Sunset had to remind herself that Twilight was not from this world every time the girl stared at something wide eyed. There were things ponies visiting Canterlot for the first time looked at with the same wonder, but Twilight did so to the most mundane things, like unicorns levitating stuff they’d just bought, or pegasi flying overhead.

Sunset thought she could understand, however. She had been marveled at cars and televisions and technology that was centuries ahead of Equestria. So she understood that Twilight felt similarly as she gazed upon the floating signs that announced shops with animated letters, or potted flowers that hummed placid tunes outside of many balconies.

After ten minutes of walking, they arrived at a large corner restaurant. Like many buildings in Canterlot, the facade arched outwards the higher it went, and the roof was made of grayish violet tiles. The slowly rotating sign announced its focus on flower-based dishes with the drawing of a sunflower, below which the name “La Fleur du Soleil” could be read. Sunset rolled her eyes at the pretentious name and went inside.

They were fortunate that the restaurant was mostly empty since they could grab a table near a window, where Twilight could gleefully glance outside. Sunset levitated the menu and placed it on the table in front of Twilight. Upside down.

“Uhm…” Twilight said.

“You’re going to be a unicorn for only two days,” Sunset explained. “But I think you should experience levitation anyway.”

Twilight’s eyes sparkled. “You think I can do that?”

Sunset nodded. “You already know how to manipulate your mana. It shouldn’t be too hard to teach you levitation.” When Twilight nodded energetically, Sunset got into a lecturing mindset. “Focus on your horn. You should be able to feel your mana pool through it. When you can do that, make your mana go to the tip of your horn and back in a constant flow.” Just as Sunset expected, it took Twilