hoof.
The unicorn filly also held out a hoof once she was a couple of feet away from Aurora.
"And I'm Pumpkin Cake. Nice to meet you."
Aurora was baffled at their reaction. She was, once again, expecting the worst only to be completely caught off guard by genuine kindness. Maybe she was taking things for granted after all.
Returning the smiles, Aurora shook Pound's hoof before shaking Pumpkin's.
"Nice to meet you, too."
Seeing the scene, the older mares couldn't help but smile as Pinkie led to three to a separate table while Apple Bloom joined her own friends at their table. Due to her body structure and size, Aurora allowed her horse half to lay on the floor while her human torso faced the table and the two ponies.
"I'll get you kids something to munch on. In the meantime, why don't I take the other's orders?" Pinkie replied as she turned to the three mares and began to take down their orders.
As she did, the Cake Twins began to question Aurora.
"So Aurora. What exactly are you? I mean, I know you're part pony, but what's the other part?" Pumpkin asked.
Despite the washing machine in her stomach, Aurora answered the filly.
"The other half is a creature called a human. In the world where I was born, humans are the top race around."
Pound then took a turn and asked one of his questions.
"How old are you, by the way? You're almost as tall as Princess Celestia."
Aurora scratched the back of her head as she answered him.
"I'm 10 years old."
The twins blinked a couple of times in surprise.
"No way. Me and Pound are 12." Pumpkin explained.
"Just two years older than you." Pound responded.
Aurora blushed in embarrassment at the age difference. She must be like a baby to them. Hearing herself think that, Aurora mentally shook her head as she mentally scold herself.
"What the heck is wrong with you, Aurora?! You've made older friends back home! This shouldn't be any different. So quit being an idiot and talk."
"He-he. I guess." Aurora spoke.
The twins grinned as they continued to speak, starting with Pound Cake.
"That's cool. Wish I was that tall when I was 10."
Pumpkin gave an amused smirk at her brother.
"If you were that tall, Mom and Dad would have to give Sugarcube Corner an upgrade to put up with your constant flying."
The colt gave his sister an annoyed look while Aurora let loose a giggle.
"I'm still getting used to my own body. And trust me when I say your size is A-OK for you."
The twins then turned their attention to Aurora, who had finally begun to relax. With confusion in their eyes, the spoke simultaneously to the hybrid.
"What do you mean by that, Aurora?"
As Aurora was getting into her life story, Pinkie delivered a plate of chocolate chip cookies and glasses of milk before delivering to the three mares present.
"Here you are. An apple turnover for Apple Bloom. A strawberry cream-cheese coffee cake for Sweetie Bell. And an orange tart and a mixed berry smoothie for Scootaloo."
"Thanks, Pinkie." The trio thanked as they started on their snack.
The four mares then turned their attention to the trio chattering in the corner and smiled.
"Looks like those three are getting along well." Scootaloo spoke.
The other three mares nodded as Pinkie's smile got wider. Noticing this, Apple Bloom spoke.
"Well I'll be. Pinkie. Yer smilin' again."
Hearing what the farm mare had said, Pinkie spoke up.
"What are you talking about, Apple Bloom. I always smile."
"But you've never truly smiled. Not since Twilight Sparkle went missing years ago." Sweetie Bell spoke. "After she did, you and the others kind of shut down. I haven't seen Rarity make a new outfit that wowed me in years."
"And Rainbow Dash hasn't done anything spectacular in years. I'm afraid I may never see her Sonic Rainboom again. Or worse, forget the ones she did." Scootaloo added in.
"And let's not talk about mah sister. So it's a relief to see at least somepony goin' back to normal." Apple Bloom concluded.
Pinkie wanted to deny the grown fillies' claims, but found herself unable to find anything to say. What the former Cutie Mark Crusaders told her was absolutely correct. The ponies involved with the first attempt at the wedding, herself included, were never the same after what their foolishness had cost them.
As much as they tried to move on, it just wasn't right. They completely they forgot the lesson from the event they had dubbed 'Lesson Zero' and instead of investigating to quell Twilight's suspicions, they snubbed her after Shining Armor casted her out.
While it was true that what happened was the work of the Changeling Queen, it still didn't change the fact that what had happened could have been prevented if they had been cautious. They regretted their decisions greatly from then on.
The guilt had snuffed out laughter. Honesty and loyalty was questioned. Kindness was in constant heartache. Generosity lost inspiration and motivation.
Their very friendship was in shattered turmoil because of something as silly as a wedding. And their best friend, the Element of Magic, was lost.
However, Pinkie did indeed notice the change and figured out the source: Aurora. Ever since they discovered her existence and what had happened to her mother, the Elements got out of their lethargic misery and were currently devoting their energy into helping the lost child of their missing friend.
Applejack was the one most devoted, having Aurora live on Sweet Apple Acres with the Apple Family and giving instructions to the others the first night Aurora spent in Equestria.
Maybe, just maybe, taking care of Aurora is the best thing for the Elements of Harmony.
Putting her internal theory to the test, Pinkie approached the hybrid, who was now in her comfort zone at last.
"Hey, Aurora?"
Aurora turned her head to the pink mare with interest.
"Yeah, Pinkie?"
Pinkie Pie then asked the question she had been longing to ask ever since she heard of Aurora.
"When's your birthday?"
This also caught the interest of the Cake Twins, who also joined in the conversation.
"Yeah, Aurora. When is your birthday?" Pound Cake asked.
Seeing no harm, Aurora answered the ponies' inquiry.
"Well, I was born on May 5."
At this, Pinkie gasped in surprise.
"Oh no! I was hoping I could plan your party if it was later. It was going to be a super-duper jamboree with cake and ice cream and balloons and streamers and-!"
"Why don't let Pinkie plan yer 11th birthday, Aurora. Pinkie Pie's the best party planner in all of Ponyville. It's never a party unless Pinkie planned it." Scootaloo interrupted, wanting to cease Pinkie's run-on sentence.
The twins turned to Aurora with smiles on their faces.
"They're not wrong there. We've heard Aunt Pinkie's parties were legendary. Sure, our parties were great, but I see Pinkie's got something BIG going on in her mind. Your party might make it to 'legendary.'" Pumpkin told the hybrid.
Aurora was curious by Pumpkin's statement, more on the use of past tense wording compared to Scootaloo's present tense.
Seeing the pleading look in Pinkie Pie's eyes, Aurora gave her answer.
"Alright, Pinkie. You can plan my 11th birthday."
With Aurora's permission to plan her next birthday, Pinkie's grin reached full capacity for the first time in years. With a squeal and a ceiling-touching bounce, Pinkie sped at lightning-fast speed up the stairs.
Looking at each other in concern, the pony customers followed the bubblegum mare up the stairs while Aurora remained downstairs since she still wasn't good at climbing stairs with her new legs.
Following the twins, peeked into Pinkie's room. Inside, the mare was hard at work, gathering paper and crayons and catalogs while she sang a tune nopony had heard before while a cd player played a different song.
I am a dwarf (party pony) and I am digging a hole (planning a party)
Diggy diggy hole (Planny planny party), Digging a hole~ (Planing a party~)
The ponies left the party pony as she began her planning, still repeating the chorus behind the door. The ponies smiled widely while Aurora remained confused. Looking at the returning ponies, Aurora spoke up.
"Is she ok?"
Apple Bloom answered the hybrid while Sweetie Bell and the twins hummed the chorus of Pinkie's merged song.
"Everything alright. Pinkie's just super excited she's getting' to plan yer party."
If it were such a world, a question mark would appear over Aurora's head.
"It's just my 11th birthday. Nothing special."
The ponies shared a laugh, leaving the hybrid further confused. Only they knew the significance of Pinkie planning Aurora's birthday. So perhaps Pinkie's mental theory was right.
Maybe the Element of Magic was hereditary, for Laughter was making a grand return.
It seemed as if an hour had passed before Apple Bloom decided to continue the tour of Ponyville with Aurora. Having finished her Apple Turnover, the mare paid for her treat before calling out to Aurora, who was still chatting with Pumpkin and Pound Cake.
"Aurora. Time to go."
Hearing those three words caused the three preteens to groan.
"Aww."
Then Pumpkin spoke up after the unified groan.
"Can't Aurora stay a little longer, Miss Apple Bloom?"
The Earth Pony shook her head as she answered with an amused grin
"Sorry, Sugar Cube. But I promised that Aurora would get to see the whole town before dinner tonight. It's already lunch right now and Sugarcube Corner was the first stop on the tour."
The trio groaned sadly as the bid their farewells until Pound got an idea.
"How about we hang out tomorrow? Our parents are out of town for business and Aunt Pinkie has to mind the shop anyway."
Pumpkin understood her brother's idea and proceeded to answer alongside him.
"We can explore Ponyville together! Like an adventure."
Aurora blinked in interest. She loved to explore. In fact, it is one of her favorite (yet dangerous) hobbies. She looked to Apple Bloom for guidance.
"Can I, Miss Apple Bloom?"
Hearing this, Apple Bloom beamed.
"I don't see why not. We'll let Applejack know and ya can come here in the morning."
The trio of youths smiled at this as they laughed.
"Sound like a plan." The Pegasus colt exclaimed in delight.
With the plan set, Aurora stood up and joined Apple Bloom at the door.
"See you guys tomorrow." She called to the foals.
The twins waved back at her.
"See you tomorrow, Aurora." They responded simultaneously.
As the traveling pair left, they were shortly joined by Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo.
"Wait a minute, you two." Sweetie Bell called out, causing the two to stop.
Turning around, it was Apple Bloom who spoke.
"Yeah, girls?"
After slowing down to a stop, the unicorn spoke again.
"I've almost forgot. Rarity wants Aurora to come to the boutique for a fitting. She's been working on some clothes since this morning."
The Apple mare and the hybrid looked at each other with raised eyebrows before smiling at the unicorn.
"Sure thing. We'll go to the boutique, pick up the clothes, and return to Sweet Apple Acres." Apple Bloom announced.
The unicorn smiled.
"Sounds like a plan."
She then turned Scootaloo, who had been silent.
"What about you, Scootaloo? Got any plans?"
Scootaloo shook her head as she answered the unicorn's questions.
"Not really. Other than aerial acrobatics, I've got nothing to do today. So you guys don't mind if I join you for the day?"
The mares shook their heads as they started off, leading the hybrid to another part of town, stopping at the gazebo-styled boutique. As they were several feet away from the building, Scootaloo sensed something and turned around. She smiled as she noticed two familiar mares approaching them.
Nudging Apple Bloom, Scootaloo whispered to the Earth Pony.
"We've got company." Apple Bloom looked up and had an equally happy-surprise looked on her face.
Turning a corner towards the boutique were two Earth Pony mares that the former CMC knew very well. Once was grey with white/silver hair tied down in a fancy braid and had blue glasses on her face. She had a decorative spoon with a heart on the handle for a Cutie Mark.
The second mare was pale magenta with light violet and grey mane and tail. She had a tiara on both her head and on her flank. Her cornflower eyes sent of a friendly glance as they approached the Pegasus and Apple pony.
They were Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara, once the CMC's childhood bullies, now their good friends.
Years ago, the Cutie Mark Crusaders changed Diamond Tiara's heart after they witnessed her nasty mother at work, giving them an understanding of the expectations Diamond Tiara had to put up with. It was after helping Diamond Tiara discover the true symbolism of her Cutie Mark that the Crusaders were finally able to receive theirs. Now, the two mares had changed their ways and became friends with the rest of their class.
The two mares waited for Aurora and Sweetie Bell to be inside before waving them down.
"Diamond Tiara! Silver Spoon!" Scootaloo called out to the pair.
Heeding her call, the mares approached the pair and engaged in conversation.
Apple Bloom answered her. "We're showing Aurora around a bit before heading back to Sweet Apple Acres."
Hearing the name 'Aurora,' Silver Spoon took a chance at speaking out of curiosity.
"'Aurora?' Is that the filly we've heard about this morning? You know, the daughter of Twilight Sparkle."
The two CMC members nodded as Scootaloo spoke.
"Yeah. She's staying at Sweet Apple Acres for a while. You've heard what's happened to Twilight, right?"
The new mares nodded as saddened looks befell their faces.
"We've heard. I can't image how she is feeling about that. Although I do wish whatever took Twilight took MY mother instead."
"DIAMOND TIARA!" A new voice called out in a snobbish fashion.
The lavender mare groaned as she muttered to her friends.
"Speak of the..."
But she could not finish her sentence as a pig-pink mare with an indigo-purple mane and tail walked over to her. She was dressed in the latest in rich fashion and jewelry. The snobbish look on her face made her look like a pig to some ponies. (And storytelling dragons. ;-) -Dream Dragoness) This was Spoiled Rich, wife of Filthy Rich, mother of Diamond Tiara. The high-class pony approached her daughter with a disapproving look in her eyes.
"Diamond Tiara! How many times do I have to tell you not to associate with the riffraff?"
Diamond Tiara narrowed her eyes at her mother as she spoke in rebellion.
"Mother! What have I told you about carrying an attitude like that around other ponies? Especially my friends."
Spoiled Rich pointed a hoof at her daughter as she spoke in her usual hoity-toity manner.
"A Rich should not consort with those beneath them, Diamond. I have told you that."
"And you've forgotten that nopony's better than anypony. And let's not forget that were it not for the Apple Family, we wouldn't be rich in the first place." Diamond Tiara spoke in defiance.
On the sidelines, Silver Spoon, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo were enjoying the banter between mother and daughter. Spoiled may be the most rotten pony in Ponyville, but they were glad that Diamond didn't and refused to become like her. They've watched the verbal tennis match for a while until Spoiled Rich asked a question.
"Why are you here anyway?"
In the midst of her growing pride, Diamond Tiara made a mistake.
"Silver Spoon and I are here to properly greet the new filly that came into town this morning. Her name is Aurora. And she's the daughter of Twilight Sparkle."
It was then that Diamond Tiara realized she made a mistake. She had given her mother something new to criticize. Hearing Aurora's name, Spoiled Rich raised an eyebrow before speaking.
"I have heard the rumors, but I thought they were just stories. Have you even met it?"
Diamond Tiara's eyes narrowed again as she spoke.
"She's not an it, Mother. She's just a filly."
"And yet you do not question of how it came into existence?"
"How does that even matter?" Diamond protested.
Unfortunately, Spoiled Rich had a full arsenal of insults at the ready.
"You know of Twilight's personality, right? How she was a hypocrite when it came to science and magic? She denies the supernatural when she herself possess magic. And you do remember that little incident where she cursed a raggedy doll and caused chaos in Ponyville?"
"What does any of that have to do with Aurora, Mother?" Diamond Tiara spoke, she and the other newly-grown mares getting angrier at the older mare.
Not even taking acknowledgement at their anger, Spoiled Rich continued.
"If Twilight Sparkle is alive, how do we know that...thing isn't some experiment of hers? Or if she gave herself willingly to whatever male she had contact with in order to create it? For all we know, that thing is either a filthy lab rat, or a filthy bastard child of a-!"
That did it. All four young mares stormed up to the older mare, catching her by surprise. Diamond Tiara was the first to speak as she pointed a hoof at her mother.
"Don't you DARE finish that sentence, Mother! I have heard pretty awful things from you, but this takes the cake! I have never heard anything so rude, vulgar, and cruel in my entire life!"
Silver Spoon spoke up next, pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her snout.
"Mrs. Rich. While I respected you as a member of my family, I cannot believe that you would stoop so low just because of somepony's origin. We haven't met Aurora yet, but I do know that she has done absolutely NOTHING to deserve such slander!"
Scootaloo spook next, struggling to keep herself from attempting to strangle Spoiled Rich.
"They're right! I've just met Aurora and while she may be different, she is NONE of those things you've called her! And let's not forget that her maternal aunt and uncle are the Prince and Princess of the Crystal Empire. In a way, you've insulted Princess Cadence and Shining Armor by insulting both Twilight Sparkle and Aurora!"
Spoiled Rich gulped at Scootaloo's last statement. In her attempt to set her daughter straight, she had forgotten that the creature they were talking about was related to royalty. Apple Bloom then held up a hoof and pointed at Spoiled Rich's pig-nose.
"I've spent an entire day with Aurora and learned about her from my sister. She has gone through a traumatic experience, discovered her missing mother is a unicorn and found herself as part pony, struggled with learning how to walk, gone through enough anxiety to fill the entire town, had no choice but to leave her birth home possibly forever, and yet remains strong. If anything, you should respect her. Not torment her! She's trying to find a place where she belongs and unlike you, WE'RE willing to accept her. Whether she is part pony or a whole pony!"
Apple Bloom then got dangerously close to Spoiled Rich, her glare not leaving.
"And if you say or do anything like that again, especially if she is in front of you, I can convince my family to end our business relationship with your family. And you know what would happen to your family without the Apple Family."
At a lost, Spoiled Rich turned up her nose and left, muttering something about a 'filthy lab rat' as she left. Once she was gone, Diamond Tiara turned to her friends and spoke.
"I am so sorry about that, girls. I didn't know she was looking for me. Or how she would react."
Her glare having left, Apple Bloom placed a hoof on Diamond Tiara's shoulder and spoke.
"It's ok, Diamond. I just hope she takes what we have said into context. Maybe she'll learn to make herself better."
"Still. How dare she talk about Aurora like that! And did you hear what she said about Twilight?" Scootaloo growled.
Apple Bloom turn to Scootaloo as she spoke.
"I heard. And I'm just as upset as you. But we need to be there for Aurora. I don't know if there's ponies similar to Spoiled Rich, but if there is, we need to nip it when the time comes."
Scootaloo sighed in defeat. Apple Bloom was right. Even though she had only known the girl for a morning, Scootaloo liked the kid. When they were at Sugarcube Corner, both her and Sweetie Bell observed the interaction between Aurora and the Cake Twins and saw how the hybrid was coming out of her shell created by tragedy. The smile Scootaloo had grew wider when she heard that Aurora loved to explore and go on adventures.
But as Scootaloo turned around, Sweetie Bell burst out the front door in a panic.
"We've got a huge problem!" Sweetie Bell cried out.
Curious, Apple Bloom spoke.
"What is it, Sweetie Bell? Rarity being a Drama Queen again?"
Normally, Sweetie Bell would huff at the statement. But the current predicament casted that aside.
"No! It's Aurora!"
She then gulped as the other two members of the CMC, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon stared at her, urging her to continue.
"She missing!"
The mares gawked at the unicorn's announcement. Aurora? Missing? But how?
"What happened?" Scootaloo demanded, setting her former anger aside.
"I don't know. I just turned away to talk to Rarity about possible colors that Aurora could wear for a moment. When I turned around, she was gone!"
Now the mares were getting worried.
"Are ya sure she's not in the boutique? She might've wandered off." Apple Bloom asked, hoping that Aurora hadn't left the building.
Unfortunately, Sweetie Bell shook her head.
"I looked everywhere. And so has Rarity. She's not in the boutique or in the living space."
The conversation was cut short when Scootaloo noticed something.
"Uh…how long was that window open?"
The CMC's eyes shifted to the boutique and, to Apple Bloom's horror, saw that one of the windows was partially opened. Confused, Sweetie Bell spoke.
"Pretty much all morning. I was cleaning earlier and I needed to open some windows to let the fumes out. Why?"
The Earth Pony and Pegasus grimaced as they made a hypothesis.
Aurora had heard the conversation.
With Aurora…
Aurora moped as she walked in a random direction, her arms crossing over her stomach. She had heard the conversation between the CMC and the two new mares, but didn't stay to hear anymore after the magenta pony called her a "lab rat." Normally, she would've retaliated like Scootaloo did. She never took anyone's gaff before. And she had a strong right hook because of it.
But that was when she was human. Or at least, when she thought she was human. But now with her new and true body, Aurora was strongly conflicted. While she wanted to remain true to herself, she remembered that she was, in fact, the only one of her kind. She hadn't met any other pony hybrids and finding another human in Equestria was impossible. She knew she wasn't going to fit in.
But she hadn't exactly thought about how alone she would be.
This was officially the time where she wished her parents were with her. Not just her mother, but her father too. Her mother would help her cope with living in Equestria and her father would be the source of human interaction she needed to make the transition easier.
