“Fresh apples, straight from Sweet Apple Acres! Come and get ’em!”
Applejack’s voice echoed across the Ponyville marketplace, attracting the attention of the townsfolk as they meandered about. Occasionally a pony would walk up and buy an apple or two, but for the most part everyone was simply enjoying another pleasant spring day. Business wasn’t booming, but Applejack still couldn’t complain about the steady stream of customers so far.
Next to her, Apple Bloom loaded another container with the last of their fresh apples, wiping beads of sweat from her brow as she finished. “Phew! That’s the last of ‘em, AJ.” As Apple Bloom joined her sister behind the counter, Applejack abruptly pulled her close and ruffled her mane. “Hey! Sis, quit it!”
Applejack laughed as she released her sister. “What, don’t like your big sis showing any affection to ya?”
“Not when it involves a noogie.” Re-adjusting her bow, Apple Bloom braced her hooves against the stand and pulled herself up to watch ponies walk or fly by. “I do appreciate ya lettin’ me help out at the stand again though.”
“Well, now that ya got yer cutie mark, ’bout time we let ya help more around the farm. ’Side’s, I doubt we’ll be having a repeat of what happened last time… right?”
Apple Bloom gave a nervous laugh. “Yeah… no chance of that happenin’, no siree!” As she watched ponies stroll by, just waiting for one of them to be drawn to their stand by the allure of their fresh produce, she caught sight of one pony in particular among them. “Look sis!” Apple Bloom pointed her hoof towards the crowd. “It’s Miss Twilight!”
Looking to where Apple Bloom was pointing, Applejack could just make out Twilight walking amongst the townsfolk, a pair of bulging saddlebags on her back as she casually strolled by.
“Good eye, Apple Bloom. Hey, Twilight!”
Twilight yelped at the sound of her name, jumping in fright as she frantically looked around for whoever had called out to her.
“Over here, Twi!” Applejack waved her hooves above her head in an attempt to catch Twilight’s attention, smiling when she finally glanced her way.
Her happiness was replaced with confusion as Twilight’s jaw dropped open in surprise and her eyes widened at the sight of her, fear clearly visible on her face as she stood petrified in the middle of the marketplace, her eyes remaining locked onto the other mare. Just as Applejack was about to call out to her once more, Twilight spun on her hooves and galloped in the opposite direction, narrowly avoiding knocking over ponies in her haste.
“What was that all about?” Apple Bloom asked as she watched Twilight run off.
“Apple Bloom, watch the stand for me. I’m gonna find out ”
“Huh? But sis…!” Before Apple Bloom could try and stop her, Applejack had already taken off after Twilight. Apple Bloom groaned as she smacked her head against the countertop. “Great, just great…”
On the other side of the marketplace, Fluttershy was just finishing doing up the clasp on her saddlebags, satisfied with her purchases so far. “There, that should be everything. Angel is going to be so happy when I make him his favourite meal tonight.” Fluttershy was practically giddy with excitement as she imagined the look on Angel’s face when she got home.
“How is Angel, if I may ask?” Rarity asked as she walked up beside Fluttershy, having finished making her own purchases. “I remember you mentioning the poor thing’s been under the weather lately?”
“Oh, yes. He’s been sick in bed with a nasty cold the last few days. He was so grumpy while I was taking care of him too, especially since he was having trouble keeping anything down besides soup. But now that he’s feeling much better, I thought making him something special would be the perfect way to celebrate his recovery.”
“Fluttershy, you are too good to that little bunny some days.” Rarity paused, tapping her hoof against her chin in thought. “But then again, I don’t suppose I can say otherwise given how much I spoil my precious little Opal.”
Fluttershy nodded as the two of them walked across the Ponyville market, glancing back and forth at the stalls advertising specials or lowered price. “Um… I know I already said this, but I do appreciate you coming out to help me. I know you must be busy now that you’ve got a boutique in Canterlot to manage as well.”
“Oh, it was no trouble at all!” Rarity waved to a few familiar faces as they passed them by. “Sassy Saddles takes care of most of the management at Canterlot Boutique, so all I really need to worry about is supplying a few new dresses every once in a while. Plus, with my newest line well on its way, I had some time to myself and there’s nothing I like more than spending some time with my friends. Especially on such a nice day as to—”
As they left the stalls behind them and turned onto the main streets of Ponyville, Rarity noticed a purple blur hurtling towards them just out of the corner of her eye. Instinctively, she looped her hooves around Fluttershy and pulled her back, causing her to shriek and flare out her wings seconds before the pony bolted passed them, shouting out a quick “Sorry!” as they ran down the street.
“My word!” Rarity could feel the blood pumping in her ears, though she paid it no mind as her attention was focused instead on the pony next to her. “Fluttershy, are you alright?”
Despite trembling slightly, Fluttershy seemed none the worse for wear. “I-I’m alright. Thanks, Rarity.” After taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she asked, “Was… was that Twilight?”
Glancing up, Rarity turned to look in the directing of the fleeing pony, catching sight of an unmistakable pair of purple streaks running through the pony’s tail, as well as the cutie mark of a starburst on her flanks. “Why, I do believe it was! But why is she—“
“Twilight, ya’ll get back here!” Looking back, Rarity and Fluttershy watched as Applejack ran by them, clearly dead set on catching the fleeing mare.
Sharing a look between them, Rarity and Fluttershy wasted no time in joining the ongoing chase. While Fluttershy lagged behind her, Rarity managed to catch up to Applejack before long. “Applejack, what in Equestria is going on?” Rarity yelled as she ran beside her, doing her best to keep pace with the farm mare.
“That’s what I’m tryin’ to find out! All I did was call out to her and she takes off like she just dun gone and seen a ghost!”
High above the commotion, Rainbow groaned as she tossed and turned on the cloud she had decided to take her mid-afternoon nap on. “For Celestia’s sake, what’s with all the noise? I was just getting comfy too!”
Peering over the edge, Rainbow Dash spied Twilight racing down the street like her tail was on fire, Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy in hot pursuit not far behind.
“Where are they off to in such a hurry?” Dash wondered out loud as she stretched her wings and dove off her impromptu bedding, gliding down until she was soaring next to Twilight. “Yo, Twi, what’s the rush? ”
But Twilight didn’t so much as acknowledge Rainbow’s presence, her eyes remaining focused straight ahead. If there was one thing Rainbow Dash hated more than anything else, it was being ignored.
“Oh, come on, Twilight! Don’t ignore me like that! Least say something!”
“AH!” Twilight shrieked as she braced her hooves out in front of her, her eyes wide with terror as she slid to an abrupt stop.
“Wha-”
BAM!
Twilight winced, holding her hooves over her mouth as she watched the pegasus crumple like an accordion upon impacting the side of a passing cart Twilight had stopped to avoid. The cart was loaded so high with fresh apples that the thing barely jostled, the stallion pulling it completely oblivious as Rainbow Dash slid down the side of the cart, flopping down onto her belly right in front of Twilight.
“Afternoon, Princess.” Big Macintosh greeted as he continued on his way without pause. Twilight briefly glanced at the dazed pony to make sure she wasn’t seriously hurt, before stepping around her and running off once more.
