Breaking Dawn

       Once again, I flew at the edge of space.

       Once again, I attempted to cross that barrier.

       Six months of constant effort.

       And that barrier still wouldn't budge.

       It didn't feel like a barrier at all. Flying was easier in space. Acceleration was really easy. But this barrier was persistent. The closer I got, the slower I accelerated.

       I had been accelerating for an hour already, the longest I had ever tried, and I was only getting slower.

       I had learned to bring a compressed air supply long ago.

       But this was starting to worry me. What if...what if it really was impossible? What if this was a practical application of those math equations, where the values always approached zero, but never made it there?

       I slowed down to just barely supersonic speed. If I was right, I would never make it there. If I was wrong, and I desperately hoped I was, there would be time tomorrow.

       I raced back down towards Equus, towards home. From up here, I could see all of Equestria, but not very well-defined. There were magical landmarks, but the map in the throne room of Crystal Castle gave me a clearer picture. What interested me was space, the unknown, the untouchable.

       And I was a long way from making it there.

       I landed at the castle. I still lived with Twilight, leading her Guard. It was a few years since I found out that I was an alicorn, but it was still a secret to the public. I had not grown a horn yet, and while I was a few inches taller, I did not look that out of place. Celestia explained to me that I was still weak by alicorn standards, and I would be a target for any enemies. Twilight actually did not know of her alicornhood until she got her wings. Apparently, a unicorn's rapidly growing magic is a lot easier to explain, especially given her talent in the first place. There was no need for her to be worried with the information.

       I was told mainly because I would notice easily.

       Twilight was standing outside the castle doors, pacing nervously.

       I landed beside her, and she immediately started shouting.

       "Where were you all this time?"

       "But I told you where I was going. I was practicing my flying."

       "For two days?!"

       "What? I was only up there for about an hour and a half...wait a minute. How long was I up there the last few times."

       "Oh, about two hours."

       Uh oh.

       Those other times, I was only attempting the break for about one minute, max

       "I may need to tell you something important, Twilight. You know about that theory of relativity that everypony criticized a few years ago?"

       "Yeah, that was ridiculous. I mean, there's almost no proof."

       "Well, I just proved it quite thoroughly."

       "How?"

       "Well, I didn't tell you what I've been trying to do, did I?"

       "No. Was it something special?"

       "Yes, actually. I was trying to break the light-speed barrier."

       "That's insane!"

       "And it turns out, impossible."

       "Why do you say that? You never label anything as impossible, I know that."

       "The thing is, the closer you get to the barrier, the slower you accelerate. So you can always accelerate, but never quite reach there."

       "Okay, but how does this prove that crazy theory? And why were you gone for so long?"

       "You see, I was traveling very, very close to the speed of light for about an hour."

       "And?"

       "And for me, I was only gone for an hour and a half. For me, time slowed down."

       Twilight gasped. "This changes everything!"

       I sighed. "Yes, it does. It means that I can't go after the Nightmare anytime soon. There has to be another way to get up there."

       Twilight snorted. "And what do you suppose you would've done if you could get there? Even Celestia couldn't defeat her alone."

       "Alone."

       "What are you talking about?"

       I can find a way to get to space, but it doesn't have to be under my own power. I could find a way to create some sort of...ship. One that can take several ponies to space. And then return safely.

       "Like an aeroplane? Those devices that allow ponies without wings to fly?"

       "No. There isn't any air for them to fly on. Rocket propulsion is the key. It can work without any air to support it."

       "But that's only used for fireworks, and that sort of thing. How will you get it to lift a pony? Or have any steering?"

       "Well, I guess I'll have to wait and find out, won't I?"

       "What about the Nightmare? Didn't you say she could return at any moment?"

       "When I saw its magic the first time, I panicked. I didn't know how she regained it, and assumed it was increasing at a far greater rate than it actually was. I looked at it today, as I flew above the sun. It has only barely increased in power. It will be at least another hundred years until we are in danger again."

       "So now what?"

       "It's time to get prepared. I still haven't given up. It's time for some research."