But fate was strongly against her on that. First, her father died. Then her mother got kidnapped. Now, she was living with strangers in another world, learning that she actually knew less of her mother than she had. While it was nice of the Elements to try and help, support, and comfort her, nothing was going to take away the loneliness.
"Mom…" she managed to mutter, subconsciously hoping that just that one word could reach her mother, wherever she was.
She wanted her mother to again hold her in her arms, or hooves as it was. She knew that despite the unicorn appearance, Twilight was still her mother.
As a preteen, she was starting to desire independence. Often, she would go off to do her own thing until her father passed away. She stayed with her mother and started to recover until her mother started to feel suicidal. And that's what scared Aurora the most. Being left behind by her parents. Suddenly, a thought struck her brain.
"Am I…afraid of being an outcast? Or…am I afraid of being all alone?"
With this thought, Aurora snapped out of her mind and realized something else. She was no longer in the boutique. She was deep in a dark forest. Looking around, Aurora gave a shiver of anxiety. "I should've been paying attention." She took in a breath as she turned around.
"Ok. This is easy. Just walk in the other direction and you be back in town in no time."
She proceeded to turn around and follow her tracks back to Ponyville, only to find the tracks covered by mist. She gave a frustrated groan as she tried to peer through the mist.
"Can this get any worse?"
Suddenly, a low growl reached her elfish ears. Her frustration turned to anxiety as she looked for the source of the sound.
"Please tell me that was my stomach?"
But once again, fate was against Aurora. From the mist, figures came out slowly, causing Aurora to slowly back up. A second passed and Aurora was able to see what the figures were. They were three creatures that resembled wolves, but they were made of branches and brambles. Their eyes glowed an eerie green as they focused on her.
"Ok. I must be going insane. But then again, I don't want to find out this way."
Without another thought, Aurora turned on her back hooves and galloped away, the wooden wolf pack starting to give chase.
Aurora ran and ran, refusing to look back. Her mind was so blank that she'd forgotten that she was getting farther away from Ponyville and her instincts took control in her running, not tripping once. She hoped that her increase in limbs would grant her greater speed then when she had two legs. But the pack was persistent, not letting up. As she ran, another thought crossed her mind.
"I wish I could use my magic. Then I can turn those wolves into firewood. Argh! Stupid…whatever that was that took Mom!"
Suddenly, there was a crash and a yelp behind her. Daring herself to look behind her, Aurora found that two of the wolves were demolished. One was nothing but lifeless sticks, the other was running off as its tail was on fire. This left the largest of the wolves, the Alpha. Aurora then shifted her gaze and saw what got rid of the first two wolves.
The first was a creature Aurora was able to recognize from her old schoolbooks as a griffin. It was small, no doubt just a kid. It's lion half was dark grey and a black tuff at the end of the tail. It's bird half looked like an eagle, but its feathers were a medium shade of grey with a black beak and piercing amber eyes that glared at the alpha and the sticks that it had just crashed onto. It was the eyes that made Aurora suspect that the griffin was male.
The second figure was also a male, but it was a dragon. He was about as tall as her waist. He was lean with ice-blue scales and yellow underscales. He was a young dragon, possibly somewhere between 7 and 12 like the griffin. He has small spikes protruding from the back of his jaw and had a pair of gold horns on his head, though they were also small due to his age. He had a row of yellow spikes down his back and his tail had yellow blade instead of a spade. His wings, though small, were blue with yellow wing membranes. His jade eyes were focused on the alpha wolf as well.
Aurora was surprised and somewhat embarrassed. She was never one to be saved. It was usually her that was doing the saving. That was how she was able to meet the first of her human friends, Millie Gillespie. But now was not the time to think about the past as the two charged at the Alpha.
After seeing his pack-mates chased off by these two runt, the Alpha got angry and deflected the griffin chick before jumping out of the way from the dragon's blue flame. He then charged and rammed into the dragon, knocking him into a tree. But as it happened, the griffin chick charged and latched onto the Alpha's neck. Sensing the small weight, the wolf shook his head and neck violently, eager to get the chick off him.
As Aurora was watching this, her courage from old was coming back. Her brain was able to analyze the situation now that it was calm enough to process a single thought. She took note of the size difference and doubted the sharpness of the new pair's claws and fangs. And with the dragon in a dazed state, Aurora knew that the fight won't end in their favor. She then took notice of her own size and came up with an idea. A reckless one that made her grin.
Looks like the old Aurora was still inside her after all.
Unfreezing, Aurora charged into the fray just as the griffin chick was thrown off. Swiftly, Aurora turn around and, with all her might, bucked the Alpha wolf into a tree, turning it into a pile of sticks. She was caught by surprise when the wolf and its cohort reformed into their old bodies. But much to her relief, the wolves had enough and ran off to join their flaming pack-mate.
Once they were safe, Aurora turned her attention to the pair of would-be saviors and held out her hand to the dragon. No longer dazed and having seen Aurora's contribution to the fight, the dragon took the girl's hand, though he was surprised at her appearance.
"You ok?" She asked him.
Realizing she was talking to him, the dragon managed to reply.
"Y-yeah. Just a bump on the noggin."
Once the dragon was up, they turned their attention to the griffin. Now that he was close enough, Aurora could see that he was similar in stature to the dragon if not a wee bit smaller. He looked to Aurora, looking cross, but eased up as he spoke.
"You know, it's supposed to be us guys who are supposed to do the rescuing."
This caused Aurora to narrow her eyes and frown as she folded her arms.
"Hey. There are girls who can be heroes, too."
The dragon sighed as he sat on a raised tree root.
"That's what I told him. But he's dead set on being a hero that pretty much everything else is blocked on in that thick skull of his."
The statement caused the griffin to narrow his eyes while Aurora let out a giggle.
"At least I didn't get knocked out after one round." He muttered as he casted his gaze to the dragon.
The dragon then held out his claws and spoke.
"My name's Safir. And Mr. Ego over there is Gareth."
The hybrid then proceeded to speak her name.
"I'm Aurora."
It was then that Gareth asked a question as he sat on a nearby rock.
"So…what are you?"
She was about to answer when she went over her story. Scratching her head, Aurora answered the griffin as she leaned against a tree trunk.
"That's…a bit of a long story. I wasn't born like this."
This confused the boys as Safir spoke.
"What do you mean? Are you under a spell?"
Aurora thought for a moment. She could've said 'no' until she remembered the Gate of Sleipnir.
"Well…yes and no. Let me explain."
The boys listened as Aurora told her tale. They first found it disbelieving but were surprised when Aurora became more descriptive, bringing them into the tale. It was mid-afternoon when Aurora finally finished. She waited for a response from them, unsure of what they would think. Eventually, Gareth was able to speak.
"Wow. And I thought I had it rough."
Safir nodded in agreement with the griffin chick.
"And no one knows where your mom went?"
Aurora shook her head sadly.
"No. I'm staying in Ponyville with some of Mom's old friends and getting used to my new body. Once I've adjusted to living in Equestria, I'll go and live with my aunt and uncle in this place called the 'Crystal Empire.' Still…it's a lot for a 10 year-old to go through."
This caught the boys by surprise.
"You're ten?!" they asked simultaneously.
Aurora raised an eyebrow in confusion as she answered them.
"Yeah? Why the surprise?"
Safir was the first to answer.
"We're ten, too."
Gareth then spoke, but gave his own reason.
"Didn't think that you're this tall when you're the same age as us. Think you'll get taller when you grow up?"
Aurora narrowed her eyes at Gareth at first, but realized that the griffin had a point. She was going to get taller, there was no doubt. She wondered then what her body would look like in another ten years. Officially curious, Aurora put her thoughts on the back-burner in her mind as her stomach growled in sync with the boys. Faint blushes appeared on their cheeks as Aurora spoke.
"I guess after what happened in town I forgot about lunch."
Looking at the sky, Gareth spoke.
"I better get home before my Ma has a cow."
He then looked to Safir.
"What about you, Saf? You gonna come to my place for dinner again? Or are you gonna find your own today?"
This caused Aurora to raise an eyebrow again.
"What do mean by that? Do dragons go off on their own at ten?"
Realizing they hadn't told her, Gareth answered for Safir, who was looking towards the ground.
"Safir left his clan, yeah. But he wasn't exactly welcomed there."
Aurora blinked in surprise. Safir answered her mental question.
"I wanted dragons to get along with other races, like ponies and dragons. They thought I was a nut-case and I was teased for that."
Once again, Aurora was surprised.
"I don't think that's crazy. If anyone's crazy, it's those dragons."
This caused Safir to smile as Gareth joined the hybrid.
"That's what I said."
The trio laughed at this as Aurora got an idea.
"Hey, Safir. How about you come back to Ponyville with me. I know a dragon there that I think you'll like."
This caused the boys to raise their eyebrows at the hybrid.
"A dragon? In a pony town?" Gareth asked suspiciously.
Aurora nodded as she spoke.
"His name is Spike. My mom hatched him during a magic exam when she was a kid. So he's been raised by ponies. I'm sure once we explain to him, he can help you."
Hearing this, Safir smiled as he jumped off the root.
"Well, what are we waiting for?"
He then remembered something and turned to Gareth.
"Don't you and your mom live near Ponyville, Gar?"
Gareth nodded at this as he jumped off his rock.
"Yeah. So let's get going."
With that, the trio headed out of the forest, with Gareth using the skies to help them find their way.
Once they were at the edge of town, Gareth turned to the duo.
"I'm going on home. How about the three of us hang out tomorrow?"
Safir smiled at this. It was evident that Gareth took a liking to Aurora like he did. Aurora was about to respond when she remembered something.
"Can the Cake twins join us? We'd promised we'd go explore the town."
The boys nodded as they high-fived her.
"Deal!"
With that, Gareth flew off into the clouds as Aurora and Safir continued to walk. Remembering where Spike went when she arrived in Ponyville, the pair made their way to the town library. After knocking on the door, Aurora opened it and called out.
"Hello?"
"Just a second."
They heard a voice call out. Looking towards the stairs, they saw Spike coming down with a pair of binoculars around his neck. Once he saw Aurora, he made a mad dash and grabbed the girl by the shoulders. Panic and worry in his eyes.
"Aurora! There you are! Where were you, young filly? Everypony's been looking for you since this morning!"
Seeing how Spike was reacting, Aurora scratched her head as she explained.
"Sorry, Spike. Something happened and I lost myself in trying to pull it together. Next thing I knew, I was in a forest…"
She then proceeded to tell Spike about what had happened and introduced Safir. Spike paid attention as Safir explained his predicament. Once he was finished, Safir kept silent as Aurora spoke to the elder dragon again.
"Would it be ok if Safir stays here? At least for a little while?"
Spike took in Aurora's request to mind. However, it took little to give him his answer.
"I suppose he can stay. Can't leave him in the cold alone. And besides, it's nice that I can actually talk to another dragon who is just as different as I am."
With a smile, Spike spoke to Safir.
"I'll show you around the library in the library. But how about we have dinner? I've got a stash of jewels I've been saving you can eat."
Hearing this, Safir's eyes glistened with delight.
"Are there sapphires among them? They're my favorite."
Spike gave a hearty laugh as he nodded.
"I do have them. More than I could eat in a single sitting."
Safir gave a grin of delight as Spike led him inside, but not before telling Aurora to see to the CMC and the Elements. She did, but she got grounded for the night. But she did hear that the pony who insulted her and her mother got plenty of scoldings from both those associated with Aurora as well as her own family. This made Aurora feel somewhat better.
After getting back to Sweet Apple Acres for dinner, Aurora told her guardian family about what had happened in the forest before she went to bed. Applejack, despite the worry she had gone through that day, couldn't help but smile at how many friends Aurora was able to make in one day.
"Just like her mama."
As Aurora slept, she found herself hearing a soft lullaby in her dreams. The voice was unfamiliar at first, but to her surprise, found that it was Princess Celestia's voice. Unable to see anything but darkness, Aurora continued to listen to the princess' song. As she did, a scene unfolded before her.
As the last word echoed in her mind, Aurora's consciousness fell back into slumber. But she was never going to forget such a sad, yet beautiful lullaby.
Meanwhile, in Canterlot...
Princess Luna's horn ceased it's pale glow as she opened her eyes. Next to her was Celestia, her own horn dimming from a golden light. Looking to Luna, the Princess of the Sun spoke.
"You've heard me sing that long ago, didn't you?"
The Princess of the Night nodded, the image of a sleeping Aurora fading from in front of them.
"I did, sister. And every time you sang that song, I felt better, even as Nightmare Moon. That's why I felt that Aurora should hear your lullaby after what happened to her today. It seems to have done more good than before. Shall we use it everyday when she has another experience like that? To comfort her as you comforted me?"
Celestia nodded in approval, touched, as she embraced her sister in a hug.
It was the following morning after the day Aurora had felt her first stab of ridicule and a new day had dawned. Since she had made four new friends the previous day, Aurora felt as if all the old woes of the past five days wash away with the aid of Celestia's sunlight as she woke up. Now, it was Day 6 and Aurora was curious as to what the day had planned for her.
Her answer came after breakfast. Aurora was brushing off the crumbs of the toast she had eaten from the red and black shirt she was wearing when Applejack motioned her outside. Seeing this, Aurora followed the Element of Honesty to the edge of the apple orchard. There, she saw a new setting at the orchard's edge. It was a tent that held no walls, providing shade from the hot sun. Under the tent was a simple wooden table with wooden buckets at one side, and an old oil drum at the other. There was also a wagon at the edge of tent, empty and yet in need of filling.
Looking to Applejack, Aurora spoke.
"What's this?"
Applejack answered her inquiry as she pointed a hoof at the area.
"Ah've been talkin' with Big Mac and Granny about what ya should do on the orchard. We thought of a lot of things from buckin' apple trees to house cleanin'. We've eventually figured out a job for ya that ya wouldn't need ya legs for very much."
Curious, Aurora walked into the shaded area as Applejack continued to explain.
"We knock off the apples off the tree, but it takes a lot of time between gatherin' the apples and sortin' them. Ya know, separatin' the ripe apples from the unripe and rotten. Granny would do this job when Big Mac and Ah started to work. But she's gettin' on in her years and she refuses to get glasses. So we've decided Big Mac and I can work in the orchard, Apple Bloom will bring ya the bushels, and then ya sort them and place the ripe apples in the barrels and the rotten ones in the metal drum. Then, ya place the full barrels of good apples in the cart. Simple as that."
Aurora blinked in surprise. It was so simple, yet a major part in the orchard's production. With a growing smile, the hybrid spoke.
"I can do that. When do I start?"
Applejack was taken aback by the answer that she started to laugh.
"Later, sugar cube. Ya got to meet your friends today. Not to mention Rainbow Dash wants to work with you for a while."
Remembering the promises she made the other day, Aurora thanked Applejack and left for town. She was still wary of other ponies, but she was eager to meet up with the kids from the day before.
She headed to the library first and knocked on the door. She waited for a bit until the door opened, revealing Spike.
"Aurora? What are you doing here?"
Aurora answered him as she looked to the side, curious as to what was inside the tree.
"I'm looking for Safir. Me and the others are gonna meet up and explore Ponyville."
Hearing this, Spike allowed Aurora inside.
"I'll go check on him. In the meantime, why don't you check out the library while you wait?"
As Spike left, Aurora began to circle the library. She saw various tomes in the Equestrian language, uncertain of what was in them. Within her circle, there was a wooden bust of a horse's head similar to the Greek and Roman busts she had seen in her father's books. But then Aurora spotted something that made her freeze. On the mantel of the library's fireplace was a picture of six familiar ponies. Clockwise, the picture held a younger Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie gathered around a violet unicorn with an indigo mane with a pink strip in it. She didn't need to see her Cutie Mark to know that this unicorn was her mother: Twilight Sparkle.
Aurora had only seen her mother's unicorn form only once and that was the night she was taken. It was brief, so she didn't get much detail other than from her grandparents' albums. The loneliness began to emerge when Spike came down from checking on Safir. Upon seeing that Aurora was focused on the picture, Spike let out a smile and spoke.
"That picture was taken on the day your mother and I moved from Canterlot to Ponyville."
Though started at the dragon's sudden presence, Aurora calmed down and proceeded to speak.
"Grandma and Grandpa said that Mom never made many friends when she was little. Mostly because she thought friendship was a nuisance."
Spike nodded as he joined Aurora in gazing at the picture.
"That's right. She did make some friends, though she didn't acknowledge that she did. Moon Dancer, Minuette, Lemon Drops and Twinkleshine are still living in Canterlot, I think, and Lyra Heartstrings lives here in Ponyville. I think she's in a relationship with Bonbon…"
The last sentence was more of a thought than an actual statement, so Aurora didn't say anything for a bit. That was…until a thought struck her.
"If Mom didn't have any friends to talk to before the Summer Sun Celebration, where does that leave you, Spike?"
Spike gave Aurora a confused look.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean, Mom hatched you, right? Didn't you count as a friend?"
The question caused Spike to scratch his head in thought.
"Huh. You do have a point there. I guess I was a friend as well. But to me, Twilight was more like…"
"More like what?" Aurora asked, curious.
Spike thought for a moment, pondering the answer until he came to a seemingly sound conclusion.
"…more like a sister than anything. I mean, at first she seemed like a mother to me. But after bringing me home and I began living among her family as well, I guess I see her more like my big sister and Shining Armor as my big brother."
There was a pause. Concerned, Aurora looked to Spike and noticed that he had a look on his face as if he was looking fondly into the past. Which it meant that he was. Wanting to break the awkward silence, Aurora spoke again.
"I guess that means you're my uncle, too."
The words rang like a struck bell in Spike's mind. Uncle? Him? He was about to protest when Safir came down and spoke.
"Sorry about the wait! I kinda overslept."
The blue dragon fledgling noticed Spike looking off in the distance and raised an eye ridge.
"Is he ok?" he asked Aurora.
A faint tint of red appeared on Aurora's cheeks as she answered her new friend.
"I think he's lost in thought. I'll meet you outside, Safir."
Still curious, Safir headed outside while Aurora approached the seemingly stunned Spike.
"Guess I'll see you later…Uncle Spike."
She took off, a bit embarrassed at the little joke she made. However, Spike couldn't help but smile as the centaur walked out the door and looked back to the photo.
"Uncle Spike, huh?"
He then walked over to a desk he had acquired a couple years back and began to check-in books.
"I think I like it."
"So you called Spike your 'uncle' as more of a light joke and that's why he became stupefied?" Safir asked as he walked on Aurora's right.
She had just explained to him about her chat with Spike and how they were more connected than the girl had originally thought.
"I was trying to break the ice. But I think I may have broken a bit too much."
But Safir shrugged his shoulders as he waved down Gareth from an overhead cloud.
"I don't think it was a bad move. A little awkward, but not bad. Besides, now you know you have a second uncle and he's a dragon."
That brightened things up a bit for Aurora. If she ever saw her human friends again, she could only imagine their reactions of her having a dragon for an uncle.
"I guess it is kinda cool. Then again, there's so much to this world I have yet to discover."
"Aurora! Safir! Morning!" Gareth called out as he landed on the soft earth.
Safir approached the griffin chick and fist-bumped while Aurora shook herself out of her thoughts.
"Morning, G. Did you make it back before your curfew?" Safir asked.
Gareth sighed as he spoke to Safir.
"Just barely. When Ma asked where I was, I made sure not to tell her we were in the Everfree Forest. I told her we were near the pond when we met Aurora."
"And what did she say?" Safir asked.
Aurora's stomach started to churn, trying to handle the possibility of what Gareth's mother had said about her. She then cleared her throat, gaining the boys' attention.
"Ahem! Um…I got to go and find Pumpkin Cake and Pound Cake. Meet you at Sugarcube Corner?"
The boys raised eyebrows at Aurora's evasive behavior, but let it pass as they waved Aurora off after she had told them to look for the dessert-looking shop. The girl sighed in relief as she made her way to the confectionary-themed building.
After knocking, Aurora stepped into the shop just in time as Pound Cake was walking down the stairs that led to the store's residential levels. Seeing his new friend, Pound waved a hoof and spoke.
"Morning, Aurora! I thought you weren't going to be here until later."
Aurora gave a slight grin as she spoke to the Pegasus colt.
