Myths and Consequences

"That was certainly an exciting night." Celestia took a small sip of her tea.

The group had agreed to take another break in their travels, as the midday sun shined over head. Cool breezes made for a comforting day and Twilight found herself nearly nodding off, if not for one other.

"Watch it!" mutter Luna as she ducked a stony hoof.

Twilight squeaked and adjust the stone statue of Applejack. Gently settling the mare down upon the grass.

"If you shatter her, it would be a painful mess, not to mention how ugly such things get when stone to life serums are used!"

"Why can't you help me?" Twilight grunted in protest, horn aglow.

"And not give our student a chance to exercise her mind, we would be failures as teachers if we did all our students work." answered Luna.

Twilight rolled her eyes, shifting Applejack again till she seemed to be resting comfortably, or as comfortably a mare turned to stone can be.

"Do you think we really have a chance against this...Gehenna?" asked Twilight.

"Have faith in our abilities Twilight." Celestia gave her a calming smile. "Luna fared excellently against the pegasi. Odd company they keep, having a changeling for a friend."

"Had..."

"Indeed, if they are smart, they would seek better friendship, their loyalty is commendable as is the shy ones kindness." Celestia set her cup aside. "You seem puzzled."

Twilight felt the previous nights encounter did little to settle her nerves. She didn't want to tell them how unhappy she was at having been threatened and used for the sake of their own safety. Since the meeting, nightmares of unknown assailants with crossbows were a constant in her dreams.

"Fear not, once we are able to have full control of our powers, thou shalt find yourself free from these troubles." Luna took a nasty tear out of a leg of meat.

"Oh...I guess so." Twilight's enthusiasm dried up.

"Twilight, we are your teachers, we may seem harsh in our lessons, but Luna and I do mean well. Tell us what ails you?" Celestia gave her a worrisome glance, like a mother to a child.

"I...when you are able to have your full powers, your ability to go back home. Will you still want me as your protege?"

"Is that the question which troubles you?" genuine surprise etched upon her face, Celestia motioned for Twilight to come closer, patting the ground between her sister and herself. "Twilight, we are most assured in our endeavors to train you. We do not take students so lightly. You could say that Star Swirls acceptance of your abilities is tantamount to acceptance to the highest of unicorn colleges."

"Really?" the lavender mares voice filled with hope. "I'm not a burden?"

"Twilight, you began was one, tis not a lie." answered Luna. "But you have learned the value of listening to us and not questioning everything at every moment. You were there when this began, you deserve to be with us till the end."

Twilight prayed that Luna meant the end of her courses. The thought of fighting Discord still sent shivers down her spine. Sadly she understood the price of her lessons, and if this was truly a magicians lot in life, than she'd bite the bullet and accept.

She learned about bullets by the way, the explanation itself did nothing to actually answer the question.

"One more question."

"Promise?"

"Pardon?"

"Nothing young Twilight, do ask us."

"When this Discord job is all done with...where will we go?"

"Hmm, Tia?"

"That is a good question, we being princesses of our own realm, would make things a bit difficult, having to ferry you between them constantly." answered Celestia. "We shall burn that bridge when the time comes, but worry not, we will have an answer for you."

Twilight threw a glance back at the stone statue of Applejack. Finally having time to see her in broad day light, and without the treat of having her head removed. She truly had to admit that Rainbow Dash was right when she complemented the hunters sculpt. Tone legs would carry her with a powerful grace, announcing the warrior for what she is. Those rear legs brimming with power enough to probably shatter stone, and supple firm...

"Hmm, a virgin are we?" giggled Luna as she watched Twilight.

"Of course not!" lied Twilight. She'd not let Luna or Celestia hold that over her. Of course she knew she was not fooling anyone. "Just admiring the warrior details that Dash pointed out."

"Well then, if you've time to admire the scenery, than its perhaps time to indulge you with another lesson!" Luna leveled a smile at her older sister. "Tia, you've a taste for the air, would you care to show Twilight?"

"Oh if I must." came the feigned resignation. Celestia gestured to Twilight, drawing her a few yards away from the camp. "It would seem most apropos for you to learn this, what with your new additions!"

