In the Land of the Desert Sun

by canonkiller

Rating: everyone
Tags: Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Spike, Romance, Adventure, Twilight Sparkle
Length: 6878

When recently ascended Princess Twilight Sparkle is sent on an educational mission to the temples of the Scarab Desert, she finds herself immersed in an ancient legend given new life.

When recently ascended Princess Twilight Sparkle is sent on an educational mission to the temples of the Scarab Desert, she finds herself immersed in an ancient legend given new life. Will she manage to follow the script, or will the Summer Eclipse last forever?

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** This story was written when I was 15, and the quality and content reflect that. Please be aware that my position on topics contained within may have changed in the time between publishing and now, and I apologize for any offensive material that I may have condoned in my younger years. **

Published 2013-07-13 14:50:02 UTC
Last updated 2014-01-15 00:32:49 UTC

A Letter From the Princess

"In the ancient ruins of Sunstone Temple, it is said the petrified body of Jaru, the snake father, still rests around the sarcophagus of his love, the Sun Goddess Ra. Oh, Spike, isn't this exciting?!"

A lavender pony with a horn poking through her mane - navy streaked with pink and purple - and two wings spread comfortably over a pile of books sighed happily, turning the pages of her latest find with a flare of magenta magic. "Look! They used these crowns to channel the earth's energy so they could use magic! Aren't the Sphinx interesting?"

"Totally," Spike grumbled, pulling a book out from Twilight's miniature fort and putting it back on the shelf. "Where did you get all of these, anyway? Golems and Giants? A Crinkle in Thyme? I've never seen these before!"

"Of course you haven't!" Twilight giggled happily, flipping another book open and scanning the first few pages. "One of the colleges in Canterlot is being refurbished, and they're getting a whole new library, so Princess Celestia sent all of the books to me for safekeeping!"

Spike shoved another book onto the shelf. "Great."

Twilight pulled the newly shelved book back to her fort, sliding another novel in it's place, and opened it instead, scanning the pages eagerly.

It was because of this sudden addition to her library that she didn't immediately notice Spike's flame-riddled burp. However, through force of habit at hearing the noise, her magical aura caught the delivered scroll before it could hit the ground. After finishing her current section, she turned her full attention to the new delivery.

Snapping the wax seal away from the paper, she scanned her mentor's elegant writing.

"My faithful student,

A new tomb has been opened in the Scarab Desert, the home of the Sphinxes. The current pharaoh, Bloodfeather, has heard of your recent transformation and would like to know more. You have been assigned a Sphinx guide named Sandwing and housing with her in the city, should you choose to travel there. If you choose to go, please reply to my letters as soon as possible.

Your mentor,
Celestia

P.S; If you happen to see a book titled 'Moonshine and Other Nighttime Recipies', please return it by dragonfire. It belongs to Luna, and she thinks I may have sent it with the others.
Never mind, Discord was eating it."

Twilight set the letter down on her book fort, drawing a quill, inkwell and scroll from somewhere in the mess. As she began furiously scribbling a reply, she shelved the book fort. "Spike, could you get my saddlebags for me? I'll need quills, ink, scrolls, and that one Equish-Mareabic dictionary. And some bits and gemstones."

She rolled up the scroll and hovered it in front of Spike, awaiting a gout of flame.

When the young dragon simply glared at the scroll, Twilight rolled her eyes. "You're coming too, don't look so upset."

In moments, the letter was gone and the packing was done, Spike carrying a few gemstones in a brand-new backpack Rarity had made for him a few days prior. Twilight peeled a map from the wall and scanned it, making note of where she was going to aim before rolling the paper up and sliding it into her saddlebags.She lowered a wing to let Spike climb on to her back, and took a deep breath.

Her horn lit with a blaze of magenta, filling the air with heat-less sparks as the Alicorn channeled her magic. With a flash and a rush of arcane winds, the library was left empty.

Twilight blinked away the last remnants of her magical flash just in time to plow muzzle-first into a sand dune. Flapping her wings madly for balance as she stood up, she scanned the area.

The sky was a pristine blue, unmarked by any passing cloud or errant pony. The sun shone bright and hot, making her lift her hooves occasionally to keep from burning them on the sand. And sand was really all she could possibly stand on. For as far as she could see, in every direction, it was just sand. Quite clean sand, but sand.

Spike slid down from his steed's back, landing with much more stability; dragon's claws were meant for sand and pebbles, and spread their toes accordingly. He pressed his shoulder against Twilight's, holding her steady while she tried to find a hoof-hold.

She gave him a quick, embarrassed smile. "See anything other than sand?"

He put a claw over his eyes to shade them. "Not a thing."