While Applejack and Rarity were too focused on catching the fleeing Twilight to pay any mind to Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy stopped in her tracks, walking up to the downed Pegasus. “Oh no. Could… could you all please stop that? Please?” Once the birds stopped circling Rainbow’s head and flew off, Fluttershy looked down at her friend. “Rainbow? Are you okay?”
“Ugh… No mommy, I don’t want to go to school today…” Rainbow deliriously muttered, “… I want to stay home and make cookies with you…”
Dust clouds followed in Twilight’s wake as she galloped down the streets of Ponyville, putting as much distance as she could between her and the entourage of ponies behind her. Her breath was becoming more and more laboured and she could feel her legs beginning to tire from the exertion. Just as she thought she couldn’t go much farther, she caught sight of the castle spires in the distance, prompting a burst of speed as she closed in on the crystal structure. Almost there, Twilight thought. I’m in the clear!
Or she was, right up until a mass of pink leapt up into her line of sight. “Hey, Twilight!” Pinkie greeted her, inexplicably lying out in the middle of the road. “In a hurry?”
Twilight didn’t even falter as she leapt over Pinkie, her hooves skidding against the road as she ungracefully touched down, stumbling for several seconds before falling flat on her face. As she lay on her belly in the middle of the road, the only thing she could utter was, “Ow…”
Pinkie Pie waved a white scorecard almost as big as she was above her head, the number eight emblazed on it in black ink. “Way to stick the landing, Twi!”
Twilight paid her no mind as she staggered back to her hooves, taking off in the direction of the castle once more without even a passing comment. The sound of stampeding hooves drew Pinkie’s attention to Applejack and the others running up to her. While all of them bore expressions of determination, Rainbow instead looked very cross, a bandage stuck across her nose.
“After her, Pinkie!” Applejack shouted as they ran past.
“Ooh, are we playing tag? Does this mean I’m it?”
The castle towered over Twilight as she bore down the walkway towards the main doors, her salvation mere hoofsteps away. Against her better judgement, she cast a quick glance over her shoulder, paling when she saw the others still trailing behind her and gaining fast.
No, I can’t let them catch me! With one final burst of adrenaline, Twilight dove for the double doors, slamming them open as she sailed clear past the threshold and into the castle, the doors slamming shut behind her with a profound thud.
Coming to a screeching halt, Applejack huffed and stamped her hooves before stomping up the castle’s front steps and pushing her weight against the doors obstructing their path. When they didn’t give way, she instead resorted to banging against them and shouting, “Twi, ya got some ‘splainin’ to do!”
“Yes, dear,” Rarity chimed in after a moment with no response from inside, “we’re worried about you. We just want to talk, that’s all.”
“It’s not like she has any place to hide.” Rainbow Dash replied, her voice a nasally mess thanks to the bandage on her face, courtesy of a concerned Fluttershy.
As Applejack walked down the steps to re-join them, she had to hold her hoof over her mouth to keep from doing more than just snickering. “Rainbow, ya sound plum ridiculous with that thing on yer face.”
Rainbow Dash growled, ripping the bandage off as she flew up and pounded her hoof against the castle doors. “Come on out already, Twi! We know you’re in there! Get out here before I come in there and drag—”
Rainbow was cut off by the groan of hinges as the door slowly opened, the pegasus drifting back as a pony stepped out to greet them, a pony that was most definitely not Twilight Sparkle.
“Hello, my little ponies.” Princess Celestia smiled down at them, taking in every one of their shocked expressions in turn. “Can I help you all with something?”
Applejack was the first to snap back to her senses. “Princess? What in tarnation are ya doin’ here?” A swift elbow to the ribs from Rarity prompted her to quickly amend that with, “Not that there’s anythin’ wrong with that, just that we weren’t ‘spectin’ to run into ya.” The others all nodded in agreement.
“Well, as luck would have it, I believe I’m here for very much the same reason as all of you. I was hoping to get a chance to speak with Twilight.”
“Oh no…” All eyes were suddenly on Fluttershy, as she spoke up from the back. “Does… does that mean there’s another threat to Equestria you need Twilight’s help to fight?”
The sound of Celestia’s laugh quickly disarmed Fluttershy of those fears. “No, nothing like that. This is merely a friendly visit between me and one of my fellow princesses.”
“Oh, good.” Fluttershy muttered under her breath, sighing in relief.
“Speaking of Twilight,” Rainbow Dash peered past Celestia into the castle behind her, hoping to catch the sight of a purple tail running down the halls. “You didn’t see her run by you by any chance, did you? She was acting real strange. I mean even stranger than normal for Twi at least.”
The Princess raised an eyebrow at Rainbow’s words. “Strange how?”
“She completely ignored me for one thing! All I did was ask her a question and she just blew me off!” Rainbow huffed as she sulked in mid-air. “Can you believe that?”
“What Rainbow Dash is trying to say,“ Rarity quickly stepped up to interrupt the pouting Rainbow Dash, “Is that the dear seemed to be making an effort to avoid us. She nearly knocked poor Fluttershy over when she ran past us, and Applejack said she appeared frightened when she called out to her in the market.”
“Frightened nothin’, Rares. She looked like I’d just gone and turned into Tirek right before she took off faster than a rodeo clown runnin’ from a chargin’ buffalo.”
Celestia’s smile gradually slipped from her face, a look of concern replacing it as she listened to the recounts of Twilight’s odd behaviour. “Oh, oh dear. I’m sorry for making you all worry, but I’m afraid Twilight’s actions just now may have been my fault.”
Her admission was met with blank stares from the gathered mares. Looking to one another, none of them seemed to have a suitable response to Celestia’s words, either shaking their heads or shrugging their shoulders.
“Pardon me for asking,” Rarity eventually spoke up, “but I don’t see how Twilight avoiding us could be your fault.”
“You see, I didn’t announce my visit today ahead of time as I usually do.”
A collective light bulb went off above the gathered ponies’ heads. “So, wait…“ Applejack asked, “ya just dropped in on her doorstep out of the blue?”
“Without sending a letter first saying when you would arrive?” Rarity added.
“And without cluing her in on the fact that you were just dropping in to have tea and that the world wasn’t ending?” Rainbow asked.
“And without all those guards following behind you carrying big pointy spears and flags?” Pinkie Pie tossed out, miming a marching flag bearer as she did.
Celestia shook her head. “I’m afraid not. I had intended to surprise her, but I fear I may have just caused her unneeded stress with my presence. I was worried that I had interrupted something important when she rushed out so quickly after my arrival, but it seems that all I’ve done is neglect to consider how she would react in my desire to spend some time together.”
Celestia looked up, her eyes following the clouds as they floated by. “It’s been so long since Twilight and I were able to sit down and just talk without interfering with our duties or without some form of crisis hanging over our heads.” A certain melancholy tinged her words as she spoke. “I remember back when Twilight was still my student, how we would just sit back in the castle gardens and watch the clouds, trying to guess what they were shaped like while simply enjoying each other’s company. Oh, how those days feel an eternity away…”
Celestia’s gaze grew distant as she continued to watch the clouds lazily drift across the sky, saying nothing while seemingly forgetting the world around her. After a moment of silence, she seemed to remember herself, shaking her head as she returned her attention to the five ponies in front of her, who were now all looking up at her with poorly veiled concern.
“Forgive me, I can get lost in my memories sometimes. In any event, you all came here to see Twilight, so I won’t keep you from her any longer.” Celestia sighed, noticeably saddened. “I believe it would be best if I returned to Canterlot before—”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary, your Highness!” Rarity’s sudden declaration caused Celestia to stop mid-step as she prepared to take a step towards them. “It would be a shame if you went back to Canterlot so soon, especially without getting a chance to spend some time with Twilight after coming all this way. Isn’t that right, girls?” She looked to the others, who all seemed to be in agreement.
“I reckon yer right, Rares. I gotta get back to help Apple Bloom anyway, I was just makin’ sure Twi was alright was all.”
“Angel and the others are probably wondering why I’m not home yet. I should go before they start to worry.”
“Oh, would you look at the time?” Pinkie exclaimed as she looked at a non-existent watch on her leg. “I promised to entertain the twins in the next ten minutes. They don’t like to be kept waiting!”
Rainbow Dash seemed to take a moment longer to ruminate on the matter further, much to her friends’ frustration. “Yeah, on second thought, I’m gonna take off too. I’ve still got a bone to pick with Twilight, but it can wait until after I’ve had my nap.”
Rarity filed away her desire to throttle Rainbow Dash for another day as she addressed Celestia once more. “Well then, it was nice getting the chance to speak with you, your Highness, but we simply must be off.”
“Ooh! Let’s race! Last one back to town buys the milkshakes! 3, 2, 1, GO!” Taking off down the road like only Pinkie could, the others could only shake their heads and laugh at her enthusiasm as they followed after her.
Fluttershy held back a moment longer to speak with the princess. “We’re sorry for interrupting your visit with Twilight. I hope you enjoy your time together.”
“Thank you, I think we will. I hope you all have a pleasant day as well.”
“Oh!” Applejack abruptly spun on her hooves, galloping back to the front steps. “Could ya also please ask Twi to settle down a bit? Girl’s more high-strung than a freshly tuned banjo at an Apple family hoedown some days.”
Celestia chuckled at Applejack’s request. “I’ll make note of it to her. Say hello to Granny Smith for me, will you?”
“Will do!” Applejack called out as she re-joined the others.
As they made their way back to town, Rainbow Dash scoffed as she flew above them. “Figures Twilight was just freaking out. And here I was thinking we were going to have to drag her out kicking and screaming.”
“To be fair, Rainbow, I don’t doubt any of us wouldn’t have reacted in much the same way if any of the princesses were to just show up to have a chat.” Rarity flipped the curls in her mane as she added, “I’ll have you know I always keep a bottle of imported Saddle Arabian wine on hoof for just such an emergency. Perhaps I’ll bring it with me next time we visit the Crystal Empire.”
Applejack fixed Rarity with a peculiar look as they walked. “Ya keep fancy booze on hoof ’n case an alicorn just knocks on yer front door?”
“A lady must always be prepared for anything after all. And before you ask about the possibility of an alicorn actually showing up on my doorstep, need I remind you that we are all on good terms with no less than four princesses, one of whom is Twilight?”
“… Just keep walkin’.”
Celestia waved to the ponies as they departed for town. Once they were well out of earshot, Celestia peered over her shoulder. “You can come out now.”
Celestia’s ever-constant flowing tail shifted as it was pushed aside, revealing Twilight to have been hiding beneath it the entire time. “They’re gone?” She asked.
“Yes, it’s safe now.” Stepping back inside, Celestia magically shut the door before turning to face Twilight, who appeared to be fumbling with the straps of her saddlebags. “I must say, you gave them all quite a scare by running off like that.”
Twilight halted in her attempts to adjust her saddlebags, bowing her head to hide her abashed expression while rubbing her hoof against her foreleg. “I’m sorry. I… I wasn’t expecting to run into them here, so when they saw me, I kind of panicked. I know I shouldn’t have gone outside either, but I just wanted to explore. There’s so much to see here, even for such a small town.”
Celestia nodded, her eyes retaining their soft gaze. “I understand. But, please, be more careful next time, okay?”
Twilight nodded her head in turn as she returned to trying to remove her saddlebags. Trying being the key word, as after several moments of fumbling with the straps with little success, she resorted to using her teeth to try and pull them loose.
“Here, let me help you with those.” Chuckling, Celestia lit her horn, illuminating the saddlebags in the bright yellow glow of her magic before lifting them up and setting them down on the floor, revealing the unicorn’s bare back. Lifting up one of the flaps on the side, a pair of black-rimmed glasses floated out from amongst the collection of books inside and came to rest on Twilight’s muzzle, the mare blinking as her vision became clearer.
“How is that? Much better, wouldn’t you say, Miss Sparkle?”
Holding her glasses steady against her head with her hoof, Twilight Sparkle bowed her head until her muzzle almost touched the ground. “Thank you for going to all the trouble of allowing me to learn about your world’s magic. I am truly honoured to be given this opportunity, your Highness.”
Celestia placed a reassuring hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Please rise, Twilight Sparkle. You are my guest for the duration of your stay here in Equestria, so there is no need for you to bow.”
Once Twilight had stopped bowing, Celestia continued. ”And it was no trouble at all. When Princess Twilight wrote to me about your endeavours in studying magic, I knew you could only benefit from learning from one experienced in the magical arts. And while I know full well that either of my former students would be more than up to the task, I felt I could not pass up the chance to personally teach someone with such a thirst for knowledge as yourself.
“If anything, I should be the one honoured that you agreed to my request, Miss Sparkle.”
“Um…” Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but then shut it just as fast, leaving Celestia momentarily perplexed.
“What is it? Is there something you wish to say before we begin?”
Twilight harshly shook her head. “N-no… It’s nothing, really.” Trotting over to where her bags lay, she tried her best to look anywhere but towards the Princess as she fumbled around inside for the books she had brought. Oh, how amazing fingers are when you no longer have them. “I’ve wasted enough of your time already, so we should really get started befo—“
“Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight froze, though it wasn’t out of fear. Unlike Principal Cinch, who commanded nothing less than absolute obedience when addressed, Celestia had spoken her name in a tone that carried with it a degree of compassion and patience, much like Twilight had felt from the principal of the same name back in her world. Slowly, Twilight stepped away from her bags and turned to look at the pony behind her.
Celestia hadn’t moved, instead looking down at her with a solemn look in her eyes. “Please, do not be afraid to voice any concerns you may have. As I said, you are my guest and my student while here, so I will personally see to any questions you may have to the best of my ability.”
Even with Celestia’s reassurance, it was several moments before Twilight seemed to work up the courage to speak. “Well… it’s just that… I know she’s kind of a big deal over here, but… but could you please just call me Twilight? ‘Miss Sparkle’ just sounds… weird somehow.’”
“If that would make you more comfortable, I see no harm in it. In return, you may call me Celestia if you wish.”
The expression currently on Twilight’s face wouldn’t have looked out of place if she had just been asked to run naked through the halls of Crystal Prep while screaming “Eureka!” “But… but… I couldn’t! You’re royalty, a living deity! Calling you by name in such an informal way… it just feels wrong!”