"Huh?" Twilight followed Celestia's gaze to the purple wings she was now supposedly sporting through her disguise. "I forgot I had those."

"You must remember your disguises, forgetting such a thing could lead to rather painful lessons in life!" Celestia grinned, "Why I remember once this Stallion thought to hide himself as a cow. Sadly the bull in that very pen was rather rambunctious and..."

"I get it!" shouted Twilight, hare frazzled. "Remember disguises before something decides to rut me!"

"Oh pity, it is a funny thought." Celestia chuckled. "Today you learn the gift, of flight."

Twilight's mind quickly emptied of the unfortunately lewd images, glad to happily replace them with new thoughts of kissing the air hi above. Then quickly her spirits fell.

"Fly?"

"Of course, did I stutter?"

"Well...why?"

"Why? Twilight, those who've lacked wings have always been jealous of the birds ability to reach the heavens! Now we offer you that chance!"

"I meant why would I want to learn how to fly?"

"Because...everybody wants too?"

"I don't."

"What? Well do tell us why not!"

"I...I can't." Twilight scuffed the ground as she remembered a very important aspect of her life. "I'm afraid of heights.

"Twilight, that is but an excuse, it is not a good reason to avoid learning something so important." came the stern reply.

"Well its not as though I've been given a good reason!" Twilight scowled.

"Watch your tone young unicorn, or you'll be learning the lesson post haste." scolded Celestia. "It isn't truly flying to be honest as it is floating in the air."

"I fail to see a difference."

"Twilight...let me put it differently then." sighed Celestia. "You are our apprentice, are you not."

"I am!"

"And if you ever wish to live beyond that of Star Swirl, it would be best to learn how to fly." she leaned closer to Twilight. "If you don't believe another would soon launch you from a catapult, you'd be best to think otherwise."

"So flying, I'm all for it, lets get this lesson rolling!" Twilight threw on her biggest smile, ignoring the knots forming in her stomach.

"Bravo, I do enjoy your enthusiasm!" Celestia then began to gesture to Twilight's horn. "It isn't anything you haven't already learn by the way. You know the art of levitation, do you not?"

Twilight merely nodded.

"Well, flight, in your case, is merely the art of levitating yourself."

"Come again?"

"Imagine this. Rather than standing upon the ground, and lifting an object. You are pushing against the ground, under your body. This provides lift, and thus you obtain flight!"

"Wait, but if I'm not touching the ground, how can I continue to draw in energy?"

Celestia nearly face hoofed. With a sharp gesture to the heavens she spoke.

"The air Twilight, you are a magician, not an elemental!"

"What's an elemental."

"Twilight, if you must persist with these questions, it is merely going to lengthen your training." she leveled a stern gaze at the unicorn. "Now as a magician, you are not bound to a single element. Once in the air, begin drawing energy from the air around you, again, you must understand that this could very well save you in case you fall, or are thrown."

"I guess..." Twilight's words filled with doubt.

"Now then, locate a force line."

"But we left it back on the travelers path!"

"Do you feign ignorance on purpose?" muttered Celestia, "Twilight, it is rare that you ever find yourself without any magic to help you. Now throw up your locator spell and search for the nearest one, without the questions please."

Twilight rolled her eyes, focusing her minds eye. Slowly she turned her head skywards, almost squinting. A very miniscule spear of icy blue and whites drifted far above her.

"I found one!"

"Icy blue and white?" Celestia tutted.

"Yes...but not as bright as the others."

"Well then, I suggest you gather some up then, smaller means it is further away, this means that it could take longer to draw from it. Now imagine the ground, and gently push yourself away from it."

She did, eyes closed as she allowed her mind to drift lazily. The surge of power drawn from the heavens was cool to the touch, unlike the ground which radiated with warmth. Whereas before she felt bloated by the energy, now she felt relaxed, almost trance like.

"Now then, slowly push, imagine a board helping you to ascend higher into the sky."

She did this too, a flat purple plate forming beneath her hooves. It was weird, the feeling of magic beneath her hooves taking away the feeling of ground. Like holding ones hoof right upon the surface of a lake, ripples barely lapping against it.

"Twilight, open your eyes. Adjust your trim!"

