Taking the Sun II: Day in the Sun

Lavender. With a hint of cinnamon.

The extra lash of tanginess caused Twilight Sparkle’s nose to wiggle with affront as it slunk by. It wasn’t a foul odor by any means; merely an unexpected consequence of the magical energies swirling about Princess Luna’s private chambers. Twilight had been there all day and half the night, and in that time she had experienced a breeze that bore tastes and scents in so many combinations, she was surprised she could still identify them. Bathed in the pale light of Luna’s grace that poured in from the princess’s own observatory skylights, Twilight could just about make out the subtle outline of her own reflection in the glass. Myriad auras of pure energy, hued in violet and raspberry, chanced upon the outline of a young lady in daffodil pajamas who looked to be three hours late for bed.

Twilight yawned deeply. The glass’s interpretation of her condition was quite accurate.

Seated with her legs crossed on the floor of Luna’s common room, Twilight pushed out her modest chest against its prison of cotton and stretched for the rafters. Before her lay a number of tomes containing ancient lore sufficient to come off as gibberish to the majority of Canterlot’s population - the spell she had been working on since she had forgotten to change clothes that morning required cross-references from many sources. The glow from each book had long since burned into her retinas, and she wondered precisely how much abuse the knowledge therein could stand before the pages it was scrawled upon began to singe.

A heavy knock at the entrance to Luna’s apartments brought Twilight out of her ensorcelled daze. She might have kept her silence, but whomever had come to call had entered the correct pattern into the wood with their knuckles. Twilight rubbed the bridge of her nose and spoke up.

“It’s open!” She called without getting up. “It’s also your room!”

Twilight was quite certain she would have recognized the sweeping presence of the mistress of these chambers, even if she had not seen Luna approach in the reflection of the observatory windows. Luna’s dark crown held court over her flowing midnight locks, while her curvaceous frame was held in secret by the satin flow of her robes of state. She discarded her clacking heels when her feet met the luscious carpet, allowing her soles to lavish in comfort as she threaded her way through couches and loveseats that had been pushed aside to make room. When Luna gracefully stepped into the magic circle her furniture served as a perimeter for, she reached down and ran her fingers through the wayward frizz of Twilight’s hair with great familiarity.

“Perhaps,” Luna finally replied. “But we agreed upon the pattern of the knocks. Had I entered the incorrect sequence, I trust our countermeasures would have been deployed, even upon me?”

Twilight couldn’t help but to lean into the petting. She rubbed her cheek against Luna’s smooth hip and smiled coyly. “You’d have found an exact copy of your room if you had knocked wrong.” She indicated her work with a wave of her arm. “Only in a temporary pocket dimension, without me, and without any of this. Even your handmaidens wouldn’t know the difference. But really, don’t you think that’s a bit much? You’re a princess. Can’t you just tell the servants to go away for awhile?”

“I could,” Luna agreed, “However, from ladies-in-waiting, to food service, to the operators of my observatory curtains, there are many on the palace staff who would have reason to come here in the span of several days. Apart from them is also my sister, who is unbound by such directives. I choose to take no chances.” She took her hand away and made a semicircle crossing to the opposite side of the books, glancing at them with interest. “And how proceeds our...endeavor?”

Twilight did not attempt to hide the slump in her shoulders. “Another hour. But I can’t do the last part on my own. Something of this scale requires more power, and I’m drained.”

Luna lowered herself to the carpet and sat opposite her sister’s pupil, arranging her robes before replying. “Indeed, as you already informed me once. As expected, matters of state requiring my attention were light this evening, thus,” Luna grinned, “let us complete our opus together. It is appropriate that we do so, after all.”

Twilight only nodded. With a wave of her hand, every book obediently flipped to whatever section she required next. She sensed the flare of a new aura, Luna’s this time, and mused aloud as she scanned the fresh pages.

“You know, I’ve never actually cooked up a spell like this before. It looks good on paper and in theory, but there’s no guarantee it will go off without a hitch.”

Luna closed her eyes. She concentrated until she could feel the familiar spark of magical energy draw together in her core and begin to coalesce into her extremities. She added her aural glow to the many shifting, transparent hues floating about the room and opened her eyes, quirking a brow at her companion.

“That is the seventeenth time you have mentioned the potential for failure in half as many days,” Luna observed. “Trust in yourself, Twilight Sparkle. I believe your mentor would say the same, yes?”

Twilight’s thoughts turned to Princess Celestia, the overworked sovereign who had ruled Equestria on her own for a thousand years without complaint, and taught Twilight nearly everything she knew. Celestia had but one catharsis to escape from responsibilities heavy enough to crush even the stoutest among her subjects. When the idea for the spell Twilight had spent half a day casting was first broached two weeks ago, she agreed and put her all into it because she wanted to give back to her mentor. ‘What if’ scenarios could not be allowed to darken the way.

“Besides,” Luna spoke up, “we have considered a number of countermeasures in the event of catastrophe, have we not?”

Wearing an expression of only partial jest, Twilight lifted one hand and began to count on her fingers. “Bribery, mind-wiping, political favors, time travel--”

Both sorceresses froze at the mention of travel through time. Each pair of eyes scanned the room cautiously, Luna going so far as to levitate a few bookshelves and pieces of furniture to check for potential future versions of themselves. When both participants were satisfied, they shared an uneasy chuckle and returned to their toil.

“Do not forget assassination, of course,” Luna finally added.

Twilight made a droll face in response to Luna’s sheepish grin.

“What? I jest of course!”

Twilight didn’t seem convinced, but Luna waved off her companion’s rueful expression until the moment of levity passed. Luna felt a tug at the edges of her senses, and allowed the ebb and flow of the magic power in the room to incorporate her own, dragging it off to wherever it was needed. When she spoke again, her voice oozed with an uncharacteristic softness.

“My sister trusts wholeheartedly in your abilities, Twilight Sparkle. How can I do less? You will succeed, and on the morrow, my sister and your mentor will have the greatest birthday celebration in all her days.” Luna winked, “Trust me, that is saying something. She has had many birthdays.”

Twilight, eyes closed and hands hovering above her books, gently smiled. She could feel every tickle of crackling energy as it slipped through her body. Her efforts would soon bear fruit, and it would be succulent fruit indeed.