He doubled over with a sudden urk and promptly burped out another letter, coughing slightly as he straightened. Twilight caught the letter in her magic and spread a wing over Spike to shade him. Squinting against the brightness of the paper in the desert sun, Twilight read aloud;

"My dear Twilight,

Your Sphinx guide has been alerted of your recent departure. If you choose to teleport instead of using the chariot I'm sending, be sure to aim a little to the left as to the marking on the map. The city had to move a while ago, and we simply haven't gotten around to updating everything. I'm sure you'll figure it out fine.

If you've already left by the time this letter reaches you, send up a flare spell so that your guide can find you. I'm sure she'll be getting quite worried; nobody wants to be alone in the Scarab Desert in that heat!

Your mentor,
Celestia."

Twilight snorted, stuffing the scroll in her saddlebags. "How're the Sphinx supposed to find us if we can't even see them?"

"Maybe you should try the spell," Spike suggested.

"Oh, right." Twilight lit her horn, swinging her head along with the launch of her beacon for extra distance. The glowing purple light shot up into the air, shimmering through reds and greens as it flew. Twilight squinted, watching its path, before checking the dunes for any sign of approaching ponies.

"Well. I don't see anypony," Twilight muttered, "maybe we should just-"

She was cut off as something plowed into the dune behind her. She jumped forward on impulse, losing her footing on the soft terrain and tumbling rather ungracefully down the side of the hill. She heard a muttered curse from further up the hill before a pair of cat-like paws landed beside her head.

Twilight screamed.

"What's the expression ponies use?" The newcomer hissed, "ponyfeathers? Horsefeathers? Yes, horsefeathers!"

Twilight stopped screaming.

"I suppose you're the Princess? Sorry for the rough landing, I always forget about the thermals at this time of the day."

Twilight had tuned out, her senses focusing on the pony she had never seen before. Learning had a tendency to make her do that.

The other pony had a dark tan coat, with a chocolate brown mane and tail. She lacked a Cutie Mark, but wore two golden bands around her front hooves. No, not hooves, but paws - three-toed and spread over the sand to keep from sinking. The pony - if it was a pony at all - had hooves on its hind legs, but its tail seemed more like that of a long-haired cat. Its wings were wider in comparison to its size than any pony Twilight had met, and it displayed this as it spread them out to shade the two foriegners. The longer feathers, normally the same colors as a pony's coat, were also a few shades lighter than its fur.

It smiled down at them, face partially hidden from the sun behind it, and its emerald eyes flashed with snake's pupils.

"My name's Sandwing!" The not-pony chirped happily, "and I'm your Sphinx guide while you stay here in the Scarab Desert! Cute dragon, by the way. Nice colors."

Spike blushed, climbing up onto Twilight's back. "You're a Sphinx?" She asked, "I was expecting something..."

"Bigger?" Sandwing guessed. "The history books paint us as giants, I know. We should probably get back to shelter before your brains boil. It's crazy hot out here!"

A City in the Sand

"Welcome to Hisan-Bass!" Sandwing shouted over to Twilight, dipping her wings and gliding towards the city.

Twilight began the steady drop to the ground, seeing various tans and browns of a stone city sprawled between the dunes in front of her. In the center of the vaguely-circular hub, what appeared to be a natural oasis was surrounded by sand and Sphinx of many colors, relaxing in the sun or standing in the shallow waters. Around the central lake, small huts and larger houses speckled the sand, many cast in the shadow of the large statues surrounding the city.

Twilight skidded to an uneasy stop on the sand, getting her balance moments before her guide landed beside her with a much more graceful slide.

"You'll get used to the landings soon enough, four-hooves!" Sandwing shook out her tail, prancing ahead to the top of a tall dune. "Hurry up, Bloodfeather is waiting for you!"

"I only sent the letter a few minutes ago!" Twilight protested, scrambling to catch up. "How could she even know I arrived?!"

The Sphinx stopped, flicking the tip of her brown tail. "Good point, four-hooves. Uh... I guess I can take you on a tour, then. Uh... what do you want to know?"

Twilight's eyes brightened with the prospect of new knowledge. Drawing out a quill and scroll from her saddlebags - and pausing a moment to help Spike to the ground - she stared at her Sphinx companion. "Tell. Me. Everything."

Sandwing stared at the scroll for a moment before gesturing to the nearest part of the city; small, colorful tents and wide streets filled with Sphinx and non-Sphinx alike. "This is the marketplace. Sphinx - and other Folk - sell their goods here. You can find foods, books, jewelry; anything worth selling is being sold here."