"My what?" she thought, wondering why Celestia sounded so soft. Her eyes popped open.

Celestia beamed at her protege, her proud expression soon changing to one of horror, than one of disappointment as the unicorn quickly forgot the most basic of lessons.

*WHUMP*

Twilight had plummeted all twenty feet to the ground, sprawled out like a pancake, face planted firmly into the soil.

Luna laughed uproariously much to Celestia's displeasure.

"Twilight, are you okay?" Celestia gently waved her wings over the poor mare, fanning her.

"I...I flew." she croaked in response.

"Yes...and in your surprise you forgot to maintain your control of energy."

Twilight nodded, gasping for more air to fill in her struggling lungs.

"Of all the things...Twilight when we say that you shall fly, we do mean it!"

"But..."

"No buts Twilight. You either believe in us, or you do not." she said sternly. "Such actions could have killed you, from the wards, to even now."

"You could have caught me!"

"And for go the importance of your earliest lessons, very well not! The pain must come with the practice, if you were in absolute danger Twilight, we would help, but we won't always be there!" her wings slid under the mare and easily lifted her to her hooves, dusting away dirt and grass and dirt.

"I'm...sorry Princess Celestia."

"Ahh...I don't mean to be stern, but such actions scare us. This is your first steps towards the more powerful uses of magic and a surprise break could very well harm you and your friends."

"Shall...shall I try again?"

"In a moment, flight does take a lot of control and focus before it comes natural to you. Like a chick learning to spread its wings for the first time."

"Celestia."

"Yes Twilight?"

"Could you tell me about your home?"

"What of it?"

"It...it just seemed like those pegasi were deathly afraid when they realized who you and your sister were. What kind of reputation does your dimension have? Both of yours?"

"Well now...that is truly as different as night and day, literally." Celestia smiled as she began delving into her minds past. "I am from Solaris, my sister Lunaris. Respectively where my plane is that of the day, my sister is that of the night. Sun and Moon, blue sky to starry ones. Sadly its one or the other, not both."

"You mean its always daytime where you live?"

"Indeed, and I shall tell you this, after I had first learned my dimensional spell, I made for my sisters realm. Oh the cool night air was wondrous!"

"Why were you both separated?"

"Mother and Father are whom you should seek to blame for that!" came Luna's voice, the night alicorn trotting up to them. "We couldn't help but join, after having a bit of a laugh over your first flight that is."

"Thanks." muttered Twilight.

"Present aside, past history would always have mother and father arguing about the most boring of details, the cosmos, life, its secrets, name it, and they argued it!" Luna sighed.

"It happens with immortals, they find it easier to keep separate homes, it helps to lower the chances of argumentative migraines from erupting."

"Both our realms are seeded with high technology, and of course the luxury of powerful pools of energy for us to practice our magic!"

"Then why so much fear?" Twilight tilted her head slightly in an almost adorable dog like fashion.

"Bureaucracy, is a horrible thing." said Celestia. "I would feel guilty of letting you know its horrors."

"What do you mean?"

"What she means, is that we had dealt with out share of immigrants, all piling in to either realm for a taste of its magic, and its technology. Of course it became problematic. Everything that wanted to live a life of luxury saw our realms as a heaven of some sort."

"What happened then?"

"We removed the...non-contributing members of society, and allowed rumors to spread about the horrors of alicorns, twas Tia's idea, and a clever one."

"Yes, I had planned to utilize our...warrior spirit, that which you saw during our summoning. To be called our 'evil' forms, I invading my sisters realm, and well you get the idea."

"We shall be honest, we may have indulged in a bit of gluttony and a few carnal desires...but it certainly aided in our intent."

"Yes, rumors of our brutal nature, feasting upon the enemy, torture, dubious acts of nature under the bedsheets. Many were not sure how much was true and of course they exaggerated."

"How much of it is true?" asked Twilight, head tilting to the other side.

Luna merely leaned in, grinning a toothy grin.

"Enough to keep them honest."

Twilight wanted to ask what it took to be a contributing immigrant, but decided to let it pass for a while.

"Now then, I believe you've had time to recover. Put those wings back on, seeing how you lost them in the sudden stop. If your going to be flying about, best look proper for the part."

Twilight groaned.