Celestia didn’t say anything at first, and Twilight feared that she had accidentally offended the princess. As she desperately scrambled to think of something to say, Celestia finally spoke. “Very well, a compromise them. I will still refer to you as ‘Twilight’ like you asked. In exchange, I please ask that you call me ‘Princess’ as opposed to ‘Your Highness.’ ‘Princess Celestia’ would also suffice if you prefer. How does that sound, Twilight?”
“No, that’s alright… Princess.” Despite her earlier misgivings, Twilight almost felt a sense of joy at the prospect of being on familiar terms with an actual princess. “We should still get started though. Just have to figure out… where…” Twilight’s face paled as she looked around the castle lobby, only now having a chance to take it all in enough to fully realize the sheer enormity of the place. Even Crystal Prep seemed to pale in comparison in terms of complexity.
“Uh…” After several moments of looking back and forth between the seemingly endless hallway staffed with rows upon rows of doors leading deeper into the castle, Twilight turned to the Princess with a sheepish look on her face. “You wouldn’t by any chance happen to have a map of this place, would you?”
“I don’t unfortunately, but I think I have the perfect place in mind for where we can begin your first lesson. I also have a much faster method for how we can get there.” Gazing down the hallway, Celestia began coalescing magic into her horn, a ball of light gathering at the very tip. “You may want to brace yourself, the first time has been known to be disorientating.”
“First wh-” Twilight was cut off as a blinding flash filled the castle lobby. When it subsided, both Twilight and Celestia had disappeared.
In another part of the castle, the bright flash of magic briefly illuminated one of the rooms, fading just as quickly to reveal Celestia and Twilight now standing in the centre of the room.
“-at has b—whoa…”
Celestia braced against Twilight’s side, keeping her from toppling over as her legs wobbled beneath her. “Easy there, Twilight. Any dizziness will pass momentarily.”
“Ugh…” Twilight rubbed the side of her head as the world around her slowly stopped spinning. “What was… huh?” As the dizziness passed, Twilight became aware of the fact they were no longer in the castle’s main lobby.
Instead, the Princess and her were standing in a spacious chamber with shelf like grooves dug into the walls that reached up to the ceiling, only stopped from taking up the whole room by circular windows set at equal distances along the walls, allowing sunlight to stream in. Several round tables were set up around the room, cushions set nearby to allow for a comfortable sitting environment.
“Wha… how did we get here?” Twilight asked, clearly bewildered by the sudden change of location.
“I simply teleported us.”
To the casual observer, Twilight’s eyes appeared to sparkle with wonder as she spun around to face the Princess. “Teleported? As in traveling between two distant points in space in an instant? Magic can do that?”
“Let that be your first lesson in magic: there is very little magic can not do if one sets their mind to it. The only limit is one’s imagination.”
“Fascinating…” Twilight’s brain kicked into high gear as she considered the implications of this new aspect of magic. The sheer volume of energy it would take to instantaneously relocate two bodies across even a short distance would need to be immense, and yet I suspect that not even that might be anywhere close to the outer limits of magic! Just imagine all the things I could do back home if I could–
Twilight’s brain came screeching to a halt mid-thought, her eyes widening as she finally fully registered the room around her. For in taking in her new surroundings following the disorienting experience of being teleported, the human-turned-pony had initially overlooked one crucial detail:
Books.
For the room Celestia had teleported them to was in fact the castle’s main library. The shelves Twilight had previously noticed were stocked to the brim with literature, ranging anywhere from short pieces of fiction to tomes whose author had clearly been paid by the pound.
“Books!So many books!” Galloping up to the nearest shelf, Twilight’s eyes flittered back and forth as she scanned the titles around her, a grin splitting across her muzzle. “So many things I could learn about this world, its culture and its magic, all from just this one room!”
Unbeknownst to Twilight, her tail wagged back and forth excitedly at the sight of the veritable treasure trove. “I hardly know where to start!”
Celestia looked on, greatly amused as she watched the spitting image of her former student become so enthralled at the library around her. Twilight will always be Twilight, she mused as she watched Twilight stop to focus on one book in particular.
“Warm Hearts Will Prevail: Spells and Transmutations of the Post-Warming Era.”Twilight read aloud, the use of the word “era” in the title catching her attention. No doubt indicating a major point in this world’s history, she thought as she reached up with her hoof to pull it loose, only for the book to not so much as budge from its spot. Growling, Twilight used her other hoof to try and get some kind of grip. “Come… on!” She grunted as she pulled with all her might, unprepared for when the book, rather than slide out gracefully, popped clean from its shelf.
“Wah!” Twilight flailed as she lost what little grip she had, the book soaring clean over her head as she stumbled back on unsteady hooves. Ultimately, her hooves fell out from under her as she tumbled, falling to the floor with a thud. “Oof!”
Twilight groaned as she stared up at the library ceiling. The sound of hoofsteps drew closer as a shadow passed over where she lay. Peering up from her place on the floor, Twilight was greeted to the sight of the Princess smiling down at her, the book Twilight had sent flying floating next to her in her magic.
“Before you dive head first into magical theory,” Without even looking, Celestia slid the book back into place on its shelf with her magic as she spoke, “perhaps we should begin by going over the basics, don’t you agree?”
“Oh… right. That might be a better idea actually.”
“Perfect. Let’s get seated then and we can begin your lessons.”
Rolling over and getting back to her hooves, Twilight followed Celestia over to the nearest reading table. Once they were both seated comfortable, Celestia looked to the mare sitting across from her. “Now tell me, Twilight, how much do you already know about magic?”
Sighing, Twilight replied, “Not much, it seems. While I was able to locate and quantify the magical energy in my world, as well as determine that it still adheres to the laws of energy conservation based on all my findings, the sheer applications are like nothing I could have imagined. Levitation, teleportation, conversion and transmutation of matter and the list just keeps getting longer and longer the more I see. Even after experiencing it first hand, I’m no closer to truly understanding it.”
Twilight’s shoulders sagged as she gazed out a nearby window. “Being in this world, where magic is such a fundamental part of life, just proves I’ve barely scratched the surface of what magic can really do.”
“All the more reason I decided to take you on as my student. From what Princess Twilight has told me, magic is only just beginning to flourish in your world, so there may come a time when the people of your world will need someone to guide them in its use. For you see, magic is not simply a source of energy.”
Turning away from the window, Twilight looked confused. “It’s not?”
Celestia shook her head. “No, magic is the very lifeblood of our world, flowing through and manifesting in every living being ever to grace Equestria’s soils and beyond, from the mightiest dragon, to even the simplest of plant life. Magic has existed on this world since the first seeds of life were planted eons ago and has become the very foundation for life itself. To tap into magic is to harness a fragment of the power of creation itself, and to strip another being of its magic, whether they be pony or otherwise, is to take away a piece of their very soul with it.”
Twilight listened with rapt attention, hanging off of Celestia’s every word, though she couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret and shame at the mention of stealing magic from another. I should have smashed that thing when I had the chance.
Celestia paused as she watched the anguish briefly cross Twilight’s face, vanishing just as quickly as it had appeared. Knowing that pressing her about it right now could result in her clamming up, Celestia made a mental note of it before moving on. “While there are many races that call Equestria their home, most of which harness magic in some capacity, for this lesson I will be focusing on only one in-particular, one that possesses an innate sense for magic straight from birth. I believe you may be quite familiar with them.” With a flash, a beam of magic shot from Celestia’s horn into the centre of the table, taking the form of three miniature ponies standing in a row: an earth pony stallion, a pegasus mare and a unicorn mare.
“These are the ponies of Equestria.”
Twilight stared wide-eyed at the figures. “Amazing… energy based three-D projections.” She reached out to touch one, drawing back when the Pegasus jumped out of reach of her hoof, giving her a dirty glare as it flapped in place. “Oh, sorry.”
“While multiple types of ponies exist,” Celestia continued, “the three most common are the earth, pegasus and unicorn ponies, each utilizing their magic in different ways.” Glancing down at the three constructs, the earth pony stallion stepped forward.
“Earth ponies, for instance, harness their magic internally, often leading to greater physical strength as well as a deeply rooted connection to the land. It is this connection that allows them to cultivate even the most barren of lands with life.”
True to Celestia’s words, projections of flowers began to bloom around the stallion’s hooves, as well as a full-grown tree springing up directly behind him. Leaning down to sniff one of the flowers, the pony idly kicked the trunk of the tree with one of his hind legs. The tree shook briefly, before three apples dropped free from its branches, coming to rest on the small patch of grass that had grown underneath the pony.
“Next, a pegasus pony’s magic, while also largely internalized, tends to translate more into speed than strength.” The small Pegasus mare saluted right before she began to fly around their heads, performing aerial loop-de-loops and other maneuvers that made Twilight’s head spin just from watching.
“Their magic allows them to fly and helps them maintain flight in even the harshest of conditions. All pegasi can also walk safely on top of clouds and, with the right amount of concentration, pegasi have been known to even walk on water.”
With another flash of her horn, the projection of a cloud popped into existence, which the pegasus was happy to flop on top of and nestle into like one big fluffy pillow. Peering over the edge, the pegasus spied the earth pony still enjoying the flowers, oblivious to her presence.
Twilight swore she could just make out a mischievous grin on the pony’s face right before she unfurled her wings and used them to gradually push the cloud through the air, positioning it directly above the stallion. Just as he noticed the sudden shadow hanging over him, the pegasus mare bounced up and slammed all four hooves down onto the cloud, unleashing a downpour that swiftly drenched the stallion from head to toe.
The pegasus rolled with laughter as the earth pony scowled up at her, his soaking wet mane sticking to his face.
“Pegasus ponies can also use their magic to control the weather, and are in charge of producing and managing the weather all over Equestria.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow at the last bit. “Controlling the weather? The walking on clouds I could believe, but even for magic that sounds far-fetched. Even to do something like making it rain, you would need to simultaneously control over a dozen different weather systems from the humidity in the air, to the fluctuations of cold to hot air, to—“
Twilight paused when she noticed Celestia staring at her with an amused smirk on her face, leaning forward as she rested her front hooves against the table. Blinking in thought, Twilight sighed before she put her foreleg of her eyes. “… Right, different world, different rules.”
Celestia giggled as she turned her attention back to the three little ponies. The pegasus mare had tears in her eyes from laughing so hard, which may have been the reason why she had yet to notice the stallion walking over and picking up one of the apples he had knocked down earlier, grinning as he plotted.
Twilight pulled her hoof off her face just in time to see the earth pony toss the apple over his shoulder and buck it into the air. The apple shot off like a bullet, piercing through the cloud with enough force that the cloud instantly disintegrated, sending the pegasus crashing into the ground. As the mare pulled herself up, she glared at the stallion as he laughed, her face red with anger.
During all this, the apple continued on its trajectory, arcing in flight and hurtling back towards the ground…
… straight for the unicorn mare, who glanced up to see the apple heading directly for her.
Instead of moving out of the way though, the mare’s horn glowed seconds before a dome shield sprang up around her. Slamming against the shield, the apple harmlessly bounced off like a rubber ball hitting a wall and dropped back to the ground, bouncing against the ground twice before rolling to a stop.
With her horn still aglow, the unicorn mare dropped her shield as she sauntered off towards the two arguing ponies, which had now escalated into an angry staring contest with one another. Picking up the discarded apple in her magic, it floated next to her as she walked.
“Finally, there are the unicorn ponies. Using their horn, a unicorn can cast any number of spells to fit just about any situation. While many only ever focus on a particular subset of magic related to one particular field or talent, there have always been ponies throughout history who have strived to advance the understanding of magic though leaps and bounds.”
Twilight poked her horn with her hoof. “So, what, is this like some kind of magic wand or something?”
“It’s a bit more complicated than that, but yes. A unicorn’s horn is a natural focal point, which not only allows him or her to channel magic directly, but is attuned to magic in such a way as to offer greater control and precision. It is this control that is critical to the art of proper spell casting.”
By this point, the unicorn mare was standing next to the two other ponies, who were still glaring at each other as if daring the other to blink. Or at least they were right up until the unicorn bopped them both in the head with the apple. When they both turned to yell at her, they were instead cowed into silence when she scowled at them in turn, prompting the two of them to bow their heads in shame under her gaze.
Twilight and Celestia watched as the mare pointed and gestured to the two ponies, silently scolding them for their actions. Looking thoroughly embarrassed, the pair sat still for a moment before they both reached over and gave the other a hug, which brought a smile to the unicorn’s face. Sitting down on her haunches, she focused her magic into the apple, neatly splitting it into three sections, which she passed amongst them. With smiles on their faces, they all dug into their food with glee.
“And, in the end, friendship will always be the strongest magic of all.”
Dismissing her projections, Celestia unfurled one of her wings, eliciting a gasp from Twilight as she did so. Tucking her head under her wing, Celestia bit down onto the edge of one of her feathers, easily plucking it free with a jerk of her head. Twilight winced at the action, but Celestia seemed to pay it no mind as she leaned over and set the feather down in the centre of the table.
“Now, one of the first and most versatile spells that a unicorn ever learns is that of levitation, allowing manipulation of any number of objects both big and small with far greater dexterity than with hooves, mouth or tail. Therefore, I want you to try and lift this feather using magic, like so.” Keeping her eyes locked on the feather, Celestia’s horn shined with the same yellow glow as before, the same light enveloping the feather. Then, as if attached to unseen strings, it rose into an upright position as if preparing to write a letter, floating an inch above the table. It hovered in place for a few seconds before fluttering down to rest back on the table.
“Now you try.”
Staring at the feather, Twilight breathed in, then out as she prepared herself for the task at hand. “Alright, here goes nothing.”
Based on what she had seen both in her world and during her short time in Equestria, magic responded to the will of its caster. With that in mind, Twilight focused all her attention on the feather, willing it to float. She could see it in her mind's eye: the feather lifting up as if caught in a breeze, held aloft solely by magic.
And yet, nothing happened. No matter how long she stared or how hard she tried to will it, the feather remained where it lay, not even so much as twitching.
Huffing, Twilight tried again, even more determined than before. Her face scrunched up into a look of deep concentration, her cheeks puffed out as she tried to channel even a sliver of magic. All the ponies she had seen using magic back in the market had made it look so easy!
With one final mental push, she willed the feather to lift up off the table.
Just like before, the feather didn’t even shake.
Gasping, Twilight just sat there, still staring at the feather as she breathed in and out. “I… I can’t… I can’t do it. I’m sorry…” Twilight’s ears wilted as she bowed her head, ashamed that despite her experiments and experience with magic, she hadn’t even been able to do something seemingly as simple as use it to lift a measly feather.
Before she could wallow any further in self-pity however, she felt Celestia’s hoof on her chin, her head raised to look the Princess in the eyes, where not a trace of disapproval could be found.
“There is nothing to apologize for, Twilight. I understand that magic is still a foreign and alien concept and as such there will no doubt be some initial difficulties. Were I to travel to your world, I do not doubt that abilities and ideas that you take for granted would be equally as unknown to me.
“Whether you could lift the feather or not was not what this little experiment was about. It was a way for me to gauge your current magical ability in order to determine how to progress further. And I believe I have the perfect exercise in mind.”
“R-Really?”
Any uncertainty Twilight still felt was cast aside from the warmth of the Princess’s smile. “Yes, although this will be something a little bit different. I’m going to need you to close your eyes for me.”
“What? Why?”
“This will be a visualization exercise.” Celestia explained, chuckling as she added, “I believe it would be rather difficult without closing your eyes first, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Oh, ok.” The crystal library around them slipped into darkness as Twilight shut her eyes. The sounds of birds chirping outside briefly made her realize that her hearing was elevated as a pony now, right before it was replaced by the sound of Celestia’s voice. Even though Twilight knew that the Princess was still sitting across from her, her voice seemed to take on an almost ethereal quality, as if being projected from afar.
“To start, I’m going to have you do a little mental stretching. Imagine something simple: basic shapes, strings of words perhaps or anything of that nature, doesn’t matter as long as it’s not overly complex. Just let your mind wander for a few minutes, I’ll let you know when to stop.”
As instructed, images began to flow before Twilight’s eyes, filling the darkness with mathematical equations, excerpts from books she had read recently and simple depictions of objects like plants or food, among other things. Twilight almost compared it to doodling in the margins of her notebook.
After several minutes of this, Celestia’s voice echoed in Twilight’s ear again. “That’s enough. Clear your mind once more.”
With but a thought, the images all scattered to dust in Twilight’s mind, as if she was wiping a chalkboard clean.
“Now, I want you to visualize yourself, much like what you would see if you were to look in a mirror.”
“Sounds simple enough.” Within seconds, Twilight had formed an image of herself in her mind, trying to get every detail down from the exact color of her socks and skirt to the hair clip in her hair. She looked just as she remembered, glasses and all. Strange that the pony her didn’t seem to need—
Wait… Twilight thought, this is an exercise created by and for ponies. So… didn’t that mean it would only work if I imagined myself as a pony?
Clearing her mind again, this time she tried to picture herself as a pony. She hadn’t had a chance to take a long look at her new body yet, but she had seen enough ponies around town to have a basic idea in mind. No, their legs aren’t that long… I’m a unicorn apparently, so I have a horn now… Tail should match the hair, or would it be a mane? ... Ears look fine… Shoot, doesn’t there need to be some kind of picture on either flank? Maybe the same one as my hairpin?
“Is something wrong, Twilight?”
“No, it’s just…” Twilight bit her lip, wondering if it would be rude to ask what she was thinking. The Princess did say she shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions. “Do… do I have to imagine myself as a pony for this?”
“Ah, I see. Imagining yourself as something unfamiliar would make things quite difficult. For this exercise, it’s preferable that you take the form you are most comfortable with, whether that be a pony or not.”
Nodding, Twilight switched back to the image of her human form, still dressed in her Crystal Prep uniform. She could have pictured something better, but she had worn that uniform for so long that it just felt… familiar to her. Looking herself over, she nodded when she was sure she had everything right, taking an extra moment to iron out a crease in her skirt. “Alright, what’s next?”
“Very good. Now, picture yourself standing at the very edge of a body of water. It can be a pond, lake or even something as simple as a swimming pool, just as long the water level is deep enough to stand in and the surface is undisturbed.”
Focusing, the void around her began to fill in bit by bit, a landscape developing right before her eyes. Sand formed beneath her feet as water poured in to meet it, an expense of crystal blue water reaching far beyond her line of sight. Twilight didn’t need to turn around to know that she would see a rock wall behind her where the sand ended, stairs running up the sides to a quaint little cabin perched on top, as well as a balcony perfectly situated to sit back and take in the stunning view.
She had fond memories of spending her summers here with her family. She smiled as she thought back to only a few years back when Cadence had come with them, and Shining had tried his hardest to impress her, only for his attempts to end up with him flipping off his surfboard into a bank of seaweed and walking back to the shore covered head to toe in it. Everyone had laughed, especially Cadence when Shining had chased her across the beach, his arms raised above his head and groaning like something out of a B-Grade horror movie. Attack of the Beach Doofus she would have called—
“Enjoying yourself?”
“Oh!” Twilight prayed the Princess couldn’t see her blushing. “Sorry… I guess I got a little carried away.” Looking around, she found that it looked just as she remembered, right down to the smallest detail. Facing the water once more, she looked out towards the horizon, putting her arm in front of her face to try and block out the glare of the sun. “I assume I’m going for a swim?”
“In a sense, yes. Step into the water first.”
Taking a step forward, Twilight dipped her foot into the water—
“EEK!” Twilight shrieked as an icy chill shot up her leg before running straight up her spine and spreading across her body. Jerking her leg back, she hopped up and down on the sandy beach as she tried to get feeling back into her toes.
Twilight could almost feel rather than hear the amusement in Celestia’s voice as she asked, “How’s the water?”
“It’s cold!” Twilight answered through chattering teeth, hugging her arms against her body to try and stay warm.
“Yes, that’s normal. Try again when you’re ready.”
Twilight shivered as she rubbed her hands together, desperately trying to ease the chill from before. Reluctantly, she dipped her toe into the water once more. The water was still cold to the touch, but it was nowhere near as bad now that she was ready for it. After a slow process of acclimating to the temperature of the water, Twilight finally managed to get both feet into the water.
“Alright, so far so good,” Twilight muttered, noticing that despite being submerged ankle deep in water, her socks and shoes still felt dry. “What’s next?”
“Now, start walking in deeper and don’t stop until the water rises just past your legs.”
Doing as instructed, she began treading deeper into the water. As the water rose up her legs, she could feel the water warming around her, going from icy cold to a lukewarm temperature, comparable almost to a warm bath. After what felt like nearly a minute of walking, the water had risen up well past her knees and only when her skirt began to sink below the surface did she finally stop.
“Tell me, how’s the water now?” Celestia asked again.
Twilight idly ran the tips of her fingers through the water, sending small ripples across its surface. “It’s still cold, but it’s warmed up a lot more since before. It’s kind of nice actually.”
“Good. Focus on that warmth, Twilight. Try and draw as much of it towards you as you can.”
“Al…right?” Breathing in as she submerged her hands wrist deep, Twilight did her best to concentrate on the warmth of the water around her. Gradually, she could feel the warmth flowing from her fingertips into her hands and up her arms.
When she looked down at her hands though, she was met with a sight that made her blood run cold.
The water around her now glowed with a purple light, almost as if neon lights had been placed just below the surface. That same glow flowed from the water up her arms, illuminating them in the same purple light. Shrieking, Twilight yanked her arms out of the water, but the glow remained.
“What… what is this?” Twilight demanded, unable to hide the terror in her voice. “Princess, what’s happening?!”
“Twilight, please calm down. Everything is—“
A sinister laugh echoed in Twilight’s ears, drowning out Celestia as a fierce ripple radiated through the waters. The laughing continued, slowly transitioning into a voice identical to Twilight’s own, cackling with glee as they spoke into Twilight’s ear:
I didn’t understand magic before… but I do now!
“No!” Twilight clutched the sides of her head, her eyes growing unfocused as the once calm waters thrashed and churned around her, becoming a violent maelstrom with her at its eye. “Not again! I can’t turn into that monster again! I can’t!”
“Twilight!”
Celestia’s voice cut through the chaos with such force that the thrashing waters ceased, though the previously calm surface was still marred by frequent ripples caused by the still terrified Twilight. Though still racked with terror, Twilight felt a new presence appear next to her, radiating a calming sensation that wrapped around her shoulders like a warm blanket.
“Twilight, everything is alright.” Celestia’s voice had lost its ethereal quality from before, now sounding like the Princess was standing right next to her. “As long as I’m here, I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
“Pr-promise?”
“I promise.”
Silence reigned as Twilight basked in the feeling of Celestia’s presence. Her fear slowly began to disappear, enough so that she worked up the courage to look back down at her arms. Though still infused with the purple light from before, Twilight noted that it felt almost… pleasant?
“I believe a break may be in order.” Celestia suggested. “We can pick this up again after—“
“No!” Twilight shouted, still looking down at the glow coming off her arms. “I… I can do this, Princess. Just… just give me one more chance, please?” Twilight pleaded, her fear from before replaced with stubborn determination.
Celestia didn’t respond right away, no doubt still reluctant after witnessing Twilight’s previous reaction. “Alright, if you’re sure.” She eventually conceded. “All that’s left for you to do now is to concentrate all the warmth you’ve gathered into a single point in front of you.”
Nodding, Twilight once more focused on the warmth flowing through her. Holding her hands out in front of her with her palms facing up, the purple light began to flow from her arms back into her hands, forming into a ball of pure light that nestled into the palm of her hands.
Twilight found herself unable to look away, a pleasing glow illuminated her face and a steady warmth radiating against her palms. “It’s so pretty. Princess, is this…?”
“Yes, Twilight, that is magic. Your magic.”
“My… magic?” Twilight continued to stare into the depths of the purple light, unable to believe that this was magic at first.
The last time she had felt magic like this, it had burned, searing her inside and out with a ferocity that had felt like she was being torched alive. Indescribable pain had lanced through her body, twisting her in both body and mind into a dark shadow of her former self, driven only by a desire to seek out and understand magic, no matter the cost.
But this… this was nothing like that. This was hot, yes, but a soothing kind of heat, like the welcome embrace of a loved one, or the feeling of curling up in front of a fireplace on a chilly winter night.
“My magic. This is… my magic.”
“Twilight, you can open you eyes now.”
The open waters faded away as Twilight opened her eyes, finding herself back in the castle library. Shaking her head, she pushed her glasses back up before they fell right off her face. In doing so, she noticed Princess Celestia looking up at something with a smile on her face. “What?”
Celestia’s grin widened as she pointed a hoof up at Twilight’s horn. Puzzled, Twilight looked up to where the Princess was pointing…
… To see a small ball of violet light hovering on the very tip of her horn.
“Is… is that…” Reaching up, Twilight poked the ball with her hoof just to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. It was no bigger than a coin, yet she could still feel a significant amount of heat against her hoof. “But how?”
“The exercise you just performed,” Celestia explained, “is meant to help a pony tap into their inner stores of magic, as well as teach the necessary steps on how to draw it forth. From now on, whenever you need to call upon your magic, simply remember the feelings from before. With enough practice, it may even become second nature.”
Twilight was only half listening, too enraptured by the tiny ball of magic. Her thoughts gradually shifted as an idea came to her, glancing down at the table between Celestia and her. The feather Celestia had plucked from her wing still sat in the centre of the table, largely forgotten until now.
Squinting, she locked her eyes onto the feather. Like her first attempts, she willed the feather to float, but this time, with the experience of channelling magic still fresh in her mind, she imagined magic flowing from her horn like strings into the feather, a slight throbbing at the base of her horn the only indication that anything was happening.
A magical glow flickered into life around the feather, but unlike the yellow of Celestia’s magic, this magic shone in a now familiar bright purple. Held within the magic, the feather slowly floated above the table just like before. Twilight’s eyes went wide with disbelief, her mouth hanging open. Reaching across the table, she ran a hoof under and then above the feather, but her hoof met nothing but air.
Pulling her mouth shut, she moved her head left and then right, the feather following her movements while still remaining aloft. After a moment, the glow of Twilight’s magic at the tip of her horn stuttered and then dissipated, losing its grip on the feather and dropping it back down onto the table.
“I… I did it…” Shock gave way to happiness as a massive grin spread across Twilight’s face. “I did it!” Overcome with joy, Twilight began hopping around the room, shouting, “I did it! I did it! I did it!” over and over again.
Unable to help herself, Celestia chortled at Twilight’s antics, fond memories of a filly Twilight doing much the same at the forefront of her mind. “You’ve done well, Twilight Sparkle. You’ve taken your first step in understanding and mastering magic—oof!” Celestia’s wings flared outward as a sudden weight hung from her neck. Looking down, she blinked in surprise at the sight of Twilight excitedly clinging to her.
“Oh, thank you thank you thank you, Princess! Thank you so much for teaching me—“ Twilight’s eyes snapped open as the full implications of what she’d just done hit her like a ton of bricks. Releasing her grip and scrambling back, Twilight hastily bowed her head, keeping her eyes fixated on the floor. “I’m sorry! That was rude of me and I shouldn’t have done that without asking and—“
“Twilight?”
“Um…” Reluctantly, Twilight looked up from the floor. “Yes, your Highn—EEP!” Twilight was unprepared when Celestia scooped her up with her wing and pulled her close, holding the shocked Twilight against her body. “Pr-Princess?”
“I’m so proud of you, Twilight.” Celestia said as she pulled the mare closer. “Nothing makes me happier than seeing the joy in a pony’s eyes at each achievement they make.” Leaning down, she lightly kissed the top of Twilight’s head. “I thank you with all my heart for giving me the chance to experience that joy again.”
“Er… you’re welcome, Princess.” She’s so warm… Twilight noted as the initial surprise faded, unable to stop herself from shifting closer into the Celestia’s embrace. Part of her still felt awkward about snuggling up with was essentially a demi-goddess, but she brushed that thought aside as a peaceful feeling settled over her.
*Grumble*
Blinking, Celestia ears perked up at the sudden sound. Glancing down at Twilight, she saw her staring up at her, her face more red than purple.