The Alicorn looked around, seeing a pale yellow Sphinx set down a single gold hoop in exchange for a bag of something from the Griffon across the counter. Sandwing followed her gaze.

"Our currency is in hoops instead of coins; we can weave them around our wings and over our tails to keep from carrying heavy saddlebags in the hot sun." She lifted a paw, brushing the fur up to reveal a few golden bands looped around her wrist. "The hoops come in different metals and sizes, for each value. The most common are copper or sandstone, but the Sphinx here in Hisan-Bass are normally better off than the wanderers or some cities. It's the oasis the city was built around, you know. A stranded Folk will pay anything for a drink."

"You keep referring to the not-Sphinxes as 'Folk'," Twilight pointed out.

"Well, not-Sphinxes seems rather rude, does it not? Folk are any other species, and the Folk are always welcome here." Sandwing nodded briskly. "Oh, do watch your step. The sands are rather unstable this close to the cities."

As if on cue Twilight's hooves slipped, sending her off-balance and skidding forward. She was aware of a dark shape stepping out of a nearby tent before her grip failed her completely and she slid down the side of the dune.

She hit the shape she had seen with a whumpf and a cloud of sand. As the dust settled, she found herself muzzle-to-muzzle with a dark gray Sphinx, his red eyes narrowed angrily. His jet-black mane stuck up awkwardly from the tumble, and the hair of his tail seemed to mimic the shape of a scorpion’s stinger. His left ear was missing from the middle up, and his right eye seemed somewhat paler than the other.

“What’s one of your kind doing in Hisan-Bass?” The Sphinx growled.

“M-my kind?” Twilight stammered, struggling to her hooves, “what do you mean?”

“Your kind,” the Sphinx hissed, “the plain-walkers, the magic-bearers, the four-hooves; the Scarab Desert has stayed out of your bounds for so long you can’t wait to have it back. What, here to take a little bit more of the desert for yourselves? I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Sandwing soared down from the dune she had been standing on, growling and bristling as she stared down the other Sphinx. “Onyxclaw, she’s here on royal business, something you would know nothing about.”

“Oh, Sandwing, you wound me,” he pressed a paw to his chest in mock agony, bowing slightly. “What, did the real Desert Folk not let you play with them again?”

Sandwing huffed, tapping Twilight’s shoulder with her wing. “Let him be. He’s not worth his pelt.”

“My name is Onyxclaw,” the other Sphinx interrupted, taking one of Twilight’s hooves in his claws. “Next in line for the throne. Please, call me Mord.”

“Princess Twilight Sparkle. Call me Twilight.”

Twilight awkwardly shook his paw while Sandwing rolled her eyes. “Yeah, the throne of the Moonlight District.”

“Moonlight District?” Twilight asked, glancing between the two Sphinx.

“Some Sphinxes are nocturnal, while some are diurnal. The Districts of Hisan-Bass are divided so that each time frame works independently. The Daylight District is this one,” Sandwing waved a paw at the general surroundings, “while the Moonlight District opens at sundown and is full of the Wingless.”

“Wingless?” Twilight questioned, prepping her quill against the scroll she had been scribbling hastily upon.

Mord rolled his eyes, turning sideways to display a row of feathers from his shoulders to his flank where his wings should be settled. “Wingless,” he clarified, “are Sphinx who develop in bad conditions; drought, extreme heat or malnurishment. The development of our wings is stunted, or does not occur at all. The Wingless are no less honorable than the winged, but we are treated like mud when outside of the Night District.

“Now, Sandwing and... grass-eater, I must be going. I have people to meet and places to be.” With a somewhat hesitant nod towards Twilight, he turned and vanished into the crowd.

"That was rude," Spike huffed.

"Rude is something Onyxclaw does very well," Sandwing agreed.

Twilight frowned. "He didn't seem that bad."

Her companions gave her confused looks, but Sandwing quickly turned away and gestured towards the oasis. "It looks like the kits are out again today. Wanna go see them?"

Twilight nodded, lifting Spike onto her back as the two set off. "Why wouldn't they be out?"

"Oh, it's not some conspiracy or anything. Sometimes the sun is just too hot for them, since they aren't fully grown. Come on, I'd sure they'd love to play with a Folk instead of a Sphinx!"

Sandwing flapped her wings and suddenly shot into the air, leaving Twilight gaping up at her from the sand.

"It's a thermal, four-hooves! I'll teach you how to ride them later!" The Sphinx flicked up the corners of her wings and dove towards the center of the city.

"Wait up!" Twilight broke into a gallop, sliding around the shopping ponies - though not always on purpose - after her guide.

The brown Sphinx dipped towards the ground, landing with practiced ease where the sand gave way to a narrow circle of stone, dividing the city and the oasis with gray rock. Twilight stopped on the stone band, taking a moment to relax where her hooves could grip. Sandwing grinned, the forelock of her mane shading her eyes.

"Looks like they've just got here. They haven't passed out yet," Sandwing laughed.

Twilight looked through the crowd, seeing - and hearing - many smaller, thinner Sphinxes playing among the older ones. There seemed to be about five of them, each a different color.

"The blue one is Airy Tailwind, a Priestess in training. The dark blue is Thunderpaw, who wants to be a racer when he grows up," Sandwing pointed out the two, and continued on, "the orange one is Sunbeam, and is the younger sister of the yellow one, Dustfur."

Dustfur appeared to be nearly an adult, but still darted around with the others. As the three children closed in on her, she backed up and took off to the air with a single stroke of her wings, only staying airborne to pass cleanly over Twilight and Sandwing's heads before landing back on the sand. Twilight watched as the three others pumped their wings furiously, half-floating on thermals as they drifted awkwardly after.

"Wasn't there another one?" Twilight asked, looking back at Sandwing.

"Uh, yes, but Ashcoat-"

"Oof!"

Twilight stumbled, tipping Spike off her back, as a small gray child ran into her legs, his own legs giving out at the impact and dropping him to the ground. He appeared to be much smaller than the others, and his tiny wings draped awkwardly over the sand that they had failed to lift him from. He slowly got back to his feet, shaking sand out of his dark gray mane and rubbing it out of one of his eyes. The other, she noticed, was covered by a red bandana.

"Ashcoat sometimes has a little trouble keeping up," Sandwing finished, her voice taking on a startlingly pitiful tone.

Onyxclaw's dark shape shouldered free of the crowd, running towards the three ponies with his eyes narrowed. Twilight quickly lit her horn and prepared to fire off a simple blinding spell, but Sandwing opened a wing in front of her face and blocked the light.

Mord Onyxclaw's bright red eyes stared daggers into Twilight's own as Sandwing lowered her wing. He stretched out a paw and swept Ashcoat towards himself, pressing the boy up against his other leg.

"You hurt him," he rumbled. "First you walk into our city, and then you harm our young?"

"I didn't do anything!" Twilight protested, "he ran into me!"

"And you don't even take any of the blame for your inability to get out of places you shouldn't be in? Oh, I should have guessed. Ashcoat, we're leaving."

"Yes, big brother," the little one replied, digging his claws into his brother's pelt and hauling himself up to his back. Ashcoat settled quite comfortably between Onyxclaw's shoulders, lying down and draping a paw through the line of gray feathers.

"Now, grass-eater, you should get to meeting the Pharaoh," he glanced up at the sun, "before I voice my grievances instead."

He glared at her for a second longer before turning and shouldering his way back into the crowd. Twilight let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"Don't mind him," Sandwing muttered, "he doesn't have a nice bone in his body."

"What a jerk," Spike muttered, climbing up Twilight's foreleg. "Who died and made him Sombra?"

"Don't talk like that, Spike. I'm sure he's nice sometimes."

Spike rolled his eyes. "You're just saying that because you're the Princess and you have to be nice."

"It wouldn't kill you to do the same," Twilight replied.

"Uh, guys?" Sandwing interrupted, wincing slightly as the two cast her irritated looks, "he did have a point. Bloodfeather will be expecting you by now."

Twilight snorted, looking back over her shoulder where Mord has disappeared into the crowd. "Lead the way."

The Pharaoh's Tomb

Sandwing flicked her wingtip against Twilight's chest, stopping her in her tracks. "Something's not right."

"How can you tell?" Twilight asked, opening her wings slightly so Spike didn't fall when she halted. "I don't see anything too bad."

"My paws are all itchy," Sandwing extended her claws, the tips clicking against the stone, "and my coat is standing up."

Twilight looked over at her guide's coat, failing to see any difference. "It is proven that Sphinx are physically uncomfortable when something is wrong?"

Sandwing glared back at her. "It's called a gut feeling."

"Oh."

"It's giving me the creeps too," Spike piped up.

"Sandwing? Is that you?" A thick-bodied, white-coated Sphinx bounded up. His coat was striped with faint gray, and his feathers were flecked similarly. "Something's happened."

"I sensed something was off," she grumbled. "What is it, Whitemane?"

He looked past her, towards Twilight, and gave Sandwing a questioning nod.

"Yes, yes, she's with me. Now speak up!"

"It's Bloodfeather. She's gotten very sick, and has requested to see you and Onyxclaw immediately. He has already arrived." Whitemane flicked out a wingtip, pointing out Ashcoat sitting over by a small fountain. "It's private."

"I can't leave her-"

"They will be safe. Now hurry," he seemed to deflate slightly, looking back towards the darkened doorway he had come through, "I don't think she has much time."

Sandwing looked back at Twilight, giving her a weak smile, and loped off down the hallway. Whitemane gave a shallow bow towards Twilight before he continued talking. "The young one may enjoy the company. His brother may not be in a good mood when he comes out."

'That's what I'm afraid of," Twilight grumbled. As Whitemane padded off, she cautiously trotted over to the young Sphinx.

He looked up, his one uncovered eye looking wide and bright without the other. "Hi, Miss Folk. Are you here with Sandwing?"

"Yes," Twilight replied, sitting down slowly and moving her legs to make room for Spike. "And you're here with your brother?"

"Yeah. He wouldn't tell me what was going on." Ashcoat frowned, looking down into the rippling water of the fountain.

Twilight followed his gaze, seeing the tiles under the surface created a large mosaic. "What's that a picture of?"

"That's the Moon God and the Sun Goddess," Ashcoat explained. "That big black shape is the Moon God Jaru. He's a snake. His one eye becomes the moon at night as he watches over us, and the edges of his scales become the stars. The white one is the Sun Goddess Ra. She's a Sphinx. When the Moon God leaves the sky, she burns her own fur and feathers and flies across the sky to light our way and warm the sands. Whenever she lands, the ground becomes wet and an oasis forms."

He paused, squinting as he tried to remember. "There's a legend about a time long ago when sunlight turned directly into moonlight. There was no sunset or sunrise. One day, Jaru tried to take over Ra's day by curling himself around the sky and twisting his tail into the sands so he could not move. The sands became cold as ice, and growing crops and hunting became difficult. Seeing her desert Folk starving, Ra flew out into the desert to find where Jaru had anchored himself.

"She found him curled around a large pillar of stone, his coils gouging into the rock. He looked down at her as she approached, his one eye casting all the light of the moon down on her alone. Despite being blinded, she pleaded with him to release the sky so she could warm it. He continued to refuse until she offered to skydance with him. He uncurled his tail from the stone spire and flew up into the night, his coils releasing broken patches of daylight. Ra skydanced with him, as she promised, and from the dance came the dusk and the dawn, a symbol of their balance and unity. Since then, the night has never invaded the day, or the other way around."

"What's a skydance?" Twilight asked.

Ashcoat looked up at her. "Oh, I forgot you weren't from here. A skydance is-"

"Ashcoat!"

"Twilight!"

Both parties jerked their heads up, seeing Onyxclaw and Sandwing stalking towards them. Mord walked between Twilight and Ashcoat, driving his little brother away. Sandwing simply looked at the ground, her wings drooping and her eyes half-closed.

"She's gone," Sandwing whispered. "Pharaoh Bloodfeather has died."

Twilight felt a shiver rush over her body. From what she had inferred from her letter, the Pharaoh had been doing fine.

"It was some kind of sickness. By the end of her message, she had started rambling about an day as dark as night, and the repetition of history. Whitemane had to take us out, but once we left the room, she went quiet. Whitemane went in to see if she was alright, and her breath had left her. There will be a public vigil tonight, if you'd like to join us."

"What message?" Twilight asked.

"Who will inherit the throne. You might not have been told this, Twilight, but... I'm kind of Bloodfeather's daughter. I'm kind of a Princess myself. And Onyxclaw is technically a Prince. We're supposed to rule together. Get married."

"Oh."

"Oh is right," Sandwing scoffed. "Me, marry that jerk? Not happening. So we've split it. He rules the Moonlight District, and I rule the Daylight."

"So, is there a problem?" Twilight tilted her head.

"Not yet," she sighed, "but chances are there will be, and I thought you should know. Since you're still my charge, you'll have to sit court with me and all that boring stuff."

"That's not that bad," Twilight insisted. "I've done that before."

Sandwing's ears pinned back. "And I may have to go out into the desert and find the Daystaff, which may or may not actually exist."

Twilight made a small choking noise.

Sandwing grinned bitterly. "All in a day's work."

Fittings

"So, the Daystaff?"

Sandwing rolled her eyes, opening her wings as a small blue Sphinx darted underneath them, a white measuring tape trailing behind her. "A golden staff said to be forged in the flames of Ra's sun. One side of it contains a pure Moonstone, and the other a pure Sunstone, both said to be cut directly from the Dawnstone at the World Spire."

"World Spire? Dawnstone?"

"How much of that book did you say you read?" Sandwing teased, sitting back on her haunches and sticking out her chest as the other Sphinx pressed the tape into it. "The World Spire is the stone that Jaru curled into to create the eternal night. The Dawnstone runs in viens through the Spire; it's the source material for Sunstones and Moonstones. I've heard the stone itself glows from it's light when night falls."

"How do you suppose we find it?" Twilight took a step back, letting the Sphinx continue measuring. "And why?"

"Every other Pharaoh has found it so far," she replied casually, "and it shows that you've been blessed by Ra and Jaru so that you can rule righteously. We can't even fly this time, like the other Pharaohs got to. We have to bring Mord along, and unless you use some of your fancy magic on him, we're walking."

"I don't think he'd let me do that," Twilight sighed. "How long should it take?"

Sandwing shrugged. "Flying? Ten or so days. Walking through the desert only by night? Probably much longer."

Twilight sighed, glancing back over her shoulder. "Spike? You're going to have to stay here. You can probably stay with Dustfur and Ashcoat while I'm away. It's going to be a long journey, and a boring one."

"Sounds fine to me. Do you think they have gemstones?"

"I'll leave some behind for you," Twilight promised.

Spike crossed his arms, looking up skeptically. "You won't have any more cool adventures without me, will you?"

"It should be uneventful," Sandwing assured him. "Thanks for the fitting, Seawing."

"My pleasure, Pharaoh Sandwing." The blue Sphinx replied, bowing.

Sandwing awkwardly rubbed the back of her head, grimacing as the other Sphinx backed out of the room. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this royalty thing. I managed to keep the whole Princess thing under wraps for so long, and now...?"

Twilight nodded. "If Bloodfeather was your mother, how are you feeling about all of this?"

The Sphinx's fur bristled as her whole body tensed. She stood, shaking, and then let out a large sigh and looked up at Twilight. "I must put aside my own feelings until the moon rises. Once my duties are transferred to Onyxclaw, I will be able to speak more freely."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Twilight continued. "I know how hard it must be-"

"Princess Twilight Sparkle," Sandwing growled, her eyes narrowing, "the best thing you can do is remain silent until nightfall. I have told you I do not want to talk about this until that point, and I dearly hope you have the dignity to uphold my wishes. Do I make myself clear?"

Without waiting for a response, she lashed her tail and turned away, storming out. Spike peered out cautiously from behind Twilight's back. "That seemed kind of harsh."

"Don't, Spike. I shouldn't have pushed her. It's only natural for her to be upset." Twilight crouched down, letting her assistant climb up onto her shoulders. "It seems the Sphinx have different customs than we do when it comes to royalty."

"Figures," Spike huffed.

As Twilight trotted out of the room, she kept finding herself drifting back to Sandwing's tone, to the anger in her eyes. For some reason, the use of her title in such a way struck her down to her core. She still felt shamed, as if she was just a filly and the Sphinx had told her off. Shamed and humbled; suddenly aware that some things were not for her to pry into. She also noticed that she had never felt this way when one of her friends had reprimanded her, no matter how harsh it had been.

She turned, and saw Sandwing sitting down in the narrow hallway, her forehead pressed against the wall and her wings raised slightly to hide her face. Her back shook and her claws tapped against the ground. Twilight took a step back, but Sandwing's ears had already lifted and turned towards her.

The Sphinx lowered her wings, lifting her head from the wall but not looking away from it. "You just couldn't leave me alone, could you?"

"No, no, that's not it at all-"

"It's admirable," Sandwing continued absently, "that you're so loyal. Isn't that supposed to be your friends' job? Rainbow Dart?"

"Dash," Twilight corrected, "but Sandwing, you're allowed to talk about how you're feeling."

"You may be, but I cannot. A Pharaoh's duty is to their people, not to themselves. Once my rule ends with the sun's light, I will talk with you." She shook her head, running a paw through her mane. "I need to focus on preparing my body for our quest. Unlike you, I will not be able to eat until we find the Spire. I am to meet with a Seer in a few minutes, who will aid in sending prayers to Ra and Jaru and make up herbal pouches to keep my strength up."

"Do you have to go alone?"

Sandwing turned to her then, eyes glistening. "No. I do not."

Twilight stifled a cough as a wave of smoke billowed into her face. She closed her eyes against the sudden heat, and when she opened them, a pure white Sphinx female's face was hovering in front of hers, nearly touching her muzzle. Twilight screamed, backing up, and the floating face laughed.

"Cease the illusions!" Sandwing roared.

The smoke shimmered as the face withdrew, and it seemed to clear slightly. Sandwing tapped Twilight's shoulder with her wing, edging her forward. As they walked through it, a small light appeared, a green and ghostly light. A white shape paced around it, faint and wispy in the smoke and light.

