The night sky always captivated me. Hundreds of lights, all of then calling my name. I could name constellations, planets, and even a few prominent stars. It's not a wonder I was, and still am, called a nerd.
As a foal, my parents would have to pull me away from the window to get me to bed. I'd kick, scream, and whine as they pulled. Once they finally got me away I'd get a lecture from my dad.
“Twilight, you know that good girls go to bed when their parents tell them to,” he'd say. Arguing with them never ended well, and their tactics of getting me to comply scared me to no end. The threat of punishment from them often meant something that felt alien to a foal, especially one whose babysitter was a princess!
Instead, I'd just comply and go to my bed. This usually ended with my father scolding me for daring to defy him. His eyes always bored into my soul. His gaze was always unblinking. The darkness in them was matched only by the void of space that I'd see out the corner of my eye. Sometimes, he'd catch me doing that. When he did, he'd threaten to throw me out the window and into the vacuum.
Even though I knew he was joking, it still scared me. His voice never sounded like he was joking, but I just knew he was. I hope.
Occasionally, I'd ask him why he doesn't like it when stayed near the windows. He never answered me. I guess he didn't appreciate it when I saw him and mom outside. They liked to go outside at night. Once or twice, I saw them walking around like minotaurs, but a lot taller. I guess they used their magic. Weird, because they were never big on fooling around like that. I guess even adults like to play from time to time.
Speaking of playing, my mother was always one to play with me. Sometimes, if she caught me by the window, she'd stay with me after my dad got done lecturing me so we could play all sorts of fun, cool games.
One time, she looked out the window with me and pointed out some stars I didn't know about. There were so many I didn't know about! One of the first I learned about was Sirius, the dog star. It was so cool!
Another time, she showed me the Virgo constellation. She then taught me about the other Zodiac signs. She said that if I didn't know about this, I might end up flunking my Astronomy tests. She said that magic correlates to my astrological sign in certain parts of worlds.
One other time, my mom stayed behind to help me with a bit of homework that I had to do. My dad forgot his glasses in my room and when he saw my mom helping me, he stared at us for a few seconds, confused, before grabbing my paper and leaving with it. My mom and I looked at each other until my dad came back. He finished it for me and said that he did it this one time because the math here was wrong.
I'm guessing algebra wasn't taught where he was born?
As I grew older, my interest in the stars only grew. My tutelage under Princess Celestia had made me fascinated with the ways of magic and the ubiquitous supply of it. What allowed us to harness it was something that even my parents found captivating.
However, when I was tasked with learning about friendship, I knew that I'd have less time to look to the skies. The worlds and lights away that I'd never be able to look to escape the troubles of reality.
It all hurt so much.
My mother and father weren't around as much either. The distance between us was devastating for both them and myself. Spike's company was but a bandage on the gaping maw that was the hole that I felt. The lessons I had learned from them were invaluable. I can't imagine what life would've been like without them.
Still, they occasionally visited me. When they did, they let me see the stars whenever I wished. The captivation was unlike anything I'd ever seen. Perhaps it was the larger windows. Perhaps it was the fact I'd learned a spell in my spare time to allow me to see better. Whatever the case, I could see them. Hundreds upon hundreds of stars. The lights of the cosmos.
It was heavenly.
And it was all for me to behold.
I relished in the time I spent with them when they visited. Never did I dare waste a second of it. Sure, it was seldom that I experienced it, but it was enough that I felt like a filly once more.
However, when I ascended and became an alicorn, the responsibilities of being a princess took over. The times my parents visited became infrequent. My love of the stars became an afterthought. Exhaustion had caused my desires to see them was pushed to the recesses of my mind.
My love of the skies sputtered out.
Friendship was the name of the game now. It was now bread and butter. Whenever my parents visited, I'd normally pass out before I could so much as greet them. They'd sometimes leave me a gift and watch over me. I guess it's nice that they're still fiercely protective of me. Spike told me that he'd usually be sent out by them go grocery shopping for me.
However, as of late, my passion for the stars has returned. I'm not sure why but I've found myself staying by my window before bed a lot more. There's something hypnotic about it all. The lights, oh-so far away, flood my mind with wonder. Their beauty is enrapturing; their warmth, motherly. I feel welcomed in their embrace.
But it isn't until I pass through my ceiling that I truly feel at home.
