Across The Sands And Seas
A bright day it was, with the wind gently breezing between the houses, trees and the swaying flowers. The warmth was comfortable against one's skin and resulted in many simply bathing in whatever pool of water they could get their hooves in. One particular mare was buried in a book as was often the case, and her eyes traveled the page, seemingly as if she'd read it before. The smell of the pages and the hard cover were almost nirvana to her senses, sending the slightest of shivers down her spine, her neck hairs raising like awakened soldiers.
Hours she had been up reading this book, and great fascination she held for the contents within; Spike had fallen asleep much before her, his tail out on the floor like a limp branch. Twilight giggled at the sight and supposed she may as well make a snack while she waited, but no sooner was she to get up than she felt an odd, tingling sensation. What could it mean? With no second thoughts she continued with her scavenging of the house, and downed an apple in one, starved-looking gulp. The cooling juice and the pleasing texture did much to help her senses fully awaken again, with the thought running through her head that she may well go for a swim herself. Such a day was not to be wasted, and her friends would only make fun of her for staying indoors.
But as she opened the door, upon looking down she saw a strange, hovering light, white as the snow and as bright as the full moon on a Summer's midnight. Nudging it with one hoof, it felt like water, yet it was solid; a sharp gasp she uttered when the orb began to tremble and rise up, almost as if to greet her. Fear, and curiosity, urged her to try and touch it again, now just inches away from her face; but it only began to float away, a feeling of being gently pulled came over her, and with her horn glowing she grabbed a small pack of food and water, closed the door and made her way to follow the enchanting, otherworldly light.
It stayed at that steady pace, leading her through trees, colorful flowers and dense bushes, across logs and ravines, and down to the river, the sparkling, clean water a beautiful orchestra of nature. The repetitive, calming noise brought a smile to the young mare, and she observed the orb float slowly downstream. With hesitation, she cast a spell, resulting in a small yet comfortable little boat appearing, and pushed it off. Indeed the light seemed to wait for her, and the thought of this prompted a quiet, curious little laugh. What could it possibly be trying to show her? Was it taking her somewhere? It was a simplistic looking orb, surely it was a trick by one of the Princesses or one of her friends leading to some prank or another. But as she sat on the hard wooden deck, the sun bearing down like a giant, gentle blanket of yellow heat, her curiosity only grew more and more. The sun felt so good on the feathers, maybe a small nap wouldn't hurt.
As that small boat drifted along, she closed her eyes and curled up against her sack, using it as a makeshift pillow and before she knew it, she was awake again. Slightly frustrated but aware nonetheless, as she gazed out of the side her sight was only met with clear, shimmering water, rippling a lullaby to the air. The smell of water flooded her as she took a deep breath in. She summoned a pair of oars and tried frantically to locate her mysterious guide, finding it to be perched on the bow, hovering only an inch above her vessel. Confusion yet again set in, stronger this time, but she cleared her throat and decided to do the silliest, yet somehow only logical ting she could think of at the moment.
"I... don't suppose you'll answer, but, where are you taking me? Were you watching me the whole time?"
As if in response the ball of light began glowing a myriad of colors, everything from the shades of the rainbow to colors indescribable by the equine mind, the brightness so overwhelming she thought she might go blind if she stared for a minute longer. With her hoof covering her eye, she turned to the side, and noticed a large body of land rising out from the glass-like surface of the ocean. It glowed brighter and brighter as the boat rocked in an almost artificial motion. Slowly, the colors of the light faded, and it remained there as it had been before. With a slight jolt and the sound of wood scraping against soft sand, the boat came to a rest on the shore. Before leaving, Twilight decided it may be best to look around; and when she did so her gaze was met with a seemingly endless desert. Dunes rose like creases on a bed sheet, the winds tossing about grains here and there, with no plant life to be seen anywhere. The entire stretch seemed like it was limbo, surely nowhere could be this barren for such a distance.
Cautiously, she planted a hoof down on the ground, and found the sand quite pleasurable to the touch. She lowered the rest of her body down, and saw the orb float away to the nearest dune, small and rounded out. Her slow pace grew to a trot, trying to keep up with her companion, when she saw it stop in front of a small wall of rock, hovering around like it was searching for something in the cracks. She was about to try to aid its endeavor, when it zipped off towards the farthest dune, causing Twilight to gallop as fast as she could. The smell of wet Earth was strongly apparent here, a shallow, thin stream bubbling its way across the land like a clear serpent. She spread her wings and lifted off, trying harder to keep up with her guide; her feathers tingling as the air surrounded them. The sand below looked as if a pale sea, constantly reforming and shifting, never staying still for long despite the wind being slower now. How could such a barren place seem so alive and conscious.
For what seemed like hours she glided along, her eyes fixated on the light, and her horn glowing with a faint line between them. It was the strangest feeling she had, curiosity and desire mixed with fear and anxiety, filling her mind to the brim. A feeling of homesickness came, then vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by thoughts of what she were to do if she became lost out here. Teleportation took quite a bit of strength and she was becoming tired. She was about to ask the orb if they could stop and rest, though she doubted she'd get an answer. Then, far away, distant and rising up like a gigantic tower, stood the largest mountain she had ever set eyes on. It stood like a sentry gazing down upon anything or anyone and the feeling of being watched gave her chills, just for a moment. Their speed grew, faster and faster, the landscape becoming a blur of pale color and blue sky, mixing with each other to blur the lines of where one met the other. The winds picked up again, nearly drifting Twilight off her course as she saw the mountain only a few yards away. Thoughts of what could reside at the top made her want to force them to a halt. But the orb of light started to climb up into the air, pulling her with it as it dodged countless rocks and gusts of wind. This feeling was unmatched, she thought, nothing could ever come close to this.
The sun started to set, faster than she'd ever seen it set before, as if she was faster than Time itself. A falling rock took her concentration, and she swerved to miss it by mere inches, and the top of the towering mountain grew ever nearer. The light let out a strange sound, almost like a newborn foal, and it only lasted a split second but yet it was clear as day. It felt like only minutes before she felt it slow down, the top ledge becoming so close she felt she could touch it from there. Winds screeching like sirens calling out, her muscles aching like they bore the weight of an entire castle, she finally managed to grab the cold stone and pull herself up; her wings simply couldn't take anymore. She lay on her side and tried desperately to get the ache to subside. Finally, after a few minutes, her wish was granted and the aching ceased to be, giving her the ability to adjust herself.
Panting and gasping for breath, she peered up and saw a large doorway, a picture of the sun, the moon and Equestria all merged into one spherical being, and at the center was a hole, just big enough for one's horn to fit through. When she had regained enough oxygen in her lungs and the strength to stand, with a slow pace and a racing heartbeat she inched closer to the door, awestruck by the artwork which must have been ages old, maybe centuries older than even the Royal Sisters may be able to recall. It was so smoothly done and no cracks or damage at all could be detected. No wind was felt, and time seemed to stand perfectly still as she fit her horn in the slot. Creaking and the grating sound of stone against stone was all she heard as it opened, , a faint shimmer shining through the cracks. And when it had opened enough for her to peer inside, she felt weak in her knees, her eyelids fluttering to try and stay open. This was her destination, and she had finally arrived.
Author's Note
This story was mainly a little experiment of mine but I hope you enjoyed reading, and please! Feel free to tell me what you thought it was about in the comments! I'd love to hear them.