"Sssandwing, what bringsss you here? And sssuch a pretty guessst."

Twilight yelped as something brushed down her back. Sandwing turned back to her, green eyes glittering as she glanced around.

"Ssso you are the Pharaoh now? Sssuch a losssss, sssuch a losssss."

"Stop this! I need to have safe travel to the Spire!"

Something hissed in the fog, and a wave of sweet-smelling smoke billowed through the rest of it, clearing a path through the smog. A small fire burned green, surrounded by pillows of various sizes and colors. Directly opposite the fire, a pure white Sphinx sat, tail curled over her feet. She stared at them with her head turned, her eye a pale pink mirror in the wavering light. She opened her wings, their tips vanishing into the smoke, revealing various charms and beads strung through their feathers. She tilted her head slightly, ears lifting up from her head like those of a massive bat.

"Welcome to our den, Sssandwing. You have come to commune with the great ssspiritsss?"

Sandwing nodded, her mouth set in a firm line.

The Sphinx tilted her head the other way, revealing a solid golden ball set into her eye socket. She blinked, and light reflected off of a carving the shape of the sun. "You come with a guessst."

"This is Princess Twilight Sparkle."

"Welcome, Princesssss of the Ssstarsss. We have heard of you."

Twilight looked to Sandwing, unsure.

"You are ssstartled? Do not fret. We will aid you in crosssssing the sssandsss." She opened her mouth, and her tongue flicked out, punching a hole in the smoke. "Come, ssstep forward ssso the ssspiritsss can sssee you."

Sandwing hesitated. "Stay back, Twilight," she muttered before walking forwards.

The white Sphinx jerked her head back, tongue darting out as her ears swiveled. Some of the charms on her wings jangled as they knocked into each other, and Sandwing winced. "You mean you are going to crosssss the desssert without ssskydancing?"

"I-I have not had time! I have only become Pharaoh late today!"

"A Sssphinx of your age ssshould have done ssso long ago, essspecially a Princesssss!" The seer let out a wordless hiss, revealing a toothless maw. "The Ssspiritsss will not let you crosssss the dessert until you do!"

"You're saying I cannot eat until I skydance and cross the desert? This is madness!"

"Thisss isss the way of the Ssspiritsss! You musst not go!" The white Sphinx was nearly screaming, her one eye rimmed in white, her golden eye whirling madly. Her fur stood on end, and the smoke swirled angrily around her.

"I'll skydance with you!"

Both Sphinx froze, the white seer taking deep heaving breaths as Sandwing turned back to face Twilight.

"I... sssuppossse tradition can be broken. Sssameer, it will be recorded." Her head bobbed. "If Sssandwing is approving."

The Sphinx stared at Twilight a moment longer, a faint smile tracing across her muzzle. "Yes. Yes, I approve."

The seer smiled. "Princesssss, you can wait outssside now. Sssandwing just hasss to try a few herbsss. The Ssspiritsss have already told me their approval."

Skydance

"You've got to - no, no, like this - you make this so difficult!" Sandwing laughed, darting forward and grabbing Twilight around her belly. "Match your wingbeats to mine. There's no thermals at night, remember? You've got to work harder to stay airborne, especially in the desert."

"I know how to fly!" Twilight protested, beating her wings harder against the cool air. "You're not helping by holding me up!"

Sandwing grinned, releasing Twilight. "You may know how to fly, but you aren't great at skydancing. We've got to get way higher than this."

"I'm trying! I just can't get any lift!"

"Let me carry you," Sandwing offered, "and then you can hover once we're higher."

Twilight looked down at the dunes, still close enough for her to safely drop down to them, and sighed. "I suppose that would be best. You'll still teach me how to night-fly properly, right?"

"Sure! Once everything else is sorted out." She dipped down under Twilight, lifting sharply so she ended up lying on Sandwing's back. "Now close your eyes and hold on. I want the view to be a surprise."

Twilight squeezed her eyes shut, her breath catching in her throat as Sandwing's body surged with the beating of her wings. She desperately looped her hooves around the Sphinx's neck, feeling nothing but the steady pounding of her own heart against Sandwing's. Almost as suddenly as she had climbed, she leveled out, her wings beating occasionally as she circled.

"You can open your eyes now," she muttered. "And do try to look down."

Twilight slowly opened her eyes, peering over Sandwing's shoulder. Above them, the pitch-black sky glittered with stars like it was studded with diamonds. The moon, a perfect circle or pure white light, traced patterns on the top of the clouds, not quite illuminating the sands but still lifting the shadows from the sides facing it. Within the patchwork shadows of the sands, the orange lights of cities and travelers danced like fireflies. Huge networks of light spread from the cities, connecting them on threads as thin as spider's silk, marking paths usually shown by the soft indents of hooves on the windblown earth.