"I was. But I met two more kids yesterday after I left with Apple Bloom. They'll be here in a few minutes. I was hoping the five of us could spend the day together."
Pound didn't see any problem, though he was curious as to who Aurora's newest friends were. Motioning to a table, he spoke to the hybrid.
"Well, have yourself a table. Pumpkin's in the kitchen with Aunt Pinkie, baking."
With that said, Aurora took a seat at the table while Pound entered the kitchen. Minutes later, both foals exited the kitchen and joined Aurora at the table.
"Morning, Aurora." Pumpkin spoke cheerfully.
Aurora smiled as she waved at the unicorn filly.
"Morning, Pumpkin. Did Pound tell you?"
The orange-cream unicorn nodded as she approached Aurora with her brother.
"He did. Who did you meet?"
Upon Pumpkin's request, Aurora went into detail about Gareth and Safir along with the events that happened in the Everfree Forest. Pumpkin gaped as Aurora told them of the Timberwolf attack while Pound got caught up in the excitement. The Pegasus colt had an interest in action and found himself unhappy that he got to miss the fight. The two girls rolled their eyes as the door to Sugarcube Corner opened.
Gareth and Safir, following Aurora's directions, entered the strange-looking bakery with hesitation. Like Aurora, the two boys found the exterior strange. That changed, however, when the smell of baked goods pleasantly assaulted their nostrils. Seeing the two, Aurora waved them down to the table.
"Over here, guys."
The two approached Aurora and noticed the unicorn filly and Pegasus colt across the table from her. Gesturing with her right hand, Aurora proceeded with introductions.
"Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake…Gareth and Safir. Gareth and Safir…Pumpkin Cake and Pound Cake."
Thankfully for Aurora, the four youths greeted each other before Pound Cake spoke.
"Aurora was just telling us about what happened to you three in the Everfree Forest. How many Timberwolves were there? Did you have to fight a Manticore, too? Or a cragadile?"
But before he could continue, Pumpkin placed a hoof on her brother's muzzle and spoke in an exasperated tone.
"You'll have to forgive my brother. He tends to become hyper when there is action in this town."
Both newcomers were taken aback by Pound's questioning and Pumpkin's reasoning. But as with most griffons, Gareth began to bask in the attention as he proceeded to speak.
"Yeah, well. It was nothing. After all, I-we couldn't let those Timberwolves attack a poor, helpless damsel."
Aurora and Safir immediately narrowed their eyes at the griffin chick. However, it was Aurora who voiced her annoyance.
"I'm not a damsel-in-distress. As I recall, I bucked the alpha to save your hide, Gareth."
Safir grinned at Aurora's response, knowing she had struck a blow to the griffin's pride.
"She's right, G. Last I checked, you were about to become a griffin nugget for the Timberwolves."
Gareth narrowed his eyes at the pair as all four youths laughed. After a while of laughing, Pumpkin decided to ask a question of her own.
"So what were you two doing out in the Everfree Forest? Last I checked, only grown-ups are allowed in there and they don't often go."
This question caught Aurora's and Pound's interest as well. Turning to the dragon and griffin, Aurora spoke.
"She's right. I've never asked you why you two were in the forest in the first place."
The two non-ponies looked at each other and Safir gulped. If Aurora and the twins knew about the reason the pair were in the forest, who knows how they would react.
Gareth, on the other claw, decided to reclaim his lost pride and spoke with a proud voice.
"Safir and I were looking around for some ancient ruins."
Safir narrowed his eyes at Gareth while the others had their eyebrows rise in confusion and suspicion. It was Pumpkin who spoke.
"Ruins? Do you mean the Castle of the Two Sisters? Princess Celestia's old castle?"
Gareth responded by shaking his head.
"No. Something far older than that castle."
This made the trio curious as Safir made his exasperation known.
"Gareth! You promised nopony else would be involved!"
"Too late!" the trio replied simultaneously.
Pound then proceeded to speak.
"What could be older than the princesses' old castle?"
Gareth shrugged his shoulders before speaking out.
"I only know what my Ma told me. Apparently, there is a ruin in the center of the Everfree Forest that is extremely old. They say nopony has ever seen the ruin since its heyday. But it is said that those who do find it will discover a great treasure. Safir and I wanted to see if the legend was true once Ma and I moved to Ponyville from Griffinstone. Safir came along after he met us."
The twins and Aurora found the information very interesting. Could these ruins be in the Everfree Forest? And if so, what was the "great treasure" that was supposed to be hidden there? And according to Gareth, the ruins were in the heart of the Everfree Forest, meaning dangerous creatures could be lurking amongst the shadows. Suddenly, Pound gave off a grin.
"I'm in!"
The girls gaped at Pound Cake in shock while the boys became confused.
"What do you mean by that?" Safir asked, though he had a strong feeling on what the answer was going to be.
Pound Cake spoke up with confidence that once belonged to the Element of Loyalty: Rainbow Dash.
"I mean I want to find those ruins with you guys. It's boring here in town and I've been itching to go on an adventure for a long time. So count me in!"
Safir's jaw dropped while Gareth smiled at the slightly older Pegasus colt. Something was telling him that he was going to like this guy. The girls looked to each other before speaking.
"Aurora?"
Aurora took little to think it over. Common Sense was telling her not to go in the forest again. But her Adventurer/Explorer side proved dominating as she gave her answer.
"As much as I don't want to encounter another Timberwolf pack, I've got to say that it sounds interesting."
Pumpkin gaped in shock at Aurora's answer.
"You can't be serious!"
Aurora the proceeded to ask a question of her own.
"What about you? Do you want to go with Pound?"
Pumpkin froze. She did not want to go into the Everfree Forest to find out if a legend was true or not. She remembered Pinkie Pie's stories about the creatures she and her friends encountered on their adventures. Pumpkin did not want to face a manticore or a hydra. And what were the chances they would encounter a friendly water serpent rather than a hungry one? Still, she was curious about the ruins and what was in them. Sighing, she signaled her defeat.
"At least let me pack some supplies. And we need to figure out how to explain this to the grown-ups."
Smiling, Aurora spoke.
"Well, you did promise me to give me a tour around town. How about saying we stopped at a field or something and lost track of time?"
Pumpkin didn't like lying, but knew it was better than the alternative. Dragging her brother with her, Pumpkin Cake retrieved their saddlebags and together the packed food and filled a couple of canteens with water. Pinkie was too preoccupied with baking that she didn't notice the twins' supply run. Once they've felt that they had packed enough, the twins crept out of the kitchen and handed Gareth and Safir the saddlebags.
"We'll let Aunt Pinkie know we're going out for the day. The three of us will meet you at the edge of the Everfree Forest."
Nodding, the griffin chick and the dragon fledgling took off while Pumpkin Cake, Pound Cake, and Aurora remained behind to set up the ruse.
"Aunt Pinkie! We're going out around town with Aurora! We'll see you later!" Pound called out.
"Ok! Be sure to be back before dinner!" Pinkie called out from the kitchen.
With that done, the twins and Aurora left Sugarcube Corner and headed down the direction to the Everfree Forest.
At the Edge of the Everfree Forest…
It took a little while before the Cake Twins and Aurora reached the Everfree Forest. Safir and Gareth were waiting for them, the latter impatiently tapping his left back paw out of habit. Once the ponies (or in Aurora's case, half-pony) reached them, they were a little short of breath. Seeing them, Gareth spoke.
Once the trio caught their breaths, they gazed into the dark forest ahead of them. Aurora remembered the events of the other day and became wary.
"I don't suppose you got a map or something? You know. To point us in the right direction to the forest heart?"
Safir was quick and handed Aurora a piece of paper.
"I copied this map from a book at the library last night. I figured we could use this."
Aurora nodded as she spoke.
"And I was in Scouts when I was little. So I know a thing or two about what to do in the wilderness. Though it would be best if we have a compass to help."
Technically, Aurora was an Island Scout, but it was still Scouts, right? Still, she was right about the compass. Which was why Pound was quick to take his allowance and purchase one. After obtaining the compass, Pumpkin proceeded to start going over the supplies with Aurora and Safir, much to Gareth and Pound's impatience.
Once the checklist was complete, the five children were ready to enter the Everfree Forest.
"Are you sure we're going in the right direction?" Pumpkin Cake asked as she moved a branch out of her way.
Aurora pulled out the compass while looking at Gareth and Safir's map.
"If my calculations are correct, we are. Though I get why you're asking that, Pumpkin."
The five youths had been in the Everfree Forest for thirty minutes and with each step, the foliage seemed to have gotten thicker. Pound Cake and Gareth used their wings to help the girls and Safir keep an eye out for predators and monsters like manticores. At this point, Aurora was beginning wish she had a machete to slice a path through.
"A machete. Yeah, right. Like anyone would give a kid a machete. Still, it would've helped make a better path to and from town. Heck, I should've done what Theseus did and brought some twine with me." Aurora thought, reminding herself about the legendary Greek hero she learned about in school.
Wanting to end the silence, Aurora cleared her throat before she spoke.
"So…any idea what kind of treasure we'll find at these ruins?"
The group's eyes widened at Aurora's valid question. What would they find? Thinking about it, Safir spoke.
"Well, I'm thinking that this treasure is a mountain of jewels."
The azure dragon licked his lips at the thought as his craving for sapphires made itself known.
"That is definitely the kind of treasure I'd like to find."
The ponies and pony hybrid giggled at Safir's idea as Pumpkin spoke.
"Well, leave some jewels for the rest of us. If it is jewels, I'd like the citrines peridots."
Safir's eyes widened and turned his head to Pumpkin, his tongue sticking out in disgust.
"Eww! You like to eat peridots?! They taste terrible!"
Pound and Aurora doubled over in laughter while Pumpkin became infuriated.
"Only dragons eat gemstones, Safir! Some ponies, like myself, like to wear gems as jewelry. And I happen to like peridots."
She then took a look at the group and let out a smirk.
"In fact, I can tell which jewels could go with each of us."
She then pointed to her twin.
"Pound, for example, is more like a Smoky Quartz."
She then looked to Aurora, who had given Gareth the compass and map.
"Aurora's a combination of Amethysts and Rose Quartz. Maybe even Alexandrite."
Pumpkin then pointed her hoof toward Safir.
"You're Sapphires and Topazes."
She then pointed toward Gareth, who was focused on the path ahead.
"And Gareth's stone is Onyx."
Looking up, the group saw that Gareth wasn't paying attention to Pumpkin's gem-labeling below. Instead, he kept his eye on the forest, hoping to find the ruins. Frowning, Aurora called up to him.
"Gareth! Hey! Gareth! You still in your head?"
Hearing Aurora's voice, Gareth snapped out of his thoughts and flew down.
"Sorry. My mind was elsewhere."
Aurora folded her arms, her eyebrow raised.
"I can see that."
She then thought of something and decided to voice her concern.
"Something's up with you, Gareth. Since I've met you yesterday, you were hardly silent. Granted, it was because you were asking questions about me and my past. But now, there's something off. I don't know how to describe it, but it's as if I can almost 'sense' that something's wrong."
Gareth gulped at Aurora's accusation, but turned his attention to the direction they were heading and muttered mostly to himself.
"Uh…I think the ruins are this way."
Aurora's frown was accompanied Pound's frown while Pumpkin and Safir continued to bicker about jewels, mostly about peridots. Wanting to drown the argument from her mind, Aurora decided to continue a task she had started since they entered the Everfree Forest. She gathered some nearby rocks and stone and proceeded to make a cairn. Her father had taught her about cairns and on how to make them to mark her way back. A trick she learned for her "Navigation Badge" in the Scouts.
Look ahead, Pound got a song stuck in head and started to whistle. It was a song his Aunt Pinkie would sing when his sister (actually, it was him,) was scared of the dark.
Hearing Pound's whistling, Gareth looked to the Pegasus colt as Aurora made little monuments with some stones and sticks to mark their trail.
"I didn't think you were the kind of colt to whistle in the forest, Pound."
Hearing Gareth's vocal curiosity, Pound spoke while trying to avoid blushing in embarrassment.
"I-It's something my Aunt Pinkie Pie taught me and Pumpkin. 'Music and laughter are the best ways to chase away fears.' Pumpkin sings, I whistle."
Gareth was about to snicker at Pound's confession when Aurora spoke up from her cairn-making.
"Funny. That's something my Mom and Dad taught me when I was really little. Then again, Mom's friends with Pinkie, right?"
Pound smiled and nodded while Gareth kept silent, the former having noticed the latter's vain attempt to taunt him. Looking to the griffin chick, Pound spoke.
"What about you, Gareth? What did your parents teach you?"
Gareth didn't say anything, causing the group to raise eyebrows (or ridges in Safir's case) at him. Pound was about to say something when Safir placed a clawed hand on his shoulder. He shook his head, letting the Pegasus colt know that it wasn't the time to ask about his home life.
Wanting to kill the silence like Aurora did, Pound looked to Safir and spoke.
"So, Safir. What's it like living in the Dragon Lands? There's barely any information on dragons here in Equestria. The closest we have is Spike and he was hatched in Canterlot."
Though he disliked thinking about his homeland, Safir knew the question would've come up eventually. Sighing, Safir walked next to Pound while the girls and Gareth broke branches and other foliage to create a path as well as marker-making.
"Well, up until a month ago, dragons took pride in their strength and fortitude. We looked out for ourselves, viewing the other races as weaklings. The size of our hordes are a sort of a status symbol. The larger the horde, the more respect you gain. Only one dragon has more power despite the size of their horde: the Dragon Lord."
Hearing the conversation, Pumpkin spoke as she broke another low-hanging branch.
"Dragon Lord? Is that the dragon version of the Princesses?"
Safir nodded as he moved another branch out of the way.
"The Dragon Lord is the leader of all the dragons. When he summons, we dragons glow through some sort of magic that even I don't understand. At least not yet. Anyway, last month was the day the old Dragon Lord, Torch, had to retire. So for a new Dragon Lord to be crowned, the dragons had to complete a gauntlet to get back a scepter that was thrown onto an island. The winner was, thankfully, Torch's daughter, Ember. She's the new Dragon Lord, now."
"But what about you?" Aurora asked, though she was interested about the new Dragon Lord as much as the others were.
Safir sighed as he looked onward to the path ahead.
"I was the last one to hatch in my clutch of eggs. As the youngest, I was considered a runt. And runts usually are considered weak. Only the elder hatchlings can start their hordes after being given something from their parents. The rest of the hatchlings must find their own hordes, though it is race for the youngest of us. We are also taken the least seriously."
Aurora's eyebrows jumped a bit when she recognized the last sentence from the day before.
"Oh, that's right. You said you left the Dragon Lands because the dragons laughed at your ideas about meeting other creatures and learning to be nice instead of greedy."
Pound and Pumpkin looked to Safir, remembering the story he, Aurora, and Gareth told them back at Sugarcube Corner. While they knew dragons from books and Spike, they didn't know much about dragon culture.
Passing some more bushes, Safir sighed again as his friends waited for an answer.
"Yes. I thought if we could communicate better with others, we could establish trade and thus create a better civilization for dragonkind. But as I proposed the idea, everydragon laughed at me. They called me crazy and a dreamer for proposing such an idea. The only who didn't laugh was Ember."
Safir managed to crack a smile as he thought of the new Dragon Lord.
"Ember woke me from my nest and asked to speak to me. She actually praised my idea! She said that despite what the other dragons think, our kind could use a change for the better. So, she gave told me to go to a land called 'Equestria' and learn about its people. I met Gareth and his mother on the way."
Pumpkin thought of a question as she looked to the griffin chick in the sky.
"I guess that means Gareth's the one who learned about this ruin we're searching for."
Safir nodded. But before he could even say anything, the sound of Gareth's voice caught the ears of him and his companions.
"I see it! I see it, guys!"
Turning their attention of the griffin chick's direction in the sky, Pumpkin and Aurora followed on hoof while Safir and Pound took to the air where Gareth was.
Pumpkin and Aurora made their way through the Everfree Forest, constantly changing views to keep an eye on the boys while watching their steps. Aurora used her unusual size to their advantage by pushing through for Pumpkin while the unicorn picked up the slack with her cerulean-colored magic. It took a while, but eventually, they came across a sight to behold.
Deep in the Everfree Forest, a derelict castle stood covered in ivy. Unlike the Castle of the Two Sisters closer to Ponyville, this castle was smaller and looked more like a fortress built by the Normans. There were no spires like with Canterlot's castle, but circular towers with flat roofing so that soldiers could keep watch and fire arrows when needed. There was a stone wall circling the castle, though like the rest of the castle, it was crumbling and swallowed in ivy. The trees grew so tall that their canopy covered the area like a ceiling, though plenty of light shone through, giving a heavenly look to the castle.
The girls gaped in awe as the boys landed next to them, equally in awe.
"Whoa…" Safir whispered.
"Awesome…" Pound Cake added in.
Pumpkin was just as impressed as her twin.
"I never knew such a place like this could exist in the Everfree Forest."
Aurora was speechless, completely at a loss for words. Gareth grinned at the discovery.
"What say we go inside?"
The four youths nodded in agreement as they approached the large oak doors at the base of the fortress. The doors were ornate, yet sturdy. They were about fifteen feet high with the knockers at Aurora's eye level. And that was tall enough. Looking at her friends, Aurora spoke.
"Ready?"
"Totally." Gareth replied, feeling pumped.
"I guess." Safir answered, feeling unsure.
The twins looked at each other with knowing looks, smirked, and nodded simultaneously.
"Let's do this."
Seeing that her friends were on board, Aurora took a deep breath as she placed her hands on the doors.
"Here we go."
Shifting her weight to her arms, Aurora pushed, Gareth and Pound Cake adding their own to help. Pumpkin and Safir watched as the three pushed the door open, allowing the five entrance to the fortress.
Upon entering the fortress, the youths were met with nothing but darkness with shafts of light coming from the windows. It was enough to give them a lead, but not enough for detail. As a precaution, Pumpkin used her magic to light the way while Aurora found a torch scone. The centaur took the torch and sniffed it, remembering what her father had taught her.
"Tree sap. Pretty basic, but I think I can light it. I just need to find a flint and steel."
"How about me?" Safir asked as he approached the girl.
Holding out the torch to him, Aurora leaned back as he used his blue fire to light the torch. Aurora grinned as she replaced the torch with another one.
"That's quite handy. Think we can light the rest of them?"
Safir placed his fists on his waist, smiling proudly.
"Just pick them up and I'll light 'em."
As the pair worked on illuminating the room, the twins gazed in awe at the size of the chamber.
"This is a huge hallway. The ceiling's practically a mile high!"
Pound exclaimed as he looked up toward the ceiling. Pumpkin nodded as she looked at the crimson rug below their hooves.
"Whoever lived here must have been royalty. Or at least nobility. Aunt Rarity would get a kick out of seeing this."
Though he was anxious to find the treasure, Gareth couldn't help but admire the architecture himself. This was definitely better than the castle in Griffinstone. Of course, Griffinstone Castle wasn't exactly in good shape, either. His raptor eyes caught a glimpse of something at the other end of the hallway and, curious, he approached the archway at the end of the hall. What he saw caused his eyes to widen.
"Guys! Over here!"
Hearing the griffin, the four youths raced to the archway. Upon arriving, they found themselves sharing the same look of awe. Before them was a large circular chamber illuminated by the ceiling-high windows. Though dusty and decorated with cobwebs, the chamber looked pretty good for not having been used for a long time. There were doors and archways that no doubt led to different parts of the ruin that they would have to look into another time.
But what caught their attention was a large round table in the center of the chamber. It sat on a circular red rug and had chairs around it. However, only six appeared to remain usable. Curiosity in control, the five youths approached the table. Pound flew over the table noticed intricate designs on the table. He couldn't make them out other than they resembled Celtic knots. However, there was a marking that circled the table that caught his eye.
"'United we stand. Now and forever. In truth, divided we fall. Hand upon hand. Brother to sister. No one shall be greater than all.' Weird. Sounds like a song from a movie I watched once."
Safir approached one of the chairs and sat on it. Surprisingly, it was comfy. As if it was made for him.
"Whoa! I've got to get me one of these."
The twins took to sit opposite of Safir and Gareth sat on his left. Aurora found a bench with a tall back, making it look like an L-shaped chair than a bench. Raising an eyebrow, Aurora carefully lifted her right legs and sat down.
"This kinda reminds me of King Arthur."
She spoke mostly to herself. However, her friends heard her and raised some questioning eyebrows.
"King who?" Pumpkin asked, tilting her head.
Remembering that she was in another world, Aurora sheepishly scratched her head and spoke.
"Oh! I guess you wouldn't know. There's a famous legend in my world about a king named Arthur and his knights. The legend states that they sat at a round table like this one, the table being a symbol of equality."
Safir and Pound found themselves interested while Gareth gazed at the map, looking disappointed. What if this table was the "treasure" the map went on about? Or the fortress? But…even fortresses had treasure rooms, so maybe the treasure he was looking for was somewhere else. Still, it was a cool fortress, despite the lack of treasure.
It was then Pound got an idea.
"Hey! Why don't we let this place be our hideout?"
His sister and their three new friends gave him confused looks, not understanding what he was talking about. Seeing this, Pound went on.
"I mean, everypony our age had clubhouses. Who has their own castle as a clubhouse? It can be our secret place! We can meet up and explore the place, maybe clean it up here and there. I, for on, would like to tell my future foals that I had an actual castle for a clubhouse instead of a regular old clubhouse."
As Pound spoke his idea out, the group found themselves starting to like the idea. Safir thought about his living predicament and if he needed to find a place of his own, he could stay in the castle. It was clearly big enough for him when he grew up, so why not? Of course, he'd had to deal with the scary Everfree Forest first.
Gareth found himself on board with Pound's idea. He loved his mother and great-grandfather, but they tend to get on his nerves from time and time again. And this castle was the perfect hideaway. Heck, he could pretend to be a griffin knight or even a king in a place like this. Not to mention the treasure that could be hidden in the castle's walls.
Pumpkin was hesitant at first, her thoughts on the trek to and from the castle. But strangely, the beasts of the forest did not bother them while they followed the trail. Perhaps if she learned the layout of the land, she could find safe places for the way over. She would've said 'no' completely, but found herself too curious about the ruin. Not to mention she'd be outvoted from the look of the boys' faces.
Aurora, not knowing well enough about the dangers of the forest, found the idea intriguing. Her inner explorer was beckoning her to explore the place from top to bottom. Her Dad would've had a field day were he still alive and in Equestria with her, not as ashes. Heck, her mother would geek-out once she saw the place. That is, if she saw her again. Shaking her head of such thoughts, Aurora noticed another feeling. It was subtle, but noticeable. For some reason, it felt like the castle was calling her, beckoning her to discover its secrets and uncover a connection between her and the place.
Though wondering why she was feeling that way, Aurora brought her mind back into reality and spoke to her companions.
"How about we put it to a vote? Those who say we should turn this castle into our clubhouse, say 'aye.'"
"AYE!" echoed a chorus of voices, though Pumpkin's was more hesitant.
Grinning, Aurora spoke.
"Then I guess this castle will be our clubhouse."
She then looked to Gareth.
"Still got the map with you, Gareth?"
Gareth, confused, held up the map.
"Yeah? Why?"
Aurora answered as she left her seat and approached Gareth. But as she got close, Gareth felt his heart race. Was it adrenaline? Or something else? Whatever the reason, he unfurled the map while Aurora looked over his shoulder.
"Once we get back and have some free time, we should make some better markers so we won't worry about getting lost finding this place. Those cairns my Dad taught me how to make are good, but will vanish with the growing grass."
Pumpkin agreed as she thought about making the markers.
"Maybe Pound and I should sneak into Aunt Pinkie's Party Cave for ideas and supplies."
Pound agreed with his sister while Safir contributed.
"Maybe there are books about different markers in the Golden Oaks Library. I can read up during my stay there."
Trying to ignore the thumping in his chest, Gareth spoke an idea.
"Maybe I can get my Great-Grandpa Gruff to tell me about how griffins navigated back in the day…"
The memory of Rainbow Dash's lessons and her 'job' got Aurora to remember that they had to get back ASAP. Backing away from Gareth, she spoke.
"How about we meet back up sometime tomorrow? I got a Phy-Ed lesson with Rainbow Dash today and I can't miss it. Especially since I can't get these legs to work with me when I'm jogging or running."
Remembering that they had to get back town, the other agreed to meet again the next day (after Pinkie Promising to keep it secret.) Using the cairns Aurora made, the group made their way back to Ponyville without any hassle. Although Pumpkin did wonder why no creatures came their way during their adventure. In the end, she shrugged her shoulders as she and her brother returned to Sugarcube Corner.
"Guess the Everfree Forest is having an off-day today."
That evening…
That night, when Aurora went to bed (sore from Rainbow Dash's lessons and full from dinner), Applejack was enjoying a book when she heard a knock at the door.
"Hmm. Wonder who could that be…"
Applejack stood up from her chair and opened the front door. At her doorstep was a very surprised Spike, holding a scroll in his claws.
"You're not going to believe who sent this."
Applejack tilted her head at Spike in confusion.
"Who, Spike?"
Spike gulped and answered the Apple mare.
"Princess Cadence."
Hearing the name, Applejack allowed Spike inside and offered him some cider. After taking a couple sips from the mug Applejack gave him, Spike unfurled the scroll and read its contents aloud for Applejack to hear. What he read made Applejack's mouth drop in surprise and shock.
I hope this letter reaches you well. Normally, I'd ask 'how are you' and 'what is new in your lives.' But this time, it's different.
A few of days ago, Shining Armor & I learned about our niece, Aurora, from a letter sent by Princess Celestia. She explained to us what had happened and what we are to do. A couple of days ago, Twilight Velvet and Night Light came to the Crystal Empire for a visit. They told us more about Aurora and I must say, I can't wait to meet her.
Shining Armor & I are both shocked and horrified at what had happened to her mother, Twilight Sparkle, and are willing to do whatever it takes to help our niece adjust to Equestria. We are preparing a room in the Crystal Palace for her when the time comes for her to live with us.
However, before then, we want to meet Aurora. However, it will be a while for Shining Armor can come. He still feels guilty over what had happened at the wedding rehearsal twelve years ago and I fear he's afraid Aurora would hate him if she found out what happened. I think it's silly, but his fears are justified. I, however, do not wish to wait any longer.
This Saturday, I will arrive in Ponyville on the first Crystal Train that morning. I will take the entire weekend off so I can spend it with Aurora. I really want to meet her and I want her to know that she has family that won't just care for her well-being, but to show her that she has family that loves her, despite not having met us.
I have made arrangements at the Ponyville Inn for my stay, so you don't need to worry about accommodating me. However, I do have a request. I want my arrival to be a surprise to Aurora. So I ask that you do not say anything until I get there.
I shall meet you at the train station on Saturday at 5:30 AM sharp.
Applejack yawned as she sat on the train station's bench. It was 5 o'clock in the morning, an hour since she woke up, and dawn wasn't even making itself known yet. Though Applejack was a morning pony who would usually be up and about right then, the letter she received the other night after Aurora and her friends discovered the Ruins had her awake most of the night. The letter was from Princess Cadence, telling Applejack that she was coming to Ponyville to meet her long-lost niece.
The letter also asked Applejack to keep the visit a secret, as Cadence wanted to surprise Aurora. Not that Applejack could argue. With the situation with her grandparents, Aurora was so worried that Applejack feared she was going to get an ulcer. Though the more "awake" part of Applejack was telling her that a sudden visit from a royal member of her mother's family wasn't going to prevent ulcers from happening. Applejack actually wondered if she should speak with the local pediatrician on the subject.
Applejack sighed as she closed her eyes for a bit more shut-eye. Things would've been a whole lot easier if Aurora had come through the Gate a whole pony. Sure, she'd miss her hands, but at least she'd have an easier time adjusting. But that luxury would never be in Aurora's grasp. At least, until a spell could be found. Well…if Aurora wanted a magical makeover, that is.
Hearing the sound of the morning train, Applejack's eyes fluttered opened as she heard the chugging of the engine, which had become pony-less since her first visit to Appleoosa all those years ago. But this wasn't the train she was waiting for. The train coming from the Crystal Empire would be made of crystal and would make an unbearable sound when the breaks hit. So with only the Friendship Express pulling in, Applejack dozed back to sleep.
As she slept, an unwanted memory crept up on Applejack's mind. It was the day she and her friends had lost Twilight Sparkle twelve years ago…
12 Years ago, Equestria…
"I am afraid Twilight Sparkle…is lost to us." spoke a sorrowful Celestia.
Hearing her say such a thing broke the Element Bearers hearts as well as those of the bride and groom. Especially since the last time they saw her, they left her behind, snubbing her as they abandoned her. Celestia felt just as terrible as the last time she had spoken to Twilight was with the coldest words she had ever said to her faithful student. Not to mention that the invasion had no doubt made her subjects question her competence as a leader.
Suddenly, Rainbow Dash got an idea.
"Wait a minute! What if we use the Elements?!"
This caught the group by surprise. Could the Elements of Harmony bring Twilight back? They were a great asset in their victories against Nightmare Moon and Discord. Who's to say it couldn't bring back someone from the Gate?
For even a chance at bringing Twilight home was something Celestia could not pass up. Turning to a guard, she gave her command.
"Follow me to the tower the chest containing the Elements of Harmony is currently being held in."
The ponies waited as the guard left with Princess Celestia. They paced several laps around the Gate out of anticipation before Celestia and the guard returned with the chest.
But as the Element bearers approached the chest, something felt…wrong. Like something was trying to repel them from going near the chest like opposing magnets. They waited a couple feet away as Celestia used her horn to unlock the chest. When they opened it, they were met with a horrifying sight.
Each of the Elements were no longer in their respective colors. Instead, the jewels were black as ink and the gold necklaces they were secured in had lost their shine. What's more, the tiara holding the Element of Magic had become warped and disfigured. Like somepony threw it in a trash compacter. The Element of Magic itself was not only black, but it was cracked in several places.
"Good heavens! What happened to the Elements?!" Rarity cried out, seeing the surprising disappearance of the Elements' fabulosity, especially in her own Element.
Celestia was equally shocked. Never in her entire life had she seen such a sight. Not even when she had no choice but to banish Luna to the moon when she became the terrible Nightmare Moon. In fact, they remained the same when Discord was last in Equestria. Seeing this, it was clear something was very wrong.
Rainbow Dash, thinking of Twilight and how to bring her home, touched her Element with her hoof. However, her hoof recoiled as she felt immense pain on it. After pulling it away from the chest, Rainbow looked at her hoof and saw that it was burned.
"What the-?!"
"Traitor…" a mysterious voice echoed in the caverns.
Hearing this made everypony tense. Applejack, looking around for the voice, spoke.
"What in tarnation?"
Another foreign voice spoke with the same venom as the last.
"Deceiver…"
It was then that three more voices joined in. Each one more terrible than the last.
"Avaricious wench!"
For some reason, Rarity cringed at the sound. Almost as if the words were directed at her.
"Wicked brat!"
Fluttershy cowered behind Pinkie Pie, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Pinkie Pie wasn't feeling any better when the next voice spoke.
"Misery Maker!"
Pinkie's mane deflated a little at the sound. Like with the others, she felt the insult was directed towards her.
Wanting answers and to beat up whoever was calling them names, Rainbow Dash called out to the caverns.
"Show yourselves, cowards! You did this to the Elements, didn't you?!"
One last voice spoke out, coming from the most unlikely of sources.
The chest of the Elements of Harmony.
A faint magenta light glowed around the Element of Magic as the voice seemed to have come from it.
"Incorrect, Traitor to Loyalty. You brought this upon us. Upon yourselves."
Everypony in the cavern froze upon witnessing the Element of Magic speak. More than that, what the Element was saying. Wanting answers, Applejack spoke.
"Now what do ya'll mean by that? How did we bring this upon us?"
The Element of Honesty glowed a faint orange, though it was bright enough to flare anger.
"So you have done so far as to deceive yourselves as to what you have done? I had expected better from you, Applejack. But it seems I was wrong."
Frustrated, Rainbow Dash shouted to the jewels.
"What are you talking about?! Make some sense already!?"
The Element of Loyalty glowed a dangerous red.
"What are we talking about?! It's simple, traitor! Your actions the night before had not only cost Equestria the Bearer of Magic, but nearly made Equestria fall!"
The Element of Kindness glowed pink. Though soft, the light was still harsh. Like a look a scolding mother would give to her child when said child got caught doing something bad.
"Twilight Sparkle sought your help when she noticed the parasite failing to act like the princess, Cadence. A princess whom the Bearer of Magic knew her whole life. And what did you do? You've turned your backs on her and betrayed her at the rehearsal!"
The ponies were taken aback by this. The Elements knew of the threat that had come to Equestria? What's more, they knew about what had happened to Twilight after they left her alone?
"We…we didn't want to turn our backs. It's just that…well…" Fluttershy muttered, cringing at the harsh light of the Element of Kindness.
Applejack stepped up, standing between Fluttershy and the chest.
"She came barging in on the rehearsal, claimin' the Cadence we were with was a phony with no proof whatsoever."
The Element of Generosity glowed a very cold purple, sending shivers to everypony in the room.
"While that may be true, that incident could have been avoided if you had just given Twilight Sparkle the time to see the truth. Instead, your selfish desires were apparently more important than your friend's concern."
Rarity was taken aback by the words her Element spoke, but couldn't find the words to speak. This allowed the Element of Generosity to continue, its words directed toward Rarity.
"You, the one I had chosen as my new bearer, had long held desires to climb the social ladder. The chance to create a wedding dress fit for literal royalty was too much of an opportunity to pass on. Not even when a friend is showing signs that she needed your time to talk and express her concerns. Yet, your mind was too focused on the desire to be recognized by the elite to even bother."
Kindness glowed as it spoke to Fluttershy. It spoke gently and kindly, which had rubbed salt in the wounds that were developing in Fluttershy's heart.
"While you are indeed a kind mare, Fluttershy, what you had done was absolutely cruel. While I am proud of your accomplishments with a bird choir, you should have known that Twilight Sparkle was distressed. A true friend would have comforted them. And when you and the others had walked out on her? You should have shown compassion. Instead, you snubbed her like she wasn't worth your time."
The Element of Laughter glowed a mixture of light blue and hot pink, as if uncertain what color its glow should be. The glow seemed to be directed at Pinkie Pie.
"You, Pinkie Pie, were born with the desire to spread cheer and laughter everywhere you go. I was always eager to see what kind of plans you could come up to brighten a pony's day.Yet last night, you went against your element. When Twilight was left alone, she cried.How could the Bearer of Laughter, who goes to great lengths to spread cheer, make a dear friend of hers cry?"
An anvil dropped in Pinkie's stomach, seemingly bringing more of her hair with it. The Element of Loyalty glowed fiercely as it spoke to its chromatic Bearer.
"As the Bearer of the Element of Loyalty, Rainbow Dash, you should have thought of your friends before yourself! I cannot count how many times I had to bite my metaphorical tongue whenever your ego inflated. And last night, you have chosen your ego over the concerns of a friend. Just be thankful there is not an Element of Humility among us. Otherwise, they would be disgusted with you."
Rainbow was torn between lashing out at her Element and breaking down in tears. Although she would defend her friends, she had to agree with Loyalty. Many times Rainbow's pride had gotten the best of her. Still, Loyalty did seem harsher when it made its accusation. A sudden chill ran down Applejack's spine as she heard her Element's voice.
"I know you too well, Applejack. While you did try to reassure everypony that the false bride was merely suffering from wedding jitters, you had your suspicions as well. While it is common for brides to go overboard with their emotions on their weddings, your instincts were telling you something was not right. You ignored Twilight Sparkle's suspicions despite the fact that she knew all too well about what her foal-sitter was truly like. So let me ask you, Applejack. Why did you deceive yourself into believing a pony you had only met a few hours ago rather than a friend whom you knew longer than that?"
Applejack bit her lip, knowing that Honesty was right. Why had she chosen to believe total strangers rather than somepony she already knew? Was it truly the Changeling Queen's tricks that made her walk out on Twilight? Or was it her own ignorance? She froze into place as Princess Celestia spoke up.
"We admit it. We were wrong. Twilight Sparkle was right in trusting her instincts. And we do indeed regret how coldly we had treated her last night. But we need your help. Twilight had been tossed into the Gate of Sleipnir by the Changelings, which will not open for another twelve years. We hope that with your power, we can bring her back sooner. The moment we see her, we intend fully and truly to apologize. We want to take full responsibility for what had happened."
"And what do you know of responsibility, Princess Celestia?" Honesty spoke venomously.
Magic took over as it proceeded to explain to its former bearer.
"While we admit you did the right thing in sending Twilight Sparkle to Ponyville when she warned you about Nightmare Moon, there are some things that concerned us greatly."
"Such as?" Celestia asked Magic, warily.
"There were some instances that could have been stopped or prevented by you, Celestia. These two days were one of them. A threat has been made against Canterlot and what did you do? Have the groom summon a shield just to keep the threat out? Had it not once occur that the threat came from inside the city? Maybe even the castle?
"What's more, if the signs had been read correctly, Princess Cadence is like family to you. You have known her ever since she ascended into alicorn-hood at a young age. You knew what she was truly like. So why did you believe the crass words of a fake, despite the fake being a Changeling?"
It was Celestia's turn to bite her lip. Magic was right. She knew Cadence even more than Twilight. So she should have picked up the change earlier. But she thought it was wedding jitters. That Cadence was under stress to act normally. Then a thought occurred. Suppose that was the real Cadence and she had calmed down after the incident. She would have been furious at how cold they had treated Twilight. A foal she had taken care of for years.
Shining Armor, being the last bastion, took his shot at the Elements. Little did he knew that their words would haunt him for the next twelve years. Maybe even the rest of his life.
"Don't you want her back? I was wrong. I don't know if I was under the Changeling Queen's magic during the last conversation I had with her. But I do regret it. I want my sister back! I want to tell her how sorry I am! I want her to be my Best Mare again!"
Shining Armor ceased his cries as he felt the Elements' metaphorical glare on him. Of all the Elements, it was Twilight's Element of Magic that spoke, outraged.
"Is that all?! Do you really think an apology and a bribe would bring her back to you!? You, Shining Armor, are the Captain of the Guard, the Groom, and my Bearer's elder brother! If anypony should have been on the defensive, it should have been you! A threat had been made, placing your bride and everypony else in danger and you decide to go on with the wedding instead of postponing it! And how could you not expect Twilight's reactions about you getting married? When was the last time you had even written to her?! She didn't even know you were courting Princess Cadence after graduation or that you even proposed! And asking her to be your Best Mare at the last minute? Didn't you think Twilight wouldn't notice something was wrong as soon as she got to work?"
Shining Armor tried to speak up, but Magic beat him to it.
"And did you know what happened when the lot of you walked out? She broke down into tears, feeling the cold sting of betrayal. And throwing Twilight out like that?! You should know your sister better than that! She loved you both! And yes, I am aware of the Queen's magic. But did you even think about WHERE Twilight was? Or even have anypony check on her!? And don't say she could've checked into a hotel or return to Ponyville! And if she were to have gone to your parents, didn't you think they would've confronted you before the wedding?! And if it weren't for the fact the Queen had become arrogant, she would have never transported Twilight into the same vicinity of the caverns as your real bride! Had the Queen been smart, she could've killed Twilight Sparkle or leave her in a forgotten part of the caverns to die!
"I ask one last thing. What would you have done if you had found your sister, your L.S.B.F.F, dead after speaking so cruelly and callously to her?"
Each word made Shining Armor cringed, feeling worse and worse with every syllable. But when the Element of Magic asked him that last question, his emotional supports couldn't hold anymore. Magic was right. Even though he was under the spell, he still should've realized how harsh he had been toward her. And the very thought of Twilight, his little sister, being found dead because of his idiocy, was too much to bear.
He broke down and wept.
Cadence froze as she watched her beloved shatter before her. From what she had heard from the Elements' conversation with them, something terrible must have happened the night before. Something that would haunt them until Twilight retuned. She looked down to Spike, who was shaking in his place. Whether it was from fear or sorrow, she was uncertain.
Then, for the first time, Magic spoke in a soft, gentle voice.
"Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Spike the Dragon. While you were both a part of this, you bear no fault. Cadence, you couldn't have noticed the Queen sneaking up on you until it's too late. While it may take some time, do not abandon your true feelings for the colt before us. While he may have failed much today, he still loves you."
