Twilight Sparkle was born in Canterlot, Equestria.  Her parents were very poor, and couldn't afford a cottage of their own, so a close family friend loaned them the house.  The family was shattered after he died..  That night Twilight's parent's went out and didn't come back until after two 'o clock in the morning, like most nights.

Five year old Twilight woke, startled by the slam of the front door and the stomping of hooves.  Her parents usually didn't come home so loud.  She heard her mother shouting something at her father, and then the sounds of pots and pans being thrown, and hitting the walls.  Young Twilight hid under her covers as she heard her mother's stern shouts turn into painful cries of help.  One last 'thump' of a thrown pan rang around the walls before the house went completely silent...

Twilight held her breath as she heard loud hoovesteps coming towards her room.  Her father stormed in with his eyes wild.  His mane matted, and teeth clenched, he threw Twilight across the room with his horn in all his rage.  She thumped against the wall, and a squeak of surprise and pain came out of her mouth.  She wimpered as her father trotted up to her and yelled, yelled about how it was all Twilight's fault...All Twilight's fault..

But she didn't understand.

Twilight stood up with all her strength and galloped out of her bedroom doo before her father could throw her again...  She only glanced at her Mother's lifeless body on the kitchen floor as she ran out the front door into the city of Canterlot.

Twilight didn't stop galloping, not even the pain coarsing through her body could stop this little filly.  She only stopped when she came upon the gates of a big white castle.  She didn't take time to investigate.. She just layed her cold, and cut up body on the ground and cried herself to sleep, hoping her father wouldn't find her this time.