"It's beautiful." Twilight breathed.

"We build our cities to match the shape of the stars. It helps the little ones find their way home if they get separated; if they look at the sky, they can find a constellation that matches the one their city is built in and use the nearest city to give them direction."

"I had no idea the Sphinx relied so much on the stars."

Sandwing smiled, her shoulders lurching as she climbed a bit higher. "Every one is an edge of one of Jaru's scales, the legends say. And there's more than we can see; each pit of darkness holds a thousand more points of light."

"I never though about it that way."

"Some Princess of the Stars you are," Sandwing teased. She rolled, sliding Twilight off of her back and catching her in her paws until the Alicorn got hr balance.

Twilight flapped her wings frantically, trying to tilt her wings to way Sandwing had shown her. "Maybe it's best if you carry me."

"Really? Relenting already?" Sandwing laughed, hooking her hind hooves around Twilight's back for a better grip and pressing their bellies together. "Comfy?"

"Your belly fur is really soft," Twilight commented. "Is that because of your feline ancestors, or is it a grooming choice?"

"Never change, Twilight." Sandwing burrowed her muzzle into her companion's mane. "So, are you ready to skydance?"

"Is it okay if I can't fly up here?"

Sandwing grinned, pulling Twilight tighter, and stopped flapping. There was a single weightless moment before Sandwing pulled her wings in and the two of them dropped. The wind roared around them, sudden flashes of cold and hot rippling over their coats as they punched through the clouds. Sandwing was as streamlined as an arrow, every part of her lined up to drop directly at the ground. Twilight clung to the Sphinx, unable to scream from her panic.

"Sandwing! The ground!" She yelled, the wind rushing into her mouth along with the bitter grit of blowing sand.

Sandwing's eyes narrowed, and a smug grin appeared on her muzzle. Slowly, as they plummeted towards the ground, she extended her wings. The wind whistled through her feathers until, suddenly, she snapped them open in full. The drop seemed to slow to a stop, Twilight's tail brushing the sand, and then Sandwing pumped her wings in a single, solid flap and the momentum released in an upward surge.

Sandwing opened one of her wings, pressing her chin against's Twilight's head as she spun to relieve the speed, slowing until they were simply circling in midair.

Twilight struggled free of Sandwing's grip, her wings beating unsteadily as she glared at he Sphinx. "What was that?! What in Equestria were you thinki-eep!"

Twilight felt her wings falter as Sandwing pressed her muzzle to hers, her mouth tender and soft despite the sharp teeth Twilight knew lay beneath.

Sandwing drew back, smiling softly, taking Twilight's forehooves in her paws and holding her up as she started up her hover again. "Thank you."

"For what?!" Twilight demanded. "Letting you fly with me and not fighting when you nearly killed the both of us?! Not protesting when you kissed me?!"

"Y-you mean," Sandwing's smiled dropped, "oh."

"What do you mean, 'oh'?!"

Sandwing looked down at her paws, slowly releasing Twilight's hooves. "Nobody's told you what a skydance is, have they?"

"No, but what does that have to do with this?!"

"Twilight, asking to skydance with somebody is like asking somebody to marry you." Sandwing sighed, backing away from Twilight. "It's important that I skydanced before becoming a Pharaoh because..."

"Because you have to have had a mate." Twilight finished.

"Well, in somewhat crude terms," Sandwing replied, frowning. "It's to keep any urges under control. Supposedly. I'm sorry, Twilight, I had no idea you didn't know, and I should have asked you sooner, I just... I just didn't want you to say no."

"You didn't... oh." Twilight looked down at the lights below, trying to ignore the nagging feeling in her chest.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." Sandwing turned, ready to glide back down to the sand.

Twilight placed her hoof on Sandwing's shoulder. "I didn't say I was against it."

She could feel all of Sandwing's muscles tense under her hoof, and she lifted it. "Do you mean that?"

Twilight blushed, giggling to ease the awkwardness. "Well, maybe not the..." she tapped her hooves together for emphasis.

Sandwing laughed, turning around. "You do mean it, though? We can be... together?"

"I-I guess," Twilight nodded. "We'll save the... yeah, for later."

Sandwing darted forward, gripping Twilight in a tight hug and burrowing her muzzle into the pony's neck. "Thank you, Twilight. Thank you so much."

"Don't worry, Sandwing. Whatever happens on this quest, we'll face it together."