Spike tensed when Magic spoke to him next.
"Spike. While you may have walked out with the others, you did not share the same feelings as them. In addition, you are still young and are still learning what to do. I would not worry if I were you."
The warmth of Magic became cold as it addressed everypony one last time.
"Today, we, the Elements of Harmony, had been betrayed and the one who can wield the power of Magic is imprisoned in another world. So until she returns and the ponies before us reconcile with her truthfully and honestly, or if the time comes for us to achieve new Bearers, we will no longer be of use to anypony in Equestria unless the situation TRULY demands it."
Magic spoke one last cold thing before becoming silent for good.
"As Princess Celestia told Twilight Sparkle: 'You have a lot to think about.'"
The sound of the Crystal Express approaching awoke Applejack. Thankfully, it wasn't those Celestia-awful breaks. As Applejack sat up, her thoughts turned to her memory-dream. She wondered if Kindness and Honesty would take her and Fluttershy back since the two of them were able to talk to Twilight and apologize before she was taken. However, she also wondered if they needed to actually see Twilight Sparkle before doing so. As the crystal train came to a slow stop, Applejack set the thoughts aside as she prepared to greet the train's most important passenger.
Princess Cadence left the train with her signature warm smile. She had finally arrived in Ponyville. As soon as she was settled at the hotel, she could finally meet her niece face-to-face. Cadence was excited and could not wait to get to know Aurora. During the train ride, Cadence's memories filled her mind as she gazed at the scenery. It seemed like yesterday she was meeting a filly Twilight Sparkle when she offered to babysit for Twilight's parents. Now, she was meeting the filly of the filly she took care of so long ago.
Upon seeing Applejack, Cadence greeted her friend.
"Applejack. It's good to see you again."
Applejack smiled as Cadence embraced her with a hug.
"It's good to *yawn* see ya, too."
Catching the yawn, Cadence pulled away and became concerned about seeing the bags under Applejack's eyes. Since Applejack was a morning pony, it was a surprise to see her so exhausted. Noticing Cadence's gaze, Applejack rubbed her eyes.
"Oh. Sorry about that. I was so nervous about what's gonna happen today that I barely got any sleep. I managed to get some sleep a few minutes ago…"
Applejack trailed off, not wanting to tell Cadence she was dreaming of that terrible day. Though truth-be-told, she was surprised that Cadence still wanted to marry Shining Armor even when he had been a lout to his sister. After becoming friends with Cadence, Applejack was able to see why Twilight was so suspicious at first. It made her feel even more ashamed of what she did at the rehearsal.
Wanting to get back on track, Applejack started to gather Cadence's luggage.
"Well, it'll be a couple of hours before Aurora's awake. In the meantime, let's get ya to the hotel."
It was 7 o'clock when Aurora reluctantly woke up. While the Apple Family was up at the crack of dawn doing their chores, Aurora was allowed extra sleep time due to her having only one job on the farm so far. After brushing her teeth and finding a coral pink tank top with little gold designs on it, Aurora brushed her hair before tying it into a ponytail.
Once she was ready, Aurora left her room and made her way to a spot where the orchards met with the rest of the farm. An old pavilion tent was set up with a small table for food and drink. A little ways from the table were baskets for good apples and an old oil drum for rotten apples. As Aurora approached the table, she saw a couple of apple fritters with a canteen of water next to it. Her breakfast, she thought. Seeing that the first shipment of apples weren't there for her, yet, Aurora proceeded to eat the fritters.
As she ate, Aurora wondered what she and her friends were going to do to the Ruins they found the previous day. If it was going to be their secret hideout, Cleaning would no doubt be a priority. At least to her, Safir, and Pumpkin Cake. Pound Cake and Gareth would want to explore, as would Aurora. However, the dust and crumbling structure convinced her otherwise. With Safir staying with Spike at the library, the blue dragonling would have access to the various books kept there, including construction and survival books.
Apple Bloom's arrival snapped Aurora out of her thoughts as the mare set a basket of fresh apples on the table.
"Mornin', Aurora. Ready to work?"
Setting her thoughts on the Ruins in her mind aside, Aurora stretched while slightly grinning.
"Yep. I know the drill."
Smiling, Apple Bloom spoke.
"Alright. Just make sure ya'll stay hydrated. If ya'll need more water than what's in the canteen, head on inside and fill it right up."
After Apple Bloom returned to the orchard, Aurora got to work. It was easy work. Aurora would pick up an apple, examine it for any rot or worms, and then discard the apple in the appropriate container. The first few apples qualified for the basket before Aurora came across her first bad apple. This was one of those times she was glad she kept her human upper body. With her pointer finger and her thumb, she pinched the stem of the rotten apple and tossed it into the drum with a bang.There was a towel next to her in case a bad apple exploded on her. Hopefully, that wouldn't happen.
As Aurora worked her way down the basket, a familiar figure caught the corner of her eye. It was Pumpkin Cake. With a stroller? Curious, Aurora waved her over as she kept working with the apples.
"Over here, Pumpkin." She called out.
Pumpkin rolled the stroller over as Aurora kept up with her work. Pumpkin looked relieved to see Aurora as she approached the girl.
"Morning, Aurora."
Aurora nodded as she spoke.
"Morning, Pumpkin. What brings you out here?"
"I was wondering if you saw Pound anywhere." Pumpkin told her. Aurora looked up to face Pumpkin and shook her head.
"Sorry. I haven't seen him or the guys. I haven't even left the farm, yet. I started working today, so I wasn't exactly paying attention if they were here." She then tilted her head. "Why?"
Pumpkin sighed as she gently pushed the stroller back and forth.
"We're short-hoofed at the shop and I was looking for him. Mom and Pop had to go to Marewaukee for an important catering job they've just remembered, Aunt Pinkie Pie has to mind the store, and I'm foalsitting little Rocky Road, here."
Just then, a chocolate brown baby Earth Pony colt with a white mane popped up from his stroller, smiling and cooing as Pumpkin ruffled his mane. Pumpkin and Aurora let out heartwarming smiles at the foal as Pumpkin continued to explain.
"That means we need Pound to handle any deliveries we get. So far, I've been able to deliver some things with Rocky while we looked for him. I was hoping you've seen him."
Aurora shrugged her shoulders as her thoughts of their secret place returned.
"Do you think he went back to the Ruins?"
Pumpkin frowned at the question.
"He better not. There's no way I'm taking Rocky into the Everfree Forest to find that brother of mine."
Pumpkin had a point. While they haven't encountered anything dangerous, it was still too risky to take a baby with them to the Ruins. So Aurora asked another question.
"Did you talk to Gareth or Safir? He may be with one of them. Or at least they know the way to the Ruins."
Pumpkin was about consider the idea, but her frown returned as she remembered something.
"But I have no idea on where they live."
Aurora gave Pumpkin a new answer.
"Safir's living with Spike for now. You can try the library. And if he's there, maybe he can show you where Gareth lives. All I know is that he lives around town."
Relived, Pumpkin sighed.
"Thanks, Aurora. We'll check out the library first."
After Pumpkin left, Aurora continued to sort apples when she heard a familiar voice cleared its throat.
"A…Aurora?"
Aurora looked to her right and saw Applejack standing before her, looking a little nervous. Though Aurora wasn't sure why. She then took noticed of the new pony next to her. A pink alicorn with a swirly mane of pink, purple, and yellow. She wasn't wearing her regalia and the hybrid wasn't aware of the importance of an alicorn, so Aurora didn't know her occupation. Her friendly smile and purple eyes gave a gentle warmth as Applejack spoke again. "Ah…Ah have somepony who wanted to meet ya, Sugarcube." She then lifted a hoof to gesture to the alicorn next to her.
"This here is Princess Cadence. Co-ruler of the Crystal Empire…" She paused for a moment, as if preparing for an explosion before concluding. "…and yer aunt."
Aurora froze at what she was doing and gaped in shock. Her aunt? Here? Now?! While she tried to restore her cognitive thinking, Cadence, gentle smile and all, spoke to her niece for the first time.
"I'm so happy to finally meet you, Aurora."
Upon hearing her aunt's gentle voice greet her, Aurora's brain resumed function. She had to greet her aunt. After all, it was a polite curtesy and she was family.
"N…Nice to meet you, too."
Cadence could see the uncertainty in her niece's eyes and hear it in the tone of her voice. This was a reason why she wasn't wearing her royal regalia. She wanted Aurora to get comfortable around her. Once she was relax, they could communicate better.
A tactic she used when she used to foalsit. Including when she foalsat Twilight Sparkle.
Knowing that Applejack needed to get to the fields for the day's chores, Cadence gave her a reassuring look.
"How about Aurora and I take this time to get to know each other? I'm sure your family will need your help more than we will."
Applejack was hesitant. While it was true that she needed to get work done, she didn't want to leave the two relatives alone. But they needed the opportunity to get to know each other and all Applejack would do was give off a sense of anxiety, prolonging any bonding the two could accomplish on their own.
Sighing, Applejack spoke.
"Alright. I'll leave ya'll alone. But if ya need any help, just give a holler."
With a nod from Cadence and a slower nod from Aurora, Applejack left for the fields, leaving Cadence and Aurora alone.
Once they were alone, Cadence knew she had to get to work in establishing a connection with Aurora as soon as possible. The million-bit question, however, was "how?" Aurora knew this, as well. After all, this was the aunt she was going to stay with after an undetermined amount of time and it would be better if they'd actually talk about something. And she had just the question to ask.
"Um…I've heard that you used to take care of my mom when she was little."
Cadence breathed a sigh of internal relief. Aurora was making the first contact. This was a good sign. With a nod, Cadence answered her niece's question.
"Yes. I know it's strange for a princess to have a job as a foalsitter, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Especially with your mother. We even have a not-so-secret hoofshake we'd use whenever we greet each other."
Seeing the curious look on Aurora's face had let Cadence know that she had gained her niece's attention. Night Light and Twilight Velvet did say that Aurora was interested in her mother's past as a unicorn, especially since Twilight Sparkle's body had changed thanks to the Gate's magic to fit in with the locals. Of course, there was the question as to why Aurora's body didn't change into a complete pony instead of a hybrid of her parents' species.
Taking a seat next to Aurora, Cadence got an idea.
"How about I help you out with this while we talk? We can talk while we work."
Knowing that she was going to be busy with this job, Aurora gladly nodded.
"I'd like that."
With smiles, both aunt and niece got to work, conversing as they did.
With Pumpkin Cake…
Pumpkin sighed heavily as she approached the library. With her twin AWOL, it was hard handling deliveries while watching little Rocky Road at the same time. She needed her twin. Or at least one of her friends to help her. Aurora was out. She was working on the Apple Farm this morning and it wouldn't be fair for both Aurora and Rocky if Pumpkin were to dump him with her new friend. And with Pound missing, that left Safir and Gareth. Sure, she could call on some friends from school, but most of her friends were on vacation with their parents or were otherwise busy. Only a couple outright refused.
Pumpkin thought of her parents and let out another sigh.
"I have got to start a scheduling system for Sugarcube Corner. Mom and Dad do this at least once a month. From Applewood to Stalliongrad, they forget to plan ahead and remember at the last minute. That leaves me and Pound minding the deliveries and Aunt Pinkie with running the shop."
She halted once she got to the door. Maybe she could convince Safir to help her out at least?
Upon knocking on the library door, she heard the librarian's voice.
"It's open."
Carefully maneuvering the stroller, Pumpkin entered the library with Rocky in tow. Upon seeing her, Spike placed the book he was about to put away down and greeted her with a friendly, though toothy, smile.
"Pumpkin. Good to see you again."
He then noticed the lack of a certain Pegasus colt.
"Where's Pound? Isn't usually with you?"
Pumpkin frowned as she moved the stroller to a nearby window.
"I wish. I'm actually trying to find him. Mom and Dad had to go Marewaukee for a catering gig and left Aunt Pinkie in charge. I'm foalsitting, so I need Pound to make deliveries until Rocky's parents come to pick him up. And I can't make the airborne deliveries. So I'm looking for him."
Pumpkin then proceeded to ask her question.
"In the meantime, can I borrow Safir if he's here? The more help, the better, right?"
As Spike called Safir down, neither the older dragon nor the filly notice the infant colt crawling onto a nearby pile of books. As Rocky Road looked out the window, he saw a butterfly fluttering outside. Fascinated, the colt looked beneath the window to find a large flower pot. Perfect for a landing. With a little extra effort, Rocky pushed open the window and climbed his way down to the ground, using some crates that were placed under there earlier that morning, before proceeding to follow the butterfly.
With Aurora and Cadence…
Back at Sweet Apple Acres, the sound of laughter could be heard from beneath a pavilion tent near the orchards. The source of the laughter came from an alicorn princess and her half-pony, half-human niece, who were enjoying each other's company as they sorted apples.
"Ha-ha! And then Twilight…ha-ha…really thought that if she'd bait the trap with fish oil, she'd be able to catch the Terrible Dogfish with that box trap. All it did though was attract the seagulls to our spot on the beach."
Aurora burst out laughing upon hearing about her mother's failed attempt to catch live specimens. Especially if the specimen was a fictional character from a book Cadence was reading to her. Aurora knew her mother could be gullible at times, but she never expected this.
"Ha-ha-ha! As long as I've known her, Mom never took fiction books so seriously! Ha-ha-ha! I bet the look on everyone's faces was priceless!"
Cadence laughed a little more before calming herself to speak.
"Ha. It was pretty funny after we washed the fish oil out of her mane. Though she did get quite the scolding from her parents. After that, she learned the difference between fiction and non-fiction books and had to sort the books she had again. This time, from fiction and non-fiction with the author's names."
"Still, she was a kid. A 6 year-old, no doubt."
It took a few exchanges between stories, but both Aurora and Cadence were finally relaxed enough to converse without worrying about what the other was feeling. Cadence made a mental note to thank her in-laws for mentioning Aurora's interest in her mother's past. And she got to learn a few things about Twilight on the other side of the Gate, too.
Like the story Aurora told about her mother freaking out about a new Hurricane drill, thinking it was a real one. Had evacuated her husband and 4 year-old child into a shelter she designed. After being told it was a drill, Twilight was glad it was while she was at home rather than at the school she taught. It would've been more embarrassing if she dragged the entire school into shelters for a drill in panic-mode.
"All we had to do to talk was find something we had in common. And that, of course, is Twilight Sparkle. My sister-in-law. Her mother."
Yet despite the laughter, Cadence couldn't help but feel sad. She had missed much of Twilight's life because of the Changelings. Her graduation from High School, her wedding, even the day she delivered her child into life. Heck, she missed her niece's entire life because of the infiltrators. Still, she was given the chance to get to know and bond with her niece before she could grow up and leave her childhood behind.
Cadence also thought of her husband back in the Crystal Empire. Of all the ponies involved with what had happened, he was the one who was hurting the most. Once in a while, she would catch him debating about taking his own life because of the guilt. It took a lot of coaxing from her and visits from psychiatrists to keep Shining Armor from going off the deep end. His world somewhat brightened when he learned that his sister was alive and he still had a chance to apologize.
Then the foalnapping happened.
Without thinking, Cadence spoke softly as she looked at the apples before her. "I wish your uncle was here with us right now. He doesn't know what he's missing." Hearing her aunt, Aurora couldn't help but wonder about her absent uncle.
"Um…Aunt Cadence?"
Cadence turned to her niece, wondering what she had to say.
"If you've planned on visiting me, why hasn't Shining Armor come? I mean, he's my uncle, right?"
Cadence cursed herself at the question. She didn't want to lie, but she also didn't want to tell her niece that her uncle disregarded the threat made before the wedding or that he threw her mother out like trash, changelings or no changelings. She couldn't even tell her what her current guardian and her friends had done at the rehearsal. At least, not until Shining had the chance to apologize to his sister for being an idiot. Still, she had to say something.
"Well, to be honest, he's afraid."
Seeing the hurt look on Aurora's face, Cadence quickly rectified it.
"Oh! It's not you! He actually really wants to meet you! It's just…the last time he and your mother had spoken to each other, it was a fight. A fight he's been regretting for the past twelve years. He just feels unworthy of being your uncle until he reconciles with Twilight. Silly, yes. But he just doesn't feel ready to meet face-to-face with one who had brightened her life, which he had darkened."
This made Aurora curious. Was this "fight" really that bad? Bad enough that her uncle was feeling so horrible that he couldn't meet his own niece, who was the child of his only sister? Cadence wished she could tell her niece the rest of the truth, but she feared the repercussions. If only Shining Armor had come with her, then maybe…
But before Cadence could finish her thought, a panicked voice came from the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres.
"Aurora! Aurora!"
Catching their attention, Cadence and Aurora looked to the entrance and saw that it was Pumpkin Cake. Aurora's eyes widened when she noticed something was missing.
"Pumpkin? What happened? Where's Rocky?"
Stopping in front of her friend, Pumpkin answered her question.
"Huh…huh…I was…at the library… I was with Spike getting Safir. I turned around for a minute and the next… Rocky was gone!"
Forgetting about her job and the company she was currently keeping, Aurora quickly stood up in surprise.
"Gone! What do you mean? Shouldn't he be in the library?"
Pumpkin shook her head in despair.
"We've turned the entire library upside-down! He's disappeared!"
Hearing the crisis at hoof, Cadence made her presence known as she stood up from her spot and approached the filly.
"Calm down. We'll help you find this foal."
Aurora nodded, any questions and concerns brought up by her aunt's calm behavior were dismissed. All she was concerned for was the little foal left in Pumpkin's care. Looking at their work, Cadence calmly made a plan.
"It's been only a few minutes since the last batch of apples was brought to us. By my calculations, it will be at least an hour before the next batch. If we hurry, we should at least find some clues as to where the foal went."
Without a moment to lose (and a quick letter on the table in case the Apples returned early), the unicorn filly led the alicorn and the centaur into Ponyville. Though Aurora was still having trouble running at this point, she was getting better. It wasn't long before they reached the library where a pair of dragons where searching the areas around the tree.
"Did you find him?" Pumpkin asked as the three approached the pair.
Safir, who was the closest, shook his head.
"Not yet. Sorry, Pumpkin."
Seeing the distress in the filly, Cadence placed a calming hoof on her shoulder.
"Don't worry. We'll find him."
Still, Pumpkin could not help but remain upset. Not until Rocky Road was found.
This troubled Aurora greatly. How could the foal have gotten out of the library from his stroller? Aurora had seen the stroller herself and knew that unless he had help or if there was something nearby, there was no way Rocky could have left the library with making some sort of noise.
"Pumpkin? Is the stroller where you left it?" she heard her aunt ask.
Pumpkin nodded, pointing to the library.
"It's in the library."
Curious, Aurora walked ahead of her aunt and peeked inside. Sure enough, the stroller was sitting next to an opened window, its occupant missing.
"Wait a minute. Opened window?"
At the realization, Aurora approached the stroller and looked out the window. It was then she realized what had happened. Leaving the stroller, Aurora called out to their makeshift search party.
"Everyone! I've found something!"
Hearing Aurora's call, the two dragons, the alicorn princess, and the unicorn filly rushed to where she was. Once they were inside, Aurora spoke to Pumpkin with a serious voice.
"Pumpkin. Did you, Spike, or Safir hear any sound when Rocky went missing?"
The three in question looked at each other for a bit in confusion before shaking their heads. Pointing to the window, Aurora spoke.
"Outside the window, there's a stack of crates. Because how the stroller is built, I think you three would have heard the sound of Rocky hitting the ground, maybe crying. Which means he must have climbed out of the stroller and out the window."
She then took another look at the scene added another piece to the puzzle.
"These books here?" She asked, pointing to the piles of books next to the stroller. "That's how he could've gotten out without getting hurt. And from the looks of it, they lead straight to the window."
Spike got the idea as his eyes widened.
"Then he must have climbed down those crates outside!"
Nodding, Aurora stepped outside and gazed at the ground, searching for something near the crates. Curious as to what her niece was doing, Cadence approached her.
"What are you looking for, Aurora?"
Bending her front legs, Aurora reached down to the ground and touched the grass next to the crates.
"Hmm. No doubt about it. He was here."
