Persona: Radiance

1/1/4224-Evening

The evening sun was dipping below the horizon by the time the carriage had stopped at Carousel Boutique, Rarity's home and business. The sky turned a brilliant shade of orange, with a strand of violet at the end as the wheels came to a halt. Twilight groaned, as she stretched her limbs, almost tumbling out of the vehicle, her legs stiff. She felt her joints pop, as she fixed her normally straight mane. It had taken them a little over an hour to go from the Transient Station to the Boutique. She dusted herself off, and popped open the carriage trunk. Her horn lit up, as she picked up two of her four suitcases, "Thanks for helping me with my luggage Rarity." Twilight said, a warm smile gracing her lips. She grunted as she lifted the heavy bags out of the trunk, and into the warm air behind her.

"Anytime Darling, you are my favorite half-sister after all." Rarity smiled back, picking up the other two suitcases with minimal effort. She trotted forward, Sweetie Belle and the two bags trailing behind her. Humming a tune she bent down and moved the green "WELCOME HOME" mat aside, revealing a small brass key.

"Really? A key under the mat? And here I thought my fashionista sis would have more imagination than that." Twilight teased, snickering. Rarity playfully stuck her tongue out at the lavender mare. Turning back to the door, she levitated the key into a locked cube bolted to the wall. Turning the key, she pulled out a small silver key. She then inserted the door lock, and turned the key, as the bolt unlocked with a satisfying CLICK. She smirked, turning to Twilight, who pouted cutely, muttering to herself.

The trio stepped inside, as Sweetie Belle shut the front door, before heading upstairs to work on her schoolwork. "Ah, home sweet home." Rarity breathed in deeply, as she set the bags by the side of the door, taking off her scarf and hanging it on the coat rack. "Make yourself at home Twilight." She said, then made her way into the kitchen to prepare their dinner.

Twilight nodded, setting the rest of the luggage down by its brethren. She took in the place. At the front appeared to be a waiting area, with a doorway which, upon tilting forward slightly, revealed a comfortable, homey, living room. An emerald green couch that could fit around five, and a well cared for, wide Television. A mahogany coffee table provided a barrier between the TV and the couch. Putting her own hat and coat on the coat rack, she noticed something that caught her eye. A shining rapier, one that, while it looked like it had been used, had been well cared for, was nestled amongst umbrellas in a bin not far from the hat rack. When she had barely moved two feet to inspect the weapon, Rarity poked her head back out, and came to chat with her half-sibling, two daisy sandwiches held on a plate, and two cups of fresh tea.

While the two enjoyed the simple meal, the blade mixed in with the umbrellas came back to the forefront of Twilight's mind. "Hey Rarity," Twilight said, the alabaster mare swallowed her chunk of sandwich, and cocked her head to face her kin, "So, I can't help but notice that," she thought over how to continue, "You have a, well, rapier tucked in there." She pointed to the umbrella bin, which was a rose red color.

A faint blush lit up Rarity's cheeks like a Hearthswarming Eve tree light, as a she coughed into her hoof. She set down her sandwich, and took a deep breath, "Twilight, d-did mother ever tell you about those, um, fencing lessons I took when I was in Madame Haylene Mareyer's Finishing School for Fillies?" Twilight nodded, "I...continue practicing, I know it isn't terribly ladylike for one to be seen armed, but, a lady does need a way to defend herself, and, even the greatest noblemares have been reported to have brandished a blade in times of need." She smiled, "Madame Mareyer said I was quite skilled at it." She recalled fondly.

"That's unexpected Rarity, but well, at least you haven't been letting yourself get too pudgy." Twilight snickered, as Rarity pouted, and nudged Twilight's right foreleg with her own. "I've done a little fencing during high school, but," she clicked her tongue, "Now that we're both gonna be freshmares at Ponyville University in a week, do you think...." She motioned towards the rapier in the basket.

Rarity smiled slightly, "Of course Twilight, I'll be glad to instruct you on Tuesdays,Thursdays, and Saturdays." She took a sip of her tea, "The other day's I'll be busy with Spike." She giggled, a blush rising to her cheeks once more, "I hope you don't mind."

Twilight laughed, "No, I'm cool with it, I'm just surprised is all, I thought you two would never be able to muster the courage to admit your feelings for each other." She ducked the felt pillow that was thrown at her, as they continued their meal, making small talk in between.

It was an hour later when the two had finished, and Rarity had scrubbed the plates with the aid of Twilight, and had then put Sweetie to bed. The filly had fallen asleep after a grueling battle with history. The door closed behind them as they exited her room. "With Spike coming over, how does she ever get sleep?" She quipped.

"My walls are soundproofed." Rarity flushed, "If only you didn't consider him a brother, the things he can do with those claws...." She stopped in place, her eyes glazing over, as various images of her drakefriend and her in compromising positions, a thin strand of drool dripping from her mouth. Twilight chuckled lightly, wiping away the saliva. Rarity trotted into her bedroom as if in a perverted stupor, and went to bed.

Twilight smiled, whispering a "Goodnight sis." before she closed the door. She made sure the front door was locked, before hefting aloft her luggage with her magic. Carefully, she trudged up the stairs with her bags, the only sound being her labored breaths as she carried her suitcases with her. She made sure not to wake up her half-siblings. The weight of her hooves caused the carpeted stairs to creak ever so slightly beneath her as she ascended. The sounds of a pair of muffled snores that would rival a dragon's came from the Toreador sisters' rooms, causing Twilight to hush a snicker with her hoof. She pushed the door of her room open, and unpacked her clothes and other items, placing them in their correct places. She set aside her bags by the light grey cabinet. Twilight inhaled the cool bedroom air, and then pulled the covers down. The lavender mare set her dark grey pleather jacket and cap on the nightstand next to her bed, and folded them.

Twilight Sparkle pulled the dark blue covers over herself, as the luminescent moon was eclipsed by a passing cloud, bathing the room in a cool darkness. She snuggled into her pillow, yawning quietly. Exhaling a blast of air from her nostrils, sleep began to take Twilight. Closing her eyes, she finally entered Luna's Dreamland.
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1/2/4224-Early Morning
Twilight Sparkle mumbled in her sleep, as a cock crowed in the distance, signaling the coming dawn. Twilight slowly opened her eyes, groaning as the harsh sunlight blasted her in the face. She rubbed her brilliant purple eyes with her hooves, yawning, as she slowly sat up in bed. She smacked her lips, before she felt a familiar pressure. Quickly kicking off the midnight blue covers of her bedspread, she made her way to the bathroom and took care of her business. Flushing, she then proceeded to carefully brush her teeth. Rinsing her mouth, Twilight looked at herself in the polished mirror. Her mane looked like a she had tried to cut it with a rusty chainsaw, dipped the tips of each strand of hair in a mixture of sulfuric acid and Pinkto-Abysmal, and then got several Pegasi on some serious drugs to fly around her head while they were singing folk songs. In short, it was a total disaster. She grumbled, before brushing her mane. "Note to self, never eat too much before bed again." The lavender Unicorn mumbled to herself.

Her mane finally in order, Twilight went out to greet the new day. She didn't put her jacket or hat back on, and the only reason she had even worn them was twofold. One, she wanted to make a fashionable first impression on her half-sisters, and two, it was pretty bucking cold in between Canterlot and Ponyville. Her tail swished as she trotted downstairs, her sensitive nose having picked up the scent of freshly made Gelgian waffles, and freshly squeezed mango juice. "Good morning!" Twilight chirped, as she entered the kitchen. She got a muffled response from Sweetie Belle, who currently had a waffle in her mouth, which was dripping butter onto her plate. A half empty glass of juice sat next to Sweetie's plate.

Rarity trotted in from the stove, a mint green, floral patterned apron around her body, and gave a disapproving look at Sweetie Belle for her table manners, before smiling. "Good morning Twilight," She gestured to an empty seat, with the plate and silverware set up, "How was your sleep?" She asked.

Twilight returned the smile, "It was fine, I didn't really dream anything noteworthy." She responded, and took her seat. She eagerly licked her lips as a batch of fresh waffles was heaped onto her plate. "Thanks sis." She grabbed her fork and knife in her magic, and began to carefully eat the meal before her. Small talk was exchanged by the trio as they ate their breakfast. By the time the food was done, Twilight had re-dressed in her jacket and cap, with light purple saddlebags with her Cutie Mark as the clasp, while Rarity was dressed in a long, multicolored scarf, a crimson beret with a gold eagle pin, and her saddlebags. Both escorted Sweetie Belle to the Middle School building of Ponyville University, then made their way to the main campus.

Rarity hummed a quiet tune as the two trotted through the long path leading from the plated gates, to the double revolving doors of the central administration building. Cheerilee was a former teacher of Art History, and was the Vice Principal, while her cousin Colgate, a part time orthodontist, took up the post of Principal. The secretary, Ditzy Doo, twin sister to the Head of Ponyville University Mail Delivery Services, or the HPUMDS for short, Derpy Hooves, waved a friendly hoof to the two, "Good morning girls." She smiled warmly. The two responded in kind, as they made their way to the office.

Rarity knocked, as the door was enveloped in a pale blue aura, and swung open. Colgate sat at her desk, absentmindedly brushing a fake set of teeth with a brush. She looked up, smiling warmly. "Ah, Ms. Toreador, and..." She stared inquisitively at the lavender Unicorn, "You must be Ms. Toreador's half-sister, Twilight Sparkle the 14th." She went to her computer, and printed out two sheets of paper, and hoofed it to the mare. "One is your schedule, and the second paper is a copy of the school bulletin." Twilight thanked her, as the two exited her office, and went their seperate ways.

Today would be the start of Twilight's bizzare adventure....