Twilight and the Pegasi guards reached the Canterlot Palace. Their stationary colleagues had their jaws dropped seeing Twilight with wings. As they walked to the prison area – a rarely used part of the castle - one of the guards asked, "May we know what the wings mean?"
"In case Celestia still won't say a word, a short rundown, gentlecolts. I was born with this – no one knows why - she wanted to keep it a secret, even from friends."
"So, you broke a command from her by ditching your disguise." stated the second.
"Yes, but I couldn't have Chrysalis overpower me." she countered, "So I needed access to all of my magic."
They arrived in the dungeon – more tidy and clean than any prison has the right to be – and locked Chrysalis in a cell. Before they left, Twilight blocked Chrysalis magic to make sure she won't just teleport away.
"This is the worst Summer Sun Celebration in years." muttered one of the Guards.
"Agreed." said Twilight and the second.
The second Pegasus asked, "Does that mean you're a princess?"
"I don't think so." 'Not after ignoring her command like that.' she added in her mind. "I better make some more of the antidote. The few vials my friend have shouldn't do much."
"Do that, Prin-I mean Sparkle."
When the other Princesses and Twilight's friends arrived in the palace, the two pegasi accompanying Twilight told them Chrysalis is in the dungeon and Twilight is in the throne room, waiting for them. Arriving there, they found Twilight and a big cauldron of the antidote.
When Twilight noted them, she said, "As the three vials only burned her outer chitin, I made some calculations of how much we need to heal her. This fresh batch should be enough to submerge her, as I doubt she would drink a liter of the stuff. And force feeding is illegal, so... submerging it is!"
"Why are you in your disguise, we know you have wings!" asked Rainbow Dash. "And your crazy horn. Kinda cool."
"I wanted to avoid chaos in the palace until Celestia returns and explains." said Twilight. "I am sorry for not telling you, but Celestia banned me from telling anyone but a chosen few. I wanted to tell you for the last year, but according to her, that would be an issue." She pointed with her hoof to Celestia.
Luna mused, "Well, this explains why she is so angry with you, sister. Twilight must be frustrated not to be able to tell her friends."
Crowley said, "We should handle Chrysalis first and ask her about Sombra, if he really returned like Twilight said."
"One thing after the other." said Luna, before her sister could speak, "Then you tell me why you kept an Alicorn a secret from Cadence and me!"
"Eh, Auntie Lu, I knew of this, actually." chimed Cadence in. "But she cast a spell on me that I can't talk about anyone of this who isn't in the know. Crowley has the same curse."
"Actually mine hides more information, Cadenza." admitted the orchestral nonchalantly.
The ponies looked shocked at her. Then to Celestia in a mix of hurt, confusion and betrayal. It was a spectrum of emotions, really.
Chrysalis looked in the grayish purple potion she was floating over. "What is this stuff?"
"An antidote. We believe you to be the victim of the first ever love potion to exist." explained Sunburst. "There are no records of your species before that point. Not to mention, you being the result of such a failed potion would explain why your species feeds on love."
"In other words, we believe you to be the lost empress of the Crystal Empire, Radiant Hope." added Luna. "Our oldest friend."
"Hold your air!" said Twilight, before dropping the Changeling monarch into the potion. The massive cauldron glowed. Out climbed a crystal Alicorn, taller than Cadence but far from Celestia's height.
All in all, she looked disheveled. Then again, she climbed out of a cauldron after a transformation, the elixir still dripping from her grayish heliotrope coat and pale arctic blue mane. Her eyes were a brighter arctic blue, nearly cyan. Her Cutie Mark was a bit odd. It was a golden staff with two tiny wings on top surrounded by two golden snakes curling around it. The mark looked like the symbol of medicine. All in all, the Alicorn was breath-taking beautiful and matched her Empire, even without the crystalline effect.
All eyes were on her. Luna spoke to her, "Radiant? Do you remember is?"
"My memories have gaps, but I think I remember most, Luna." Even her voice was different from Chrysalis. "I, I am sorry. I wasn't clear of mind... Ah, Sombra! He is out there!"
"We are aware. Do you know what he plans?" asked Celestia.
"Not much, he kept the details vague. In hindsight, I should have noted he won't keep his end of the bargain. I only know he has two goals, regaining his body as he was only a wisp so far and he is attempting to pull Twilight onto his side. I have no idea why... albeit..."
"Albeit what?" inquired Cadence.
"I could image he wanted her on his side as Twilight is powerful – he seemed to be aware that she is an Alicorn – a difficult enemy but a powerful ally." guessed Radiant Hope. "I suppose he noted the issues between her and Celestia arising." She lost the strength in her legs. "I need to rest."
"Of course, Radiant." Celestia called two guards to bring her to a prepared room for her to rest. "How could he regain his body?"
"We figure this out later." decided Luna. "Now I demand answers about Twilight! Why did she have to hide her alicornhood? Why from me? Shouldn't I at least be aware of his? Do you know why she is an Alicorn? Celestia, answer!"
Shining Armour answered instead, "Twilight was adopted. When our parents found her, she wore that necklace. When we touched it, her disguise broke and her wings were revealed. Mom and dad weren't sure what would happen if i was public. They worried she would be taken away.
"They were revealed at Twilight's entrance exam to Princess Celestia's school. Celestia took Twilight as her apprentice because she is an Alicorn. She demanded to keep it a secret. Mom and dad agreed as being an Alicorn would have made her childhood potentially very bothersome, but now the secrecy is just weird."
"So is the silencing spell on Crowley." pointed Luna out. "Celestia, lift it! We need answers."
"I have to agree. I have a hunch you know something, Celestia." said Twilight.
"Fine. Crowley, please don't tell them." said Celestia, lifting the curse from Crowley.
She just said, "I am sorry, but I am loyal to Luna and her daughter, not you. Luna, your daughter didn't die. Due to social issues and a dark force bothering her, Celestia send her and me a millennia into the future, so that you two could reunite. Well, that filly is dear Twilight here, so..." She looked smugly to Celestia. "From what I told her when Luna returned, she should have figured this out herself!"
"That explains why you didn't age a day, Crowley." replied Luna. "So, Twilight is... that explains a few things, like the necklace."
"I should have considered it, but it was so surreal to be a possibility." said Twilight.
"Mm, that means she is my cousin." muttered Cadence.
"That, too... Celestia!" Luna stood in front of her sister, very angry. "Why in all of Equs did you keep my daughter a secret from me?! From me!"
"That was just a side effect. I meant to hide her from the dark force Crowley mentioned. That force, I believe to be Sombra." explained Celestia, taking a step away from her sister, "I had to make sure. You admitted he can step into your realm of dreams."
"This... still hurts."
Shining muttered to Cadence, "Mom and dad will go crazy when they learn of this. Twily's biological parents are their nightmares."
Crowley overheard them, "No need to worry. I doubt Twilight would stop seeing them as family. Your parents and Luna could share her, right?"
"I am not so sure about mom…" muttered Shining Armour.
Pinkie Pie dared to ask, "May I ask, who is her father? It needs to ponies to make a third!" Luna got red, hearing that question. "Ah, a question for another day!"
"Princess Celestia, why did you send Twilight into our time period. Besides Sombra." asked Rarity.
The princess sighed. "When Luna got banished to the moon, the ponies were either afraid of her or hated her. I didn't want to risk what would happen if the extremists knew of Twilight. And I wanted her to reunite with Luna."
Crowley added, "Celestia wanted to send us exactly a millennia after the fact, but we landed around twenty years earlier than planned."
"Mm, I guess it is because Twilight is the bearer of magic." guessed Sunburst. "Time has weird ways of working. It needed her to have a similar physical age to the other bearers."
"Princess Luna?" asked Apple Jack, "Why didn't you recognize her name?"
"That is because I named her Aurora Dawn. Mm, funny her name is Twilight now." answered Luna simply. "Hours picking the perfect name wasted, if you think about it."
"I won't mind adopting Aurora as a middle name." said Twilight innocently.
"Good choice, Twily. That will differentiate you from the other Twilight's in the family." said Shining.
"Eh, but isn't her second name already Sparkle for this?" wondered Cadence.
"Aunt Amethyst's oldest daughter got a foal called Twilight Sparkle a few weeks ago." explained Shining. "Just rude. But Aurora isn't taken and none is having a foal soon.."
"What now?" asked Fluttershy. "This all is too much."
"I for my part need to plan a coronation." said Celestia. "We need to introduce a new Princess after all."
"Oh no, I do the planning!" demanded Luna. "You keep out of this."
"Wait, we should hold a press conference for her and Radiant first!"
While the two sisters bickered, Shining said, "I think we should tell our parents that the secret is out."
Rarity chimed in, "But the coronation won't be for a while."
"Yes, but the failure in Applewood, the media must print newsletters about 'the new princess' by now." he countered. "I don't want that mom gets a panic attack because of a tabloid article."
The siblings, Spike and Cadence arrived at the parents area of the palace in minutes. Night Light just said, "We got news from Applewood. Context?"
Twilight explained and like expected – by her brother – Velvet worried about Twilight ditching them for her mother.
"Mom! I won't do such a thing!" promised Twilight. As the two Twilight's hugged, Cadence left and paid a certain queen a visit.