Twilight tittered as she glanced down at her belly. “S-sorry. I guess I was hungrier than I thought…”
“Hmm… Well then, it wouldn’t be right to continue on an empty stomach.” Unfurling her wing, Celestia climbed back to her hooves, glancing at the doorway before looking back to Twilight, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “I don’t think Princess Twilight would mind if we made use of her kitchen, do you?”
When Twilight didn’t raise an argument to the idea, Celestia gestured towards the doorway. “Come on, the kitchens are right down the hall.” Her shoes clicked against the floor as she walked towards the library doors.
Getting back on her hooves as well, Twilight made to follow after her, but paused as she took a step. Turning to look at the window again, she smiled at the sight of the sun in the distance.
Thank you, Sunset, and thank you, Princess Twilight. Equestria is everything I could have dreamed of, and I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you two. I hope you’re enjoying yourselves as much as I am.
“Twilight?” Celestia asked from the hallway.
“Coming!” Twilight replied as she trotted after the Princess towards the castle kitchens.
“Here you are. Two vanilla cones for the young lady.”
Passing an assortment of bills and coins across the counter to the vendor, Sunset Shimmer took a cone in each hand. “Thanks. Keep the change.”
“Much obliged. You have a pleasant day, Miss.” Tipping his hat her way, he prepared to serve his next customer as Sunset walked away from the ice cream truck parked outside the city park.
With ice cream in hand, Sunset set off across the park, narrowly avoiding being knocked over as a group of laughing kids ran passed her, likely too engrossed in a game of tag with their friends. Eventually she came upon a bench sitting in the shade of a tree, where a girl with light lavender skin patiently waited for her.
“Sorry for the wait, Twilight.” Taking a seat next to her friend, she offered one of the cones to Twilight. “Line was a lot longer than I thought it would be.”
“Oh, I wasn’t waiting that long.” Twilight replied as she took the ice cream from Sunset. She wasted no time in digging in, forgoing the act of licking at the ice cream, instead resorting to biting large chunks out of it and swallowing them whole.
“Easy, Twilight. It’s not going to melt if you don’t eat it right away.” Taking a few licks from her own ice cream, Sunset glanced over to see Twilight still devouring the dairy treat. “Careful, you don’t slow down and you’ll give yourself—“
“Ack!” Twilight grimaced, clamping her eyes shut at the presence of a throbbing pain at the back of her head.
“… Brain freeze. You okay?”
“Fine… just fine. Just… give me a minute.” Wincing again, Twilight rubbed a spot between her eyes with her free hand. Gradually, the pain subsided. When it was all but gone, she took another tentative bite of her ice cream, taking care not eat it too quickly this time.
Snickering from beside her drew Twilight’s attention, turning her head to see Sunset looking at her while covering her mouth with her hand, trying her hardest not to laugh.
“What?” Twilight asked.
Removing her hand from her mouth, Sunset pointed to a spot on her face. “You got a little something on your face.”
Confused, Twilight reached up and wiped the sleeve of her shirt across her face. “Did I get it?”
Shaking her head, Sunset leaned over and wiped her thumb across Twilight’s cheek, pulling back to reveal ice cream smeared on the tip of her thumb. “There, that got it.”
“Oh. Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.” Hooking her arm around Twilight’s shoulders, Sunset pulled the girl across the bench until they were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder “That’s what friends are for after all.”
Returning to enjoying her ice cream, Sunset didn’t notice the faintest hint of a blush coloring Twilight’s cheeks.
They ate in silence after that, simply enjoying the cold ice cream on a warm day like today, mixed with the pleasant company only close friends could provide. As Sunset finished off the last of her cone, she turned to ask Twilight a question, but the question died on her lips when she saw Twilight staring off in the distance with a thoughtful expression etched across her face, her fingers locked together as she rested her hands in her lap.
“Something on your mind?” Sunset asked, snapping Twilight out of her trance.
“Hmm? Oh, I was just thinking about this world’s Twilight.” Twilight sighed, looking down at her hands still resting in her lap. “I still remember how hard it was getting used to this world, I hope she’s alright back in Equestria.”
“Considering she’s still you in a way, I wouldn’t be too worried. Besides, you said the Princess is with her, right? She’ll make sure nothing happens to her before you get back.”
The faintest hints of a smile peaked at the edge of Twilight’s face. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. You should have seen her though, Sunset.”
“Who? The other Twilight?”
Twilight shook her head. “No, Princess Celestia. When she said she was going to help this world’s Twilight in understanding magic, I didn’t think she was going to offer to teach her personally! I think the only time I’ve ever seen the Princess happier was after Luna came back.”
“Yeah… She must have been pretty excited…” Pulling her arm back, this time it was Sunset’s turn to stare off into space, her hands balled up against her legs.
Twilight almost smacked herself, realizing her mistake right away. “Oh, Sunset! I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it like—“
“Don’t worry, I know you didn’t. It’s just…” Sunset sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Just another thing I need to make up for someday.”
“You know…” Twilight put her hand over Sunset’s, smiling as the girl looked up at her and their eyes met, “my offer to come and visit me in Equestria is still open. We could even go to Canterlot and visit the Princesses together, if you’d like.”
Keep asking and one day I might take you up on that offer. Today though… “I’ll think about it. But enough about that!” Sunset abruptly took Twilight’s hands in her own, a wide smile replacing her previously dreary expression. “I’ve got something to show you I think you’ll like.”
Startled by Sunset’s sudden newfound enthusiasm, all Twilight could manage to utter was a hesitant, “O…kay?”
“Great! Let’s go!” Pulling Twilight to her feet with her, Sunset held onto Twilight’s wrist as she led her through the park.
***
Twilight could barely contain her excitement. Sunset had dragged her to the outskirts of the city, where the two of them were now standing outside a massive building, easily dwarfing Canterlot High in size and scale. Elaborate carvings were etched into the triangular roof, supported around by a wall of columns interspaced every few feet. Huge steps paved the way towards the building’s entrance.
Just the sight of it filled Twilight with nostalgic glee, since the exact same building back in Canterlot had been her home away from home during her time at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.
“The library!” Twilight shouted, throwing up her arms in excitement once they were finally standing right outside the main entrance.
“Actually,” Sunset put her hand on Twilight’s shoulder, a hint of disappointment in her voice at having to be the bearer of bad news, “it’s a museum over here.”
“Oh…” For a moment, Twilight appeared crestfallen as she lowered her arms back to her side. It didn’t last long though, as she perked up seconds later with renewed vigor. “But still, that’s just as good! Even though I already read up on this world’s history the first time I was here, I wouldn’t mind learning about it in greater detail!”
Sunset shook with restrained laughter. “I thought you might. Oh Twilight, you are such a nerd.”
“And you’re not?” Twilight shot back, looking over at Sunset with her eyebrows raised as she waited for a response.
Patting Twilight on the shoulder, Sunset answered with a quick, “C’mon, let’s get our tickets,” before running off towards the museum.
“That wasn’t a no!” Twilight shouted as she ran up the museum steps after Sunset.
Author's Note
Inspired by uotapo's Twilight Strangeness comics and dreamt up at three in the morning. Also a present for all my followers who wanted me to write some SunLight.