Aurora then saw something from the corner of her eye. It was faint, but fresh.
"Here's some tracks. And from the looks of it, Rocky doesn't know how to walk yet."
Pumpkin shook her head, but she was still confused.
"His parents are teaching him. But how does that help us?"
Looking ahead, Aurora spoke with certainty.
"It means we have a trail."
At those word, Cadence took to the skies and followed the aforementioned trail Aurora had pointed out. The tracks took her to the edge of Ponyville near the local lake. It was there that she caught sight of a little brown Earth Pony foal chasing a butterfly near the water.
Swiftly, Cadence used her magic to keep the foal from crawling into water while she glided to the ground. While the foal was disappointed that he couldn't catch the strange fluttering creature, he laughed as the alicorn lifted him up with a friendly smile. A slight chuckle escaped from her throat as she flew with the foal back to the group. Upon seeing the foal, Pumpkin rushed to the pair.
"Rocky! Thank Celestia you are safe!"
As she took Rocky, who was still playful, Pumpkin looked to the mare with a thankful smile.
"Thank you so much, miss. I don't even want to think of what would have happened."
Cadence smiled warmly as she looked to her niece, who was just as relieved as the rest of them were.
"Actually, you should thank Aurora. After all, she's the one who found this little one's trail."
Instead of blushing or taking the praise, Aurora just shrugged her shoulders.
"I just used what I had learned in the Island Scouts, that's all."
As the group conversed amongst themselves, Cadence watched as Aurora spoke to her friends and her pseudo-uncle as they wanted to know how she was able to uncover the tracks. Cadence was glad to have the spotlight off of her, but was relieved as Aurora wasn't showing any anxiety. The Princess of the Crystal Empire knew she made a good call by promising to visit her niece every chance she got.
When they returned to Sweet Apple Acres, Cadence and Aurora continued their banter as the Apple Family brought more apples for them to sort. While it may not be an exciting activity as painting or going to a park, at least she was able to bond with her.
By the end of the next day, the two relatives had become fast friends. It was saddening for her to go and leave her niece behind, but Cadence knew there was a certain pony waiting for her back in the Crystal Empire.
A pony who, while eager to meet Aurora, was afraid of his own niece.
While Cadence was visiting with Aurora in Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle once again awoke to the dank cell she had been imprisoned in for the past two weeks. While Aurora was learning to walk as a quadruped for the first time, Twilight worked on re-learning her old hoofsteps. After twelve years as a human, it felt strange for her to have no hands once more. It would've been even stranger if she was allowed to practice her magic. But her captors made sure the magic-blocking shackle was on securely and that removing it would be impossible without a key.
Despite keeping her prisoner, her captors kept her well-fed, never abused her in any form, and even allowed her to read some of their books. Twilight could not help but wonder about why she was captured in the first place. What's more, how did their master even find out about the Gate in the caverns? The Changeling Queen told her that those caves were all but forgotten until the wedding fiasco. So how could…
Twilight's thoughts were paused as the sound of the dungeon door opening. Thinking it was her captors, Twilight set her head down to feign sleep, keeping one eye partially open to see what's going on. It was indeed two of her captors, ponies cloaked in dark crimson and dark electric green cloaks and robes, but they were dragging some sort of sack. Twilight felt a stone drop in her stomach as she kept silent, listening carefully as the cloaked ponies placed the sack in a cell next to hers.
"This one was quite the pain. She had us hunting her in the mountains for several days. It was only when we had cornered her in a cave that we were able to catch her." The crimson cloaked stallion spoke.
"What do you expect? That she'd come with us willingly? I will admit, brother, this one does have talent. Not many ponies can strip an entire village of their Cutie Marks and indoctrinate them into an 'equal' society." The green-cloaked stallion replied, using his hooves to quote the word "equal."
The red-cloaked pony, using crimson-colored magic, opened the sack and placed a shackle on a light purple hoof. The hoof belonged to a unicorn mare with a purple and aquamarine mane and tail. For some strange reason, her Cutie Mark was smeared. The mare was unconscious as they placed the shackle on her hoof.
"To be honest, I think the ponies in that town were relieved to see her go. One of the scouts said as soon as we chased her out, they charged into the cave where she kept their Cutie Marks and smashed the case they were kept in open. Regardless, this mare definitely has some power." Red-Cloak reported as they departed the dungeon.
Despite not being able to see Green-Cloak's eyes, Twilight was able to see a smile creep on.
"Yes. Where her power was not needed by the Master, she would have made an excellent sister."
As soon as the door closed and the lock clicked, Twilight opened her eyes and walked over to the neighboring cell. From the disheveled look on the mare, they must have had to knock her out in order capture her. Still, Twilight recalled what the stallions said. That this mare was capable of removing Cutie Marks from an entire village and brainwashing them into some sort of society. Twilight wasn't sure whether to be disgusted at how the mare used her magic or impressed that she was able to actually remove a Cutie Mark.
Upon seeing the mare begin to stir, Twilight picked up a pitcher of water that the guards gave her and poured into a cup and onto a rag. The process was…difficult for lack of words, as she found her hands useful back on the islands and her magic before that. Like with walking, Twilight had to practice things she normally would have done as either a human or a fully-powered unicorn. Still, she was able to pour a cup of water before her fellow prisoner woke up.
"Ugh…What happened?" the mare groaned as she lifted a hoof up to rub her head.
Twilight set the pitcher down as the mare began to take in her surroundings.
"Where am I?! How did I get here?!"
She then noticed Twilight, but failed to recognize her.
"And who are you?! Did you put me in here?!"
Twilight shook her head, keeping her composure to bring some sort of calm into the situation.
"No. In case you didn't notice the cell around me, I'm a prisoner, too."
She then lifted the cup to the mare.
"Drink this. It'll help calm you."
The mare narrowed her eyes at the cup, filled with suspicion. Knowing what she was thinking, Twilight spoke again.
"Don't worry. It's just water. Nothing strange, not even poison is in it. Just plain old water."
Heeding Twilight's words, the mare decided to try to take the cup. But something was wrong.
"My magic! Why can't I use my magic?!"
To answer her question, Twilight lifted her foreleg up, showing the mare the shackle.
"I found this on my leg when I woke up. It's some sort of magic-blocking shackle. It prevents us from using any magic at all."
The mare blinked in surprise as she took notice of her own shackle. Once again, she tried to use magic to remove the metal brace. But still no luck. Huffing in defeat, the mare decided to stick with her hooves to drink. Thankfully, she had little need for practice as Twilight did.
After drinking the water down, the mare handed the cup back to Twilight.
"Thanks. I needed that."
Seeing that she wasn't going anywhere, the mare decided to ask another question.
"Where are we?"
As the mare looked out the window in her cell, Twilight answered as she proceeded to fill the cup again.
"I'm not sure. Some sort of ancient fortress out in some sort of wasteland. I haven't been able to figure out much from this cell, but I am guessing this place is older than even the princesses."
The mare frowned as she looked out the window. Sure enough, her fellow prisoner was right. Outside the window was a veritable wasteland that held little life. Dead trees decorated the landscape and it was difficult to see any green between where she was and the mountains far ahead. The mountains stood like an imposing wall with no signs of entry. Shifting her gaze downwards, she saw a ruinous city circle the prison she was kept in. No doubt the dungeon she was in was part of either a castle or a fortress.
Twilight lifted up the damp rag with her hoof and held it up to the mare. Seeing her actions from the corner of her eye, the mare got back onto her four hooves looked at the rag in confusion. None the less, Twilight gave a friendly smile as she offered the rag.
"Your Cutie Mark is smeared. I figured you'd want to wash it away."
The mare looked down at her flank and saw that her Cutie Mark was indeed smeared. Frowning, the mare took the rag with her mouth before washing the Cutie Mark off, revealing a purple star with a teal wisp of magic above it.
"Might as well clean it." The mare muttered in disdain as she went on with her task.
Twilight waited until the true Cutie Mark was exposed before speaking again.
"Those stallions that brought you here mentioned that you had stripped your town of their Cutie Marks. May I ask why did you do it? If it is true, that is."
The mare frowned again but kept her gaze away from Twilight.
"That is none of your business. I don't go asking you about your personal business, do it?"
Twilight could only sigh. The mare was definitely unwilling to speak to her yet. Getting her to talk about it would only happen if she could earn the mare's trust. And while Twilight could leave the mare alone, she was relieved to have somepony to talk to. Maybe this mare wasn't as bad as she was thinking. Just misguided.
"I won't know until I can get her to trust me. I guess until we can escape or our captors decide to let us go, I'll have to earn her trust. Slow, yes. But at least there is a possibility that we could figure out an escape together. Maybe even become friends? But for now, I'll leave her be after this last question."
"Fair enough. I'll leave you be. But can I at least learn your name?" Twilight asked.
The mare was hesitant, but it may be better to at least hold a civil conversation with her cellmate rather than stare at a wall for Celestia-knows-how-long. With a sigh, the mare released her name.
"Starlight Glimmer. My name is Starlight Glimmer."
With a gentle, yet triumphant smile, Twilight spoke one last time.
"Well, it is nice to meet you, Starlight Glimmer. My name is Twilight Sparkle."
In another part of the fortress…
As Twilight and Starlight were exchanging names, the stallion in the green cloak entered a dark chamber within the heart of the fortress. Green stained glass windows provided the only means of light at his side. At the other, however, a pair of glowing green eyes glared from the darkness at him. The stallion gulped as he walked the ruined green rug before kneeling at the last set of windows before the eyes.
"My lord. We have successfully captured the pony that can remove Cutie Marks. She is in the cell next to the Element of Magic."
Though he could not see his lord's face, the look in his eyes told him that he was pleased. A sinister deep voice echoed in the chamber, sending shivers down the stallion's spine.
"Excellent, Poison Oak. With those two, I need one more powerful unicorn to complete the ritual. Only then can I truly return."
The stallion, Poison Oak, stood up as he gazed at his master.
"Do you have somepony in mind, my lord?"
The owner of the voice narrowed his eyes slightly, still showing no other feature.
"Unfortunately, that information will have to wait until those spies we've sent to the capital return with it. I barely had enough power to find that second pony."
Poison Oak gulped again. This time, it was a question he desired to ask.
"If I may, my lord. What exactly happened when you retrieved Twilight Sparkle?"
The eyes glared at Poison Oak. This time, it was menacing. Shaking under his hood, Poison Oak sought to correct himself.
"I-It's just that when you left to retrieve her, your power was nearing its peak. But when you returned with her, you looked like you were at death's door. Our army needs to know if Princess Celestia or any of the other alicorns are a threat or not."
The look in his master's eyes told Poison Oak that he really wanted to kill the pony before him. Any creature who dared to call the master weak was made an example of. Brutally. And from the look in his master's eyes, Poison Oak feared he was going to be another "example."
But instead, the owner of the eyes calmed down. It was a few minutes before he spoke to Poison Oak again.
"I had retrieved the Element of Magic as I intended. However, it seems she had produced a foal. One with powers that, if properly controlled, could destroy me. An abomination like…her…"
Poison Oak shivered as his master hissed at a memory. An unwanted memory. Poison Oak dared not to say anything, allowing his master to continue.
"It was an abomination that had undone me, I will not have another annihilate me!"
The master shifted his focus back to Poison Oak, riled up with hatred.
"Have another scout team search Equestria, nay, the world for a creature that is half pony! Find it and bring it to me. If it is the one that had caused my current condition, I will personally destroy it in front of its mother."
Not wanting to anger his lord even more, Poison Oak bowed.
"As you command, Master Apophis."
In the Canterlot Gardens: Night…
As Equestria slumbered under Luna's moon, a statue in the Royal Gardens shivered. It wasn't enough for the statue to fall, but it was enough to make movement. The statue itself was anything unlike anypony has ever seen. It was a creature made up of multiple creatures: a serpentine body that divided itself between mammalian and reptilian, a cloven hoof, a dragon leg, an eagle claw for an arm, a lion's paw for an arm, and a pony-ish head with a deer antler and a goat horn. The creature was expressing a fearful pose. As if it was afraid of something.
That is because this statue was actually a being who had twice made Equestria topsy-turvy. A creature who embraces chaos and opposes harmony.
Discord, the Lord of Chaos.
The last time Discord made movement in his stone prison, it was when he was unknowingly being freed by three arguing fillies from Ponyville. His mistake, however, was not making sure the Elements were ever found again by their bearers. He should have buried them in the deepest pit in all of Equestria.
But of course, like with his confrontation with the princesses, he got overconfident.
Now he was back in his stone prison.
From Lord of Chaos to Pit Stop for Pigeons: the ultimate humiliation.
Lately, he felt strange surges of magic from his stone prison. One unfamiliar, two familiar. He recognized both familiar magics as Twilight Sparkle, after her twelve-year exile, and her captor. It was the latter that made him shiver. If he could, he'd narrow his eyes.
"So. He's back. And from the looks of it, he's still recovering from ten thousand years ago. If he's the one responsible for the blip that is Twilight Sparkle's magic, then he must be planning something big. And everything he plans is never good or fun."
Once again, Discord struggled to escape his prison. Not because he wanted to be free to unleash his chaos once again, but because he knew how big the threat was.
"I must find a way to convince Celestia to free me. I have to get out of here and figure out a way to stop Apophis. Unless I find one who is born with Primordial Magic, I fear my big brother will doom us all."
Shining Armor tossed and turned as he slept in his bed. It was Sunday night and it was going to be late before Cadence could return to the Crystal Empire, so he decided to get some sleep. Unfortunately, he was beset upon entering the realm of sleep by a nightmare.
A nightmare he had been having for twelve years.
But there was a difference to the nightmare this time. This time, it had an addition.
It was the same setting. It was the wedding rehearsal and once again, the moments he had last seen his sister replayed like a cruel nightly play. Every night, he would watch himself get controlled by the Changeling Queen disguised as his beloved Cadence. Every night, Twilight would burst in and announce that she was evil. And every night, he would angrily give her logical answers for the events that had happened concerning "Cadence's" behavior before casting out of his wedding before storming off with the other Element Bearers and Princess Celestia while Spike reluctantly trailed behind.
Then, the scene becomes dark as if all light was extinguished that not even starlight remained. Only he would carry some aspect of light whether it be his body or the light of his magic. And as he looked around, he would hear the Changeling Queen's evil cackle.
"You were a fool! Because you were so determined to marry your 'beloved' Cadence, you put yourself over all of Equestria."
Every time, he would reply.
"Shut up! YOU took over my mind! YOU manipulated me to focus more on the wedding than your invasion! YOU made me make Equestria vulnerable!"
Her cackles echoed in the darkness, taunting him.
"I may have twisted your mind a bit, but I was not the one who managed to kill his own sister."
Another figure appears in the abyss. One he both wanted to see and was terrified to seek out.
His little sister, Twilight Sparkle.
Unlike the earlier vision of her, this Twilight was different. Instead of a clean, healthy mare like he left her, this Twilight was a shadow of her former self. Her fur was matted and even gone in some places. Gashes of various sizes and depth covered her body, the red life-giving liquid that is inside every pony pouring out each gash like a crimson waterfall. There were three gashes on her Cutie Mark on both sides, the magenta star they shared torn in half. One of her amethyst eyes was gone along with the flesh on that half of her face, revealing her skull. Not even her mane could hide that broken face. Her remaining eye cried blood as she spoke sorrowfully at him.
"I thought you were my B.B.B.F.F, Shining Armor. I thought you were supposed to love and protect me. How could you do this to me, Shining? How could you just leave me to die at their hooves?"
Shining Armor's mouth ran dry at the sight of Twilight and the sound of her words. He had to swallow some of his own saliva in order to try and speak.
"I-I didn't mean to, Twily! I never wanted this to happen to you!"
"Yet you did! Look at your work, Shining Armor! Look at it!" She gestured to her maimed self as her voice continued to rise.
Shining Armor griped his head, determined to shake the image out. He remembered the news he had received days earlier and struggled to shatter the nightmare.
"T-This is not real! You're not real! The real Twilight is alive! She has a filly to prove it!"
"A filly you refuse to see." A new voice spoke up.
His pupils shrinking, Shining Armor turned his head to face the source of the voice next to Twilight. He didn't know her voice, so the voice was a distorted version of his younger sister's voice from when she was a foal. The source of this distorted voice was a being who had the body of a pony, but where a neck should start was instead replaced by a torso of an unfamiliar creature. The shirt the creature wore was tattered and it looked like the creature was cold by the fact that it was hugging itself.
Correction: herself.
The being before him was the only recent member of his family he had seen a picture of: his niece, Aurora.
Her head down with her wavy hair shading her eyes to the point where he could not see them.
"I'm lost. I am alone. My father's dead. My mother's gone. And I am a freak. I'm lost. I am alone. My father's dead. My mother's gone. And I am a freak. I'm lost. I am alone. My father's dead. My mother's gone. And I am a freak. I'm lost. I am alone. My father's dead. My mother's gone. And I am a freak. I'm lost. I am alone. My father's dead. My mother's gone. And I am a freak."
The child repeated her words over and over like a ghastly chant with no change in her posture or her voice.
"No! No, you're not! You're not a freak! You're not alone!" Shining Armor called out to try and comfort the specter, only to have her continue to chant the words.
Nightmare Twilight approached her foal to try and comfort her. She, however, did not express comfort to Shining Armor with her next words.
"How can I trust you to take care of my foal when you couldn't save me?! How can she be safe and happy when you can't even get on a train to see her?! How would she know she is loved when you fear her?!"
Any words Shining Armor wanted to say turned into mumbles as he watched in horror as rusted needles sew his muzzle shut while an unseen force made him immobile. He screamed through his sewn lips as he struggled to get free. Twilight screamed at him with the same sound and tone as a banshee.
"YOU HAVE FAILED ME, SHINING ARMOR! YOU HAVE DESTROYED ME! I WILL ETERNALLY DESTROY YOU FROM THE INSIDE! I WILL SHATTER YOUR MIND BEFORE I WILL LET YOU DESTROY MY FOAL! DAMN YOU, SHINING ARMOR! DAMN YOU TO OBLIVION!"
As it looked like the world was going to collapse on him, a new voice broke through the darkness.
"Begone, foul creature! Thee shalt torment his dreams no longer!"
Before he could even blink, Shining Armor watched as a blue light burst forth from the darkness. The light spread like wildfire, the entities of the nightmare disintegrating like fine sand. As the apparitions of his sister and niece disappeared, a new figure appeared. One who had been trying to help him during the past twelve years.
Indeed, the Princess of the Night was responsible for defeating his nightmare. A much-welcomed aid, but he also knew that she'll want to talk to him about it. And he wasn't sure how she would react.
"Prince Shining Armor. I see that the retched nightmare had begun to plague you again. Tell me. What has brought it back this time?"
Shining Armor looked at his hooves guiltily. Luna had tried now and again to cure him of his nightmares. But every time she did, the nightmares would return within on average a month. He felt guilty every now and again about how it seemed that he was hogging the Princess of the Night from others who were experiencing nightmares such as him.
But Luna never showed disapproval or contempt. Only concern that seemed to grow every time his mind called for help. That concern appeared as Shining Armor bit his lip as he struggled to find the words.
Luna, truthfully, didn't need him to explain himself. She kept a constant surveillance of the stallion's mind ever since the nightmares began. She saw the key difference in the nightmare: Aurora. Still, she wanted to hear from the stallion's own voice about what was wrong. Both as a respect of his privacy and a coping mechanism to get him to open up to himself. Sometimes, it took a little longer for him to speak. But Shining Armor knew Luna wanted an honest answer and she wouldn't leave his dreams until he talked to her.
"Cadence went to visit Aurora this weekend. She told my parents and me that it would be a great help for her and us if we met on weekly visits. Both for her to get comfortable with us and for the three of us to get to know one another."
Luna seemed to have an interested approved look as she spoke.
"That is actually a very good idea. Since Aurora is going to be under your care, it would make sense to try and get to know her before her arrival. But how exactly did this idea cause the nightmare?"
Hearing the question, Shining Armor looked to a spot on his right, trying not to look at the princess nor to show his ashamed face.
"…I'm scared, Princess Luna. I am scared of my own niece."
This made Luna's eyebrow rise. How could this stallion be afraid of his niece?
"How are you afraid of her? Did my sister not send you a photograph?"
Hearing the implication, Shining Armor quickly turn his gaze to Luna as he attempted to correct her.
"She did, and it is not her appearance that I am afraid of. In fact, I don't have a problem with her appearance."
"Then why are you afraid of her?" Luna asked simply.
While the question was simple, it was clear the answer was difficult for Shining Armor to speak. She waited patiently with non-judgmental eyes as Shining Armor managed to get the answer out.
"I am afraid that she knows what happened between me and her mother and paint me in a terrible light. I'm afraid she'll criticize me harshly for my blunder and inadvertently letting the changelings into Canterlot. I'm afraid of the possibility that Twilight may have told her about me and said things like that I was a terrible brother, which I am!"
As Shining Armor went over his list, Luna got the gist of it and summarized it.
"You are afraid that she'll hate you and blame you for any suffering her mother has and may be going through right now."
Ashamed, Shining Armor lowered his head as if waiting for the chopping block. Luna was not angry at him. Only pitied him. She knew the psychiatrists' reports. She knew that Shining Armor was going through a possibly permanent Survivor's Guilt. She had seen the effects of Survivor's Guilt in many ponies. Sometimes, the guilt was so severe that the pony would be committed to an asylum for a chance of medical help. But the realm of the mind was Luna's specialty. She could enter the psyche of various ponies and check on their "Wonderlands" as she liked to call them. The less horrifying the Wonderland, the better the pony was.
Shining Armor's Wonderland had been deteriorating over the years. Transforming from the image of a land of brave stallions rescuing damsels in distress transforming into a hellish land where every step you would take you would anticipate a powerful foe or a jump-scare. Cadence and the psychiatrists had been slowing down the process and struggled to recover some of that Wonderland, but Luna knew Shining Armor needed other sources of strength.
And she knew just where. But for now, she needed to focus on the reason behind this latest "dark siege of Shining Armor's Wonderland."
"I can assure you, Shining Armor, that Aurora does not know what had transpired at the wedding rehearsal nor does she show any dislike towards you. In fact, she is quite curious and is actually afraid herself."
Hearing this, Shining Armor looked up in curiosity.
"Afraid?"
Luna nodded as she showed an image of Aurora with her friends and aunt earlier that day. They were playing a game of ring toss and were enjoying it.
"Aurora had long thought our world was a fantasy created by her mother to put her to sleep at night. When they were attacked, fear took root like any normal filly would feel. When her mother vanished, despair and anguish laid siege to her mental state. Now, she has learned that her mother was never human and Equestria was the land Twilight was born in. Everything Aurora knew about her mother and of her own life was tossed out and is in disarray. She is alone in a world where she is the only one of her kind and misses her mother terribly. Not to mention she had recently lost her father, making her fears of losing her mother grow.
"To put it simply, Shining Armor, she is lost, alone, and afraid."
Hearing this, Shining Armor felt guilty about being afraid of Aurora and wanted to kick himself for feeling that way. He also wanted to give Aurora a much-needed hug. How could he think so selfishly about himself that he failed to assess how scared Aurora must be feeling. Aurora didn't truly need guards and an impenetrable fortress to protect her from the evils of the world. She needed the love and support of family just like any foal. Why would he be so cruel as to deny her of such necessities?
Seeing him in this state, Luna placed a comforting hoof on his shoulder.
"Just try, Shining Armor. I know the Element of Magic's words still haunt you and you have not forgiven yourself over the debacle that made Twilight Sparkle lost to us. But while she may be her daughter, Aurora is not Twilight Sparkle. She does not hold a grudge over the incident like what you believe Twilight feels. She has never experienced torture like you fear for her mother. She is a blank slate. An innocent. A lost lamb that needs the care of a shepherd.
"I know it is difficult to forgive yourself, Shining Armor. But at least try to be the uncle your niece needs."
End Music
The sound of the bedchamber door opening brought Shining Armor's mind to the intruder. Cautious and still scarred over the failed Changeling invasion coupled with his recent nightmare, Shining Armor opened one of his eyes to find his beloved wife unpacking her luggage with a happy smile on her face. Careful, he sat up and looked at Cadence.
"So? How did it go?" He asked, though he was thinking,"If she answers about politics, then it's a changeling. If it is about Aurora, then it is Cadence. After all, only Mom and Dad knew she was going to see her."
Cadence already knew what he was thinking and knew her answer. Every time she leaves Shining Armor's sight for more than a day, he would check to make sure she wasn't a changeling imposter like twelve years ago. Even though it was understandable, Cadence had to give a lot of effort not to roll her eyes at her distressed husband's paranoia. Sarcasm was the last thing he needed. Maintaining her smile, Cadence answered him.
"It was wonderful! Aurora is a sweet and brilliant foal. It started awkward at first, but I expected that. But when she took the first step in asking me about my foalsitting her mother, that's when she opened up to me."
As Cadence went on about her weekend, Shining Armor took in every detail relieved that this was indeed his wife. When she got to the part about finding a missing foal, Shining Armor raised an eyebrow.
"Her local Scouts taught her how to track a foal?"
"Partially. When we were alone again, Aurora admitted to being a fan of her mother's mystery books and her late father's adventure books in their personal library. She read them so much that she picked up a thing or two. Twilight even bought her reference books on famous adventurers and detectives as well as books on how to be both properly." Replied Cadence.
As Cadence continued to relay her weekend, Shining Armor found himself learning about what was happening to Twilight while she was locked away at the other side of the Gate. He wanted to meet the male who not only saved his sister, but made her happy during her time there. And when he died, Shining mourned mentally for his late brother-in-law. And when he learned about Twilight's mental state about being widowed, he was ready to jump out of the Crystal Palace's window and turn the world upside-down to find her and give her the tightest hug he could muster.
After hearing Twilight's partially uncovered story, he heard about the activities that Cadence did with Aurora. Apple sorting, walking lessons, Aurora's shell collection, the outdoor activities. It was crystal clear that Aurora was the Sporty and Explorer-type when Cadence relayed to Shining Armor about Aurora's likes, such as her love of exploration and surfing.
"What does she dislike?" he asked her curiously.
Cadence giggled as she went over the list Aurora gave her.
"Well, she told me she is not the girly type. She likes to have fun in the water and sand instead of having tea parties like stereotypical fillies. She does have an idea of fashion, but prefers comfort over style. And while some fillies would scream at the sight of a bug, she picks it up. The only exception, however, is arachnids. But that is because of a spider bite she had when she was 4 that she had to go to the hospital for."
Shining Armor gaped at that information and when she saw it, Cadence continued.
"According to Aurora, the spider that bit her was a venomous spider that was found on the islands. They were lucky they were on the main island when she was bitten, otherwise, she would have been very sick. Possibly even die. Since then, Twilight kept vials of anti-venom in the house just in case it happened again, though Aurora has made it a habit to avoid spiders as much as possible."
Shining Armor understood too well, though he wondered if Fluttershy would try and help Aurora cure herself of her arachnophobia. The Pegasus was knowing to having various creatures under her care, though she had yet to cure Twilight of her Ophidiophobia (Fear of Snakes). Still, he made a note not to scare Aurora with spiders when Nightmare Night comes.
He remembered Luna's message from his dreamscape. As he listened to Cadence about her weekend, Shining Armor found himself wanting to meet his niece personally.
Luna was right, after all. Aurora needed a family. He just wished he had more courage to be that family.
Chapter 16: Through the Hunger Pain and the Sorrow
"Oh, no. Not again. Why can't I get rid of this?" Aurora thought in frustration as she turned a page in her book.
Monday had arrived and with her aunt returning to the Crystal Empire the day before, Aurora and her friends decided to use the day for studying the books in the Golden Oaks Library. The reason being that the Ruins needed maintenance and since they had planned on having the ruined fortress be their secret hideout, they had to learn how to properly build and repair buildings.
Safir found plenty of books but found it hard for him to hide their plans from Spike. So Safir had to keep the dragon librarian off his tail by reading other things, which enabled him to find books he figured his friends would like.
Gareth was reading a book about famous pony explorers and adventurers. The library also had his favorite books series, "Daring Do," in stock, so Gareth was quick in opening the first book of the series, "Daring Do and The Quest for the Sapphire Stone." Aurora had also asked him to read books on survival tactics.
"I can't save your hide forever, Feather Duster." She told him, giving him one of the many nicknames she kept in her mental library.
Pound Cake was looking into combat maneuvers and battle strategies. It was the previous Saturday that Aurora learned that Pound's name wasn't just because he came from a family of bakers. When Pumpkin and Spike found Pound, he was comparing fighting maneuvers with Gareth in a field near the Everfree Forest. In fact, they were so into it that both unicorn and adult dragon thought they were actually fighting. After lectures from both Pumpkin and Spike, Pound agreed to let his family know he was going to visit friends. That still didn't curb his interest in martial arts and athletics. Of course, he opened a joke book every time he finished a book.
Pumpkin Cake started looking into cooking with what you can find in the forest. She knew that there was no electricity in the fortress, so she had to figure out what mushrooms were edible so she could prepare lunches while they work. She also looked into medical books to find out how to heal various wounds. Of course, she learned where babies come from in one of those books and when her friends asked what she had read, all she could say was "Wait 'till we're older" while having a very red blush on her face.
Aurora, meanwhile, was looking into the various history books and geography maps of the area. The other day, Granny Smith was telling her how the Apple Family founded Ponyville, which made her question the existence of the Ruins. Her late father taught her how to tell how old a building was by the architecture and in comparison to her world's history, the fortress looked like it was older than Granny Smith. Unfortunately for Aurora, while the history of ponykind was interesting, there was nothing in relation to the Ruins. Of course, that was not what was bothering her this day. What was bothering her was a craving.
She was craving meat.
Aurora never told her new friends this, but she ate meat back in her birth world. While her mother tried to keep her on a vegetarian diet with eggs and milk, Aurora loved to eat meat, especially seafood. As an island-born, the main source of meat on the Divine Archipelago was the sea. Twilight wasn't one for meat, but somehow she endured watching her husband and child eat seafood right in front of her. In fact, she let her husband tend to the meat dishes while Twilight tended to the rest. Perhaps the two exceptions Aurora had seen her mother eat were bacon and eggs.
The centauride remembered her mother once telling her that when she was pregnant with her, Twilight had an unusual craving that she could not place without John's help. After going through many vegetarian dishes and unusual combinations, the father-to-be was making himself bacon and eggs one morning and the smell attracted his wife who found the smell very pleasant. Despite knowing she was of the vegetarian sort, he gave her a plate of eggs and bacon, which she ate with such ferver and satisfaction that John was completely blown away when Twilight happily asked for more.
With the knowledge she had gained in the past week, Aurora now understood why her father was perplexed. Now, Aurora was craving meat, especially her three favorite meals: Fish Tacos, Stuffed Shrimp, and Crab Cakes.
She tried to put the delicious seafood out of her mind, but it was clear that she was getting very sick of eating apple-related foods every morning and she was getting sick of sweets. She did find some solace at the Hayburger, but she couldn't eat any of the hay-related products. Despite the new body, she had no desire to eat hay and her meat craving was growing stronger.
She wondered if Gareth and Safir ate anything else other than sweets and gems. Alas, she had yet to put together a question that wouldn't give away that she was an omnivore, especially around ponies.
"I've should have thought this through before moving here. I can't eat sweet, fruits, and vegetables forever. In fact, if I continue to eat like this, I'll get sick of sweets!"
Aurora paled at the thought of disliking chocolate for the rest of her life as she turned another page.
Suddenly, Aurora spotted movement from the corner of her eye. Turning her head, she saw that Spike had come from another section of the library and cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the youths.
"Ahem. I've got to close up shop early today, guys."
A chorus of groans echoed in the library with only the twins having the softest. They pulled out cards from their saddlebags and handed them to Spike.
"Then can we take our books home, Mr. Spike? I want to learn more about finding food in nature."
"And I haven't even had a crack at this new joke book."
With a smile, Spike led the twins to check their books out while Gareth, Safir, and Aurora began putting their books away. Unlike the twins, they didn't have any library cards and even though he was living there, Safir wanted to stretch his legs and get some lunch.
After the quintet left the library, Pumpkin and Pound left for home to drop-off their books. Gareth stretched as his stomach growled.
"Ah. Finally! Some fresh air."
He turned to Safir and Aurora.
"You guys wanna grab a bite?"
Safir was quick to nod.
"Sure thing. I'm pretty hungry myself."
Aurora was hesitant. She wanted to say "yes," but she doubted wherever the two wanted to go was anyplace new. So she shook her head.
"Nah. I gonna stretch my legs for a bit. Maybe later?"
The two young males looked at each other in confusion, shrugging their shoulders before bidding Aurora farewell. As the dragon and the griffin left, Aurora was finally left to her own devices. And she had a plan. Quickly, Aurora returned to Sweet Apple Acres and asked Big Mac to borrow his fishing pole. When asked a simple 'why,' Aurora had to say she missed fishing. When he loaned her his fishing pole, Aurora dug up some bait, grabbed a sharp knife, a bucket, and matches before sneaking away into the Everfree Forest.
A little ways off the makeshift path was a small creek where Aurora was determined to catch a fish and eat it.
"If I can't make my craving go away, I'll just get it myself in secret."
She prepared a campfire but didn't light it as she wanted to not fish while there was a fire going. The last thing she wanted was to attract unwanted attention. After baiting the hook, Aurora settled herself at the shore and cast the line, listening to the sounds of nature as she fished for lunch.
After a few minutes and two more casts, Aurora's mind took a trip down Memory Lane. Back when her father was alive. Every summer, he would take her fishing either on the water or on one side of Fortuna Island where her mother couldn't see. Catching fish was a high point, but she loved spending her time with her father than anything else on their fishing trips. He taught her everything from how to cast a line to how to properly fillet a fish when she was older. Last year, before he left for the dig, they were talking about entering an upcoming father-daughter fishing contest.
That was supposed to be this year when she reached the minimum age limit of ten.
Tears fell down Aurora's cheeks at the memories of her father and the renewed agony of losing him to that accident in Egypt. Now that she thought about it, she rarely had time to grieve during the past year. Her mother's suicidal depression kept her from properly grieving, having her grief for her father replaced with fear and worry for her mother. Her eyes blurred as she began to sniffle and her bobber sank beneath the water.
Spike sighed as he locked the library door. It was finally time for his lunchbreak. He had a light breakfast that morning and he needed to pick up some groceries for himself and his charge, Safir. The older dragon never thought of having a roommate who was also a dragon. A very young dragon, at that.
"Good thing I told Safir where the spare key is hidden. Can't exactly leave him out here."
As he headed out, his thoughts went to the information on dragons he received from the hatchling, receiving lessons on his kind. He learned about the molt a long time ago (though it would have helped if he learned about the predator-attracting scent earlier so he wouldn't have had to deal with that Roc), but he learned about the culture, Greed-Induced Bigness (which he had experienced as a fledgling), and how the Dragon Lord summons other dragons (which explained why his scales had glowed a year ago).
But as much as he liked talking to Safir, he still thought about Aurora and what she had called him. Even though she meant it as a bit of a joke, the statement made Spike think. His relationship with Twilight Sparkle was often debated on. From mother-and-child to sister-and-brother, the debate went on. It wasn't until he was older that he decided that Twilight was more of a sister to him than a mother. Which was fine with Twilight. He may have been her #1 Assistant, but he was also her family.
His relationships with her family varied depending on the relative. He liked how Night Light can be calm and level-headed while Twilight Velvet was creative and motherly. He considered them his parents as they also took part in raising him with Twilight Sparkle over the years. Once in a while, Spike would go up to Canterlot to visit the couple and spend some time with them from bingo with Night Light to bungee-jumping with Velvet.
Shining Armor had been a brother to him as well, teaching him things an older brother should teach the younger. Heck, it was Shining Armor who introduced him to Ogres & Oubliettes that he now plays every Guy's Night with Big Macintosh. Since the first wedding, however, Shining Armor had grown distant, blaming himself for what happened in Canterlot and grieving over the disappearance of his sister, with whom he had not been kind at the time. Cadence would send Spike letters to let him know Shining Armor was ok, but the dragon often wondered if Cadence wrote those letters to keep him calm while something bad was happening with Shining Armor.
Now there was a new family member in the mix: Aurora.
Spike frowned as he walked towards the Everfree Forest, a place he would visit when he developed a specific craving.
"You're gonna have to talk to her, soon. And I don't mean anything formal like asking if she would like a library card. Although that is a good idea…"
He shook his head, trying to keep in the game.
"No! You have to talk to her. She's family, for Celestia's sake! You're, in fact, her adoptive uncle. Why don't you act like one? She definitely needs her family."
As Spike entered the forest, his thoughts went on.
"But how can I talk to her? What should I say?"
A strange smell caught Spike's attention. It smelled like…cooking. Like somepony was cooking something good.
"Huh? What's this?"
Following his snout, Spike followed the scent towards the creek. He paused when he spotted Aurora at the other side of the bushes he stopped at, tending to a small fire. Looking into the fire, Spike could see a couple of fish being cooked on a pair of sticks as Aurora tended to them. The fish smelled delicious, but Spike paused when he noticed that Aurora's eyes were a familiar shade of red and her face was flushed.
She had been crying.
Spike bit his lip at the sight. What was she crying about? Was it somepony in town? Was it her mother? Homesickness? So many questions ran through Spike's mind out of concern. Despite the small thought of running away, Spike stepped out of the bushes and walked towards Aurora.
"Something on your mind, kiddo?"
Aurora froze at the sound of his voice. She slowly turned her head away from the fire and her eyes widened at the sight of the young adult dragon before her. She paled at the memory of the fish in the fire.
"Uh…it's not what it looks like?" She replied with uncertainty.
Beads of sweat fell from Aurora's brow as she struggled to find a way out of this. The last thing she needed was every pony in town panicking because she ate meat. Spike could see the fear and uncertainty in Aurora's face, no doubt about the fish.
He sat down and crossed his legs as he asked, "Mind if I join you?"
Aurora raised an eyebrow but nodded. She kept silent as she kept an eye on the fish. Seeing the fish, Spike spoke up.
"Cooking some trout?"
Looking at the fish, Aurora nodded.
"Y…yeah. I…wanted some fish…and…uh…"
Spike quickly put the pieces together as he scooched over to the centauride child.
"You're an omnivore?"
Aurora gulped and cursed her mother for making her read ten words from the thesaurus every day in her literate life. She nodded slowly.
"Y…yeah. All humans are. And I guess I can still eat meat in this new body."
She gulped as she pulled the fish out from the fire. She heard sniffing and turned to Spike.
"Mmmm. That smells good."
Hearing this, Aurora found it surprising. She thought all dragons ate were gems. Carefully, she held up one of the fish.
"Would you like some?"
Spike smiled as he took the stick with the fish on it.
"Sure thing."
The pair bit into their fish, tearing into the darkened flesh before pulling away to chew. The pair chewed in silence until Spike swallowed.
"Mmmm. Not bad. Could use some lemon juice, maybe some tartar sauce. Otherwise, not bad at all."
Aurora swallowed and looked to Spike curiously.
"You eat meat?" Hearing the surprise in her voice, Spike paused eating and looked at her.
"Yeah. Gems are great, but I can't survive on that alone. And while pony food is good, it's hard to find a place where they sell meat."
"But don't ponies freak out at seeing you eat meat?" Aurora asked, biting into her fish again.
Spike did the same with is fish but continued to talk.
"Once in a while a Unicorn or Earth Pony would panic. Pegasi, however, don't care. They eat fish every once in a while, so it's ok to eat in front of them."
The centauride raised an eyebrow.
"Pegasi eat meat, too?"
Spike nodded as he bit into the other side of his fish.
"All ponies are capable of eating meat. Just not often. Unicorns gave up the practice because it is considered barbaric and Earth Ponies can grow all sorts of fruits and vegetables with ease. The Pegasi, however, kept on eating meat as a holdover from the time of the Three Tribes, when food becomes scarce that the ancient Pegasi had to resort to fishing for other forms of sustenance."
This genuinely interested Aurora. So she could eat meat in front of ponies. It just depends on the kind of ponies she's with. Still, she had to be careful out of curtesy, so secret meat dinners for a while.
As he finished his fish, Spike asked a question of his own.
"So. How's your first week in Equestria?"
Aurora responded by shrugging her shoulders, caring not to remember that first day.
"Alright, I guess."
Spike raised an eye ridge at this.
"'Alright?' From what I've heard, you've been having a good time here."
Aurora bit her lip as she tossed the fish bones aside.
"Well, you know I've made friends. And the Apples have been very kind in letting me stay with them. And everyone else, too."
Spike continued to keep his eye ridge high. Even with the positives, he could see that there was something she was clearly unhappy about. He did not like to see her this way, but how could he solve the problem without seeing every detail?
He'd rather not follow blindly like before, as that cost him the pony he held dear.
"But…?"
Aurora fidgeted with her fingers, trying to hide her surprise. Could the dragon sense her sorrow? She didn't want to say anything else, but something told her that he'd continue to press until she told him what's wrong. Taking in a deep breath, Aurora made her decision.
"As Dad would say, 'Best rip the bandage off in one pull.'"
"I…I miss my parents. I miss my mom and I especially missed my dad."
Now Spike understood. The child was lonely and needed her parents. It was something he was familiar with ever since Twilight Sparkle disappeared. He had to think. How did Twilight Velvet and Night Light help him when he missed Twilight? He thought about it for a moment before coming up with an idea.
"Can you tell me about your dad?"
It was Aurora's turn to raise an eyebrow.
"My dad? Why?"
Spike shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.
"When something gets me down, sometimes talking about it helps. I should know. It helped me when…"
He trailed off, his memory silencing him. This alarmed Aurora as she acknowledged his silence.
"When what?"
Spike bit his lip. He wanted to be careful so as he did not want to relay the reason how and why Twilight was exiled to Aurora's birth world so early. Still, he had to say something to get Aurora to open up. Taking in a deep breath, the dragon answered as he stared at the fire.
"…when I lost your mother."
Aurora's eyes widened at the sentence, but kept silent, subconsciously asking Spike to elaborate. And Spike heeded her silent urging to continue.
"You know that your mother hatched me and that I saw her as a sister. Well, she was my very first friend and she was the one pony that I spent most of my time with. She raised me with her parents and brother, she taught me how to read and write, and she schooled me when I was a baby dragon. When I got about a little under your age, I became her #1 assistant with just about anything. Fetching her quills and ink, helping her catalog the books, cooking meals, etcetera. Everywhere she went, I followed. She was there when I needed her and I was there for her."
He paused for a moment, his eyes saddened.
"But one day, I wasn't."
Aurora raised an eyebrow in concern, her stomach tying in a knot as she had a good idea on what day it was.
"The…day my mom disappeared? To my dad's world, I mean."
Spike nodded, not even looking at Aurora. This was the part where he had to be careful.
"That day, your mother got into a fight with her friends, her older brother, and Princess Celestia. Some harsh words were exchanged and, well, I got scared. I…end up making a choice that not only made her feel worse, but put her in danger."
He then looked up towards the sky as he continued.
"To this day, I regret that choice. Her friends, Celestia, and especially her brother felt nothing but guilt and remorse for their part in what happened. Everypony tried to help us recover, but the pain is too great. We caused Twilight Sparkle so much harm and we were unable to say 'sorry.' I was told that I had no blame because I was young and didn't know better, but that still didn't make me feel better."
Tears fell from the dragon's eyes as he gazed into the fire. In the flames, he saw an image of his younger self and Twilight Sparkle, happy and together.
"The loss of your mother sent me into a deep depression. One the psychiatrist thought I would never recover from."
The flames then changed to a young Spike, sitting down, hugging his knees and crying. The older dragon could still hear his younger self's echoing cries. The flame-vision then changed again. This time, it showed Twilight Velvet placing a motherly hoof on young-Spike's shoulders, a gentle reassuring smile on her face.
"Your grandmother, Twilight Velvet, kept me talking. Her voice helped me out of that dark place. She said that talking about our experience with tragedies help us with the grieving process. She and your grandfather helped me in a way no one else could. I didn't want to talk at first. It took some coaxing to get me to talk about what happened. Even today, I still find it hard to talk about that day without grieving."
The flames dispersed into their natural state, allowing Spike to wipe his tears.
"One of the things your grandparents told me to do was to hold on to the hope that your mother would return. And once she does, I…we all…can apologize to her. Do everything in our power to show her how sorry we are. And…hopefully…repair friendships broken by our stupidity."
Aurora didn't say anything. She didn't need to. She took everything and slowly but surely processed it. Her aunt, Cadence, had told her of this fight but wondered about the severity of the consequences. Now, she was listening to someone who had gone through it and was struggling to express his pain for her. She felt bad about bringing it out. The more she heard about this mysterious fight, the more she wished to not hear of.
She then looked to Spike, looking miserable. Upon hearing his story, she understood his pain. She had her own regrets, ones that made her upset. This included her decision of coming to Equestria. With what that snobbish pony said about her and her mother that day at the boutique, she felt like she should have stayed where life was normal to her. Where she understood everything. But of course, she would regret not coming.
But this wasn't about her. This was about the dragon next to her and the pain he was feeling. Aurora felt like she had to do something, but what?
At that moment, instinct took hold of her as she stood up from her spot, walked over to Spike, and gave him a hug. The movement was so swift and slightly muffled that Spike barely had time to react. Still hugging him, Aurora spoke over the dragon's shoulder.
"Well, with what you've told me, I'm sure Mom would understand and forgive. Heck, she might even say that there's nothing to forgive."
She hugged him tighter.
"If Mom loved you as much as you say she did back then, then I'm sure that she missed you, too. And…I'm also certain she'll want to patch things up as much as you want to. Just ask Miss Applejack and Miss Fluttershy. They got the chance to talk to her, so I'm sure they'd agree with me."
Fresh tears fell from Spike's eyes upon hearing Aurora's words. Not just ones of sorrow for his missing sister figure, but tears of joy in the confidence in Aurora's voice when she told him her mother would want to see him again. To mend their bond. These were honest words that he had been seeking for years. Without further hesitation, he embraced Aurora, hugging her as he allowed his grief to pour out of his soul. After a few minutes of hugging, Spike let out a chuckle as he released Aurora.
"Funny. Here I was hoping to make you feel better. Not the other way around."
Aurora smiled at him, scratching the back of her head.
"Yeah. Funny how things turned out."
She then grabbed her fishing pole and motioned to the creek.
"Since you told me your grief, how about some fishing while I talk about mine?"
Spike smiled as he joined Aurora by a spot at the creek.
"Sure thing, kiddo."
He then remembered something as he sat at the creek's shore.
"One more thing, Aurora."
Aurora tilted her head as she prepared the bait. "Hmm?"
No longer feeling awkward about the situation, Spike finally spoke what he wanted to say.
"Remember when you said that I was your uncle, too?"
Embarrassment appeared on Aurora's cheeks as she remembered that joke.
"Yeah?"
Spike continued to smile as Aurora cast the line.
"Well, you can call me that, if you want. I mean, I see your mother as my sister. And that way, you'll know you have family in Ponyville, too."
Aurora thought about the idea for a moment before smiling at the idea.
"Really? You don't mind if I call you 'Uncle Spike?' Even in public?"
Spike chuckled as he answered.
"I won't mind at all. In fact, that would make me very happy."
Aurora grinned back at his response, allowing the line to settle.
"Alright then. 'Uncle Spike' it is, then."
For the rest of the day, the dragon and his niece talked about anything and everything. Both gained something that day.
For Spike, it was the assurance that there was hope for rekindling his friendship with Twilight. Plus, he got a niece.
For Aurora, she found someone who she can express certain sorrow to. Someone she could ask for advice regarding these matters.
The next morning, Aurora did her morning routine and ate a healthy breakfast before packing a lunch.
“I’m meeting up with Gareth and Safir, today. We might be gone all day.”
The Apples nodded as Apple Bloom called out to the centauride as she left the house.
“Be sure to keep yerselves hydrated!”
With that said, Aurora turned around, made her way back to the kitchen, grabbed a water bottle from the fridge, and placed it in her satchel before finally leaving to meet with her friends.
After the fish lunch with her draconic uncle the previous day, Aurora was able to spend the rest of the day with relief and renewed joy. She told Spike about her father and her life back in her old world and in turn, he told her of the various misadventures he had with her mother. They had also agreed to meet for meat-based lunches every other day afterwards. Something she was looking forward to.
After returning Big Mac’s fishing rod that afternoon, she told the Apple family about her day with her uncle, minus the fish eating. They all beamed as they heard Aurora’s tale. Applejack could see that Aurora seemed “brighter” than the day before. Wanting her to become even happier, she allowed Aurora to take the day off, which was fine with her, though she told her friends that she had the day off and quickly made plans.
Aurora made her way to the entrance to the Everfree Forest as it was the designated rendezvous point for her and her friends. The twins were unable to come as they were helping Pinkie Pie mind Sugarcube Corner until their parents got back. She didn’t have to wait long for Gareth and Safir to meet up with her. Both of them had bags with Safir holding a book in his claws. Seeing Aurora, they hailed her.
“Aurora!” Gareth called out as they approached her.
Aurora waved to the pair as they stopped a couple feet away from her.
“Hey, guys. Ready for today?”
“I’ve got the first aid kit and some food ready.” Safir said as he pointed to his satchel.
Gareth grinned. “And I got paper, quills and ink, and the map.”
Aurora then checked her supplies. “I brought some apples from Sweet Apple Acres, the raincoat Miss Rarity made for me, some candles and matches along with flashlights and batteries, and a bowie knife.”
Safir tilted his head in confusion. “Why did you need a raincoat and a bowie knife?”
Aurora frowned. “For the knife, I need something other than my new hooves to take out anything that may see me as lunch. As for the raincoat, Applejack said something weird.”
Once again, Safir was confused.
“What?”
“She said ‘If you can’t get back before the pegasi start the rain, get to the nearest shelter and wait it out.’”
“Why is that weird?” Gareth asked.
Aurora ruffled her head as if she was trying to scratch an itch.
“How would the pegasi start the rain? Nothing controls the weather.”
The boys paused for a moment, thinking about what Aurora had said. It was then that Safir spoke.
“Aurora. Here, it’s the pegasi’s job to control the weather.”
Aurora cocked her head to the side. “Huh?”
Gareth nodded.
“Yeah. Griffins do the same back in Griffinstone. We have weather factories that run on schedule, scheduled water collection for the reservoirs, even rainbow-making.”
Now Aurora was baffled. Seeing the look on her face, Gareth asked, “Didn’t you have anyone controlling the weather where you came from?”
Aurora shook her head. “No. Weather runs on its own back home. All we could do is use satellites in space to try and predict the weather. Especially useful during hurricane season.”
Gareth and Safir gawked, but for different reasons.
Aurora nodded as they made their way to the Everfree Forest.
“‘Yeah’ to both questions. I lived on a group of tropical islands before coming here, so my family and everyone on the islands had to keep a sharp eye out for hurricanes.”
She then let out a laugh as they entered the Everfree, keeping a sharp eye on the cairn path they had made.
“Every time we get a hurricane warning on the radio, Mom would always go in a panic. She made sure our hurricane shelter was waterproof and had no leaks, stores everything, including her books, into it, and then get me and Dad in it until Dad had to tell her to chill out.”
The trio laughed at Twilight’s expense, though internally, Aurora felt the ping of sadness again.
“It seems like forever ago that it was like that. Oh, why did you have to go to that dig, Dad? Me and Mom miss you.”
Remembering where she was and who she was with, Aurora mentally shook her head to rid herself of the feeling.
“No, Aurora! Remember what Uncle Spike said! ‘You can’t dwell on the past. Yes, you miss Dad and are worried about Mom. But YOU need to be strong for THEIR sakes!’ This isn’t like you! What happened to the girl who punched Arianna Salis in the face for calling Mitzi ‘stupid?’ Or when you proved you were stronger than Kurt Shoals, the biggest bully in school, by beating him publicly in a wrestling match? It’s time to get back on your feet –well, hooves– and show the thing that kidnapped Mom that Aurora Borealis Sparkle-O’Riley will not go down without a fight!”
Feeling better with her internal pep-talk, Aurora increased her gait.
“Come on, guys! The sooner we get to the ruins, the more time we’ll have to explore!”
Safir and Gareth looked at each other, confused at the sight of Aurora’s expressions that landed on something cheerful. But they shrugged it off as they increased their speed to catch up with the centauride.
Thanks to the cairns and their increased speed, Aurora and the boys were able to make it to the ruins in a short amount of time. Once they were inside, they set up base camp in the “Great Hall” as they labeled it. Once they had set their things down, Aurora distributed the flashlights after giving them fresh batteries.
“So what’s the plan?”
Safir was quick to speak as he placed a claw on his chin.
“Well, we have two options. One: we split up and check a different part of this place. Or Two: we stay together and go one place at a time.”
Gareth placed his fists on his hips and sat up in a proud pose.
“I say we split up. We’ll cover more ground that way.”
But Aurora dismissed him.
“Well, I say we stick together. Yes, splitting up would cover more ground. But this place is so old that it could literally fall apart under our feet. And I don’t know about you, but I’d feel better having someone to watch my back. Not to mention we don’t have any walkie-talkies to communicate. How would we contact each other if we get into trouble or if we find something?”
The boys could see Aurora had a point. While they did want to explore the place quickly, the fact remained that there is a reason they called this place a “ruin.” Safir looked to Gareth, who surprisingly had no objections on his part. Seeing this, the young blue dragon spoke.
“Alright. We’ll stick together.”
With that settled, the trio made up their base camp and got out a couple of pencils and papers to map their progress. Safir made a mark on one archway on the left side with his claw as they made their way down the corridor. Gareth led the way, eager to find out what was ahead. Safir was right behind him, marking the path to make sure they didn’t get lost. And Aurora worked on the map from behind. It didn’t take long before Aurora noticed something.
“Check it out. The windows are boarded shut.”
But as she went to remove one of the boards, she heard a loud “BOOM!” come from outside. Hearing this, Gareth tilted his head to listen.
“Sounds like it’s time for the storm.”
Safir looked around with his flashlight and noticed some sconces on the opposite wall.
“We can light these and save on batteries.”
Aurora looked at the sconces and frowned.
“How? We have fire, but we need fuel.”
Safir, still fixed on one sconce, approached it.
“Can I get a boost?”
Curious, Gareth grabbed Safir by the arms and lifted him up to the sconce. Once Safir was eye-level with the top of the sconce, he inhaled and exhaled a blue flame, lighting the sconce. With a smile, the dragonling looked to his friends.
“We’re in luck. There’s still some oil in these things.”
Getting the idea, Aurora took over lifting Safir while Gareth took in the room.
“What do you think this place was used for?”
Aurora shrugged her shoulders as she lifted Safir to another sconce.
“Could be anything. It’s too small to be a castle. Maybe an outpost?”
“But who would have an outpost in the middle of the Everfree Forest?”
Once again, Aurora shrugged her shoulders.
“Tactical location? Maybe there’s a clue or two here that might give us an answer.”
As Aurora relayed her theory, she and Safir finished lighting the sconces. Now the corridor was illuminated despite the boards. They also took a couple of loose boards off the windows, exposing the dim hall to the sun for the first time in ages. Well, whatever sun there was. Rain pattered on the windows and the Everfree’s trees shook as the wind blew harshly. It wasn’t enough to unnerve Aurora. Hurricanes did worse, after all.
“Hey! Check this out!” Gareth’s voice snapped Aurora’s attention back into place.
Looking ahead, she found the griffin looking past the door at the end of the hall. Curious, Aurora approached the door and peered inside. The room was empty of life, but the large table in the middle was broken in half and the large shelves were on their sides. At the other side of the room was a large cobblestone fireplace with a small iron door on the side of the wall. Thanks to her parents, Aurora knew where they were.
“Looks like the ruins’ kitchen.”
Hearing this, the boys entered the room, examining everything they could. Safir opened a ceramic jar and gagged as something foul reached his nostrils.
“Ugh! Ancient cheese! I don’t think it’s worth saving.”
Noting it, Aurora examined the fireplace and looked up the chimney.
“Well, you’ll have to either toss that outside or keep a lid on it. The chimney’s blocked. Must be a popular place for birds to nest.”
Gareth, meanwhile, opened the iron door and frowned. No secret passages. Just an ancient stove.
“This is boring. Let’s keep going.”
Hearing him, Aurora opened another door and found that it led to an inner courtyard. She frowned sightly as she began to close the door.
“Little one…”
A chill ran down Aurora’s spine. What did she just hear? She waited a moment before she tried to close the door again.
“Little one…”
There it was again. A voice. Soft, feminine, beckoning her. Spooked, Aurora backed away, nearly tripping over Gareth.
“Ow! What the-! Aurora!”
But Aurora’s gaze never left the courtyard door.
“Did…did you hear that?”
Gareth frowned at her.
“No. I was too busy getting trampled on by you.”
Safir looked at Aurora, wanting to take his mind off the cheese, and became concerned. Aurora looked scared. But of what?
“Aurora?” Safir asked, concerned.
Aurora kept silent, listening to anything. She heard the wind and the rain. Nothing unusual with that.
“Little one… Come to the tower…”
After a moment’s, peace, the voice called out again. And Aurora wasn’t the only one who heard it this time.
“There! Did you hear that?” Aurora asked, getting more anxious.
The two boys nodded slowly. Shivers ran down Safir’s spine while Gareth tensed up. They did hear it. How Aurora was able to pick up the strange sound was a question that was definitely for another time, according to Safir. Gareth, however, raised an eyebrow.
“I think we did. But what did it mean by ‘tower?’”
Hearing Gareth, Safir glared at the griffin chick.
“You’re not seriously thinking of following that, are you!?”
Gareth glared back at Safir in response.
“What? Scared of ghosts?”
Safir was taken aback by the accusation.
“I-I’m not! I’m just saying we need to use our heads for this!”
As the boys continued to argue, Aurora looked towards the courtyard door. She was unnerved by the voice, but at the same time she felt this urge to follow it. She wasn’t stupid. Far from it. Even though she loved to explore, she knew when to be cautious.
But that voice…
It was as if it was directed at her! It didn’t sound menacingly, but gentle. Like a guide rather than a malevolent specter. Either way, it didn’t look like it wanted her to go anywhere other than this “tower.”
“But how do we get there?” She whispered, more to herself than anything else.
Then, as if the voice answered her, something appeared in the courtyard. A faint, light blue glow appeared before moving from behind a broken statue. From what Aurora could tell, it was a floating, glowing orb of light. Seeing it, Aurora took initiative and pulled out her knife, the action catching the boys’ attention.
“Aurora?” they asked, concerned.
Aurora answered, not taking her eyes off the courtyard.
“There’s a ball of light outside. I think it wants to guide us to the tower. I figured I’d bring a weapon just in case.”
Gareth grinned widely in excitement while Safir gawked at her.
“Really, Aurora?! You really want to follow it?!”
Aurora looked to the young dragon with an apologetic look on her face.
“I know you don’t want to, Safir. If you guys want, you can go back to the main hall and start up lunch. I’m going to check this thing out.”
Hearing this, Gareth flapped his wings and flew next to Aurora.
“What? And miss out on finding something cool? Forget it! I’m going with you.” He then smirked victoriously at Safir. “You can go back, Safir. Let the real adventurers check it out.”
Safir snarled at Gareth in retaliation, but sighed in defeat.
“Even though I’d rather go back, I don’t want you guys to get into trouble either. Besides, you need my fire.”
Aurora sighed and shook her head as dragon joined her with the griffin still smirking at him.
“I hate being in the middle.” She mentally groaned before taking a step towards the door.
“We’ll have to be quick. The rain’s coming down pretty hard and I, for one, don’t want to get sick. We just follow the ball of light, find out what’s in this tower while avoiding traps and stuff, and go straight back to the main hall.”
“And if something attacks us?” Safir asked nervously.
Aurora gulped fearfully while Gareth puffed up his chest.
“Simple. We beat them up like what we did with the Timberwolves. You set them on fire, Aurora stomps and kicks them, and I slash and peck them.”
Aurora and Safir rolled their eyes in unison. One day, Gareth’s ego was going to get him into serious trouble. Not wanting to delay any further, Aurora stepped outside, followed by Gareth from the air and Safir from behind.