"Radiant Hope? How are you feeling?" she asked into the room.
"Good, better than before." she answered. "You're Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, right?"
"Yes, but call me Cadence." she asked. "I have a question. Now that you're back, I guess you will rule the Chrystal Empire?"
"For now, yes, but!" said Radiant, "I want you as my heir. So don't worry, you can keep the title."
Twilight Amethyst thought of herself as a hot shot noble. She isn't, but she likes to think that. For all Amethyst cares, she is the superior sister between her, Veil and Velvet. She married up – not in ranks but in wealth – while Velvet married down. Not to mention, she has not one but two daughters to carry the traditional name and none is adopted!
Amethyst just doesn't understand how her sister can count some random orphan she found as family, equal to Shining Armor at that.
She was polishing her jewelry collection when her younger daughter Lilac Twilight came into her bed room, carrying a newsletter with her golden magical aura. "Mom! Look! You won't believe what had happened at Applewood!"
"What actress acted up this time?" Something she also can't fathom, Lilac's obsession with actors. Those are nothing compared to the nobility of Canterlot.
"It isn't an actor! It is the Summer Sun Celebration!" explained Lilac. "A new Alicorn showed up! And, well… read yourself, mom."
Amethyst took the news letter. The story made the front page, visualized with a massive picture showing her fraud niece. With wings. The accompanying article read:
Summer Sun Celebration gone wrong, albeit there is a new Alicorn! By Quill Snap
What was supposed to be the first Summer Sun Celebration with Princess Luna was ruined. And at the same time not. Reader, this will be a weird article. But hey, you're reading about weird events, so buckle up!
The celebration ran smoothly at first thanks to my aunt's great planning skills – if you ignore some complains from the Canterlot nobility who was annoyed the main celebration wasn't held in the capitol -
Third point on the list, Amethyst doesn't understand why the Princess – now Princesses – bother to celebrate anywhere that isn't the Capitol. Canterlot is worthy of their might and it is simply less of a hassle.
Until the sun rose. Twilight Sparkle came out of nowhere, claiming a Changeling was in their midst. Which turned out to be true. In fact, the Changeling – the Queen of Changelings – impersonated Twilight Sparkle herself! Remember that name, readers.
Amethyst grunted in annoyance and her daughter took a step back, sensing her mother's annoyance. "Another article about that orphan. Parasitic brood."
If you don't remember, Twilight Sparkle planned last years event, helped Princess Luna to break free from Nightmare Moon and became the Bearer of the Element of Magic! And that is just last years events. She is also Princess Celestia's personal student.
"That should have been you, Lilac."
Her daughter didn't agree. Lilac has many talents, but magic – or studying – aren't two of them. She is an artist, not a scholar. "Please continue reading, mom…"
Like I said, she was the one impersonated. We aren't sure yet how the Changeling took her identity or where Twilight was until she showed up, but she revealed the changeling and fought her as well. With the help of her brother Prince Shining Armour of the Crystal Empire – he used to be the captain of the royal guard – they defeated the fiend. Albeit the queen tried to flee. This is were the weird part begins, dear readers.
"They aren't siblings." growled Amethyst, her magic pressing the newsletter into a ball. Lilac really wanted to disagree. Sparkle and Shining have a better sibling relationship than her and Rosy. Then again, that bar isn't exactly high.
Well, when it appeared that the queen was overpowering the two Stars – their noble house -
Night Light's house, hers and Velvet's is the house of Twilight and Orion – albeit due to an idiotic ancestor, one of those names lives on as a traditional given name – at least the fake isn't associated with Amethyst's family in this.
it happened. Twilight was engulfed in a magical light. When it vanished, she had wings. The princess' student became an Alicorn and overpowered the changeling who then attempted to flee. Only to be caught by Twilight who flew with her new wings as if it is natural. Talk about a fast learner.
Now, as of writing this, the royal house hadn't said anything about the new Alicorn. It is only speculation if Twilight will be crowned a new princess – either of friendship of magic, scholars argue – then again, there never had been an Alicorn that wasn't royalty.
Three Alicorn's in one year… We await answers and will inform Equestria as soon as possible, but for now, the (crowned) princesses keep silent about the events.
I am Quill Snap and will keep you informed!
Amethyst just dropped the newsletter on the ground. Lilac awaited a reaction, but her mom just starred into the room. She kept silent to let her process what she just had read. The lilac unicorn was considering to leave her alone, when Amethyst said, "Lilac, call the family – but Velvet and her clan – we need to discuss this. And tell Rosy she has to come, bring Sparkle if she can't find a foalsitter on short notice. And tell the maid to make tea and coffee. Strong coffee."
"Yes, mom."