Twilight opened her eyes; the dim glow surrounded her vision. Multiple white flashes covered the blue zone. They looked like stars, like dawn was coming. The muscles in her eyes shifted the pupils, absorbing the surroundings, she was-well-somewhere, though certainty wasn't available. Suddenly, Twilight felt friction at the tip of her hoofs. Balancing her body, she straightened, standing on the ground-or was it? The area felt like a weightless region with many burning stars accompanying the sky. Was it the sky, or not? The matter is, Twilight didn't where she was, so confusion was the next reaction.
"Hello?" She spoke in a distressed tone, moving her head around. She narrowed her eyes, trying to look in the distance; the only visible thing was the strange horizon being a light blue with white stars covering it. "Where am I?" Turning her head back, Twilight's voice became louder. "What is this place?"
Her voice echoed; the sound carried over the infinite-looking region. Her brain went in thinking mode as a figure began to form in front of her. It seemed like a white blur, though it became more detailed as it got closer. Some colors on its sides could be seen. They were moving, even with the lack of wind. Twilight watched with round eyes as the mysterious white being became fully identifiable. As the blurriness faded, standing there at over six feet tall was none other than the sun princess herself; Princess Celestia.
She wore a warm smile, her wings fully stretched to accommodate the space around. Being her student for so long, Twilight's first thought was to walk up to Celestia. If anypony knew answers, it was her mentor. As Twilight walked up, Celestia spoke. "Congratulations Twilight, I knew you could do this."
"Princess," Twilight gave her mentor a quick hug, before pulling back and looking at her directly in the glowing eyes. "I don't understand. What did I do?" Her expression became calm as Celestia wore the same smile, telling her that everything would be alright. Her horn glowed its usual golden aurora.
"You did something today that's never been done before," her voice remained elegant. Celestia then turned her head. Using her glowing horn, she spawned a black book next to her. It had many light star shapes on the cover as it continued to float by the princess's magic. Celestia continued. "Something that not even the great Star Swirl the Bearded was able to do."
Suddenly the book opened, flipping through the pages rapidly. Twilight watched in curiosity as the words on previous pages flew by, not being able to be read. Finally, the pages stopped flipping as it got to its final script.
Celestia started again. "Because he did not understand friendship like you do." Those last words were spoken with the utmost encouragement. Meanwhile, Twilight raised an eyebrow.
"So what happens now," she knew what she had done. She just fixed one of Star Swirl the Bearded's final spell, creating a new type of magic. Though what would happen next, she would soon find out.
Celestia turned her face back to Twilight's, though something was off. Her eyebrows were dropped and she gave a light frown. Celestia looked sad. This caused Twilight to be worried for her mentor.
"Princess, is something wrong?"
Celestia gave a barely audible sigh, looking down to the transparent floor. "You see Twilight, you will be granted great privileges," her voice was flat, though full of hesitation. "You have showed me enough; enough to tell me that you're ready."
Twilight's ears perked. She has been with the princess for a long time, though she was never more than her student. What did she mean by being ready? "Ready for what?" she asked straight forward, her voice being calm.
Celestia's drooped face looked at Twilight's eyes. She knew this would be hard, though to ensure more alicorns would mean having to make sacrifices. "From this day forward, you will be known as the alicorn of magic: Princess Twilight Sparkle," her voice gave its usual echo, gliding across the lifeless region.
Upon hearing her new title, Twilight gave a large smile. "Really!" she asked in awe. "I can't believe it. I'm gonna become a princess, me, being at your side princess. We can even-."
"But you can never see your friends again," Celestia gave a loud interruption, stopping the excited soon-to-be alicorn in her tracks. Twilight went wide eyed, her mouth slowly closing as she sucked on her teeth.
"Um, I'm sorry, what?" Twilight needed to make sure she heard everything correctly. Surely the princess made some kind of mistake.
Celestia sat there for a few seconds, looking at Twilight with fallen ears. Taking a breather in, Celestia through away her hesitation and continued. "Once we get back to Equestria, you will become a princess." She took a short pause. "Once you do, you will never be able to see your friends again."
Twilight's heart strings were probably ripped at the moment Celestia finished her sentence. A painfully long pause was held. All the meanwhile, Twilight slowly took steps backwards, nodding her head in denial. "N-No, heh, that can't be right," her eyes started to swell up in tears and anger. "Y-You c-can't do this, r-right?"
Celestia shook her head. "It's the only way to ensure the alicorn race rules over Equestria. Your friends would merely be a distraction."
"NO!" Twilight blurted out in grief. Celestia shifted her face back. She had never seen her student so mad at her; this was something new. "I know something's wrong." Twilight started to walk up to Celestia, a ray of water down both her cheeks. "What happens when I get back huh? I'll have to be isolated in a castle and never see them again? Is that what you want?"
"Enough!" Celestia spread her wings rapidly, causing Twilight to back down like a dog being in trouble. Seeing this, Celestia's face softened. "I'm sorry is has to end like this. Once you're back, all your friends will be gone, and then you must complete your duties as-".
"But I don't want this." Twilight interrupted. She sat on her haunches, ears drooping.
Celestia's horn glowed brightly as a heavy wind passed through the space region. "It appears you have no other choice."
"Wait no." Twilight held a hoof up, trying to stop the princess.
Celestia continued. "Once we're back, you will become an alicorn, but all your friends will be dead."
Twilight's eye barriers broke as she began to sob. "Wait, please stop!" It was too late. A huge flash engulfed the two ponies as they made it back to Equestria.
--
Twilight couldn't feel her body. All there was was humming. She closed her eyes as she became the last element of harmony. "Please, don't do this," Twilight begged.
"I'm sorry, but this is final. It's a shame you can't say good bye," Celestia's fading voice vanished.
Twilight saw her friends in the white distance. They all looked sad, but as she reached a hoof forward, they disappeared. That was it; just a lonely ending.
--
Twilight quickly shot out of bed, throwing her sheets aside. She shifted her head to the side and saw Discord laughing. Twilight's eyes went from worried to furious. "Discord, what was that?"
The draconequus wiped a tear from his left eye, keeping the same mischievous smile. "That was totally worth it. I'm sorry Twilight; I just had to give you bad dreams so I could take pictures." Discord took out a camera, looking over it.
"Are you serious," Twilight jumped out of bed. "I thought it was real. How could you?"
Discord's expression went from happy to offend. "Well, since you interrupted me the last time I tried to tell the audience how to write stories, it would only seem fair I interrupted your thoughts." He then took out the camera again, giving the same smile. "I can't wait to show this to Pinkie Pie. She's so gonna laugh."
Twilight gritted her teeth as her horn started to glow, "DISCORD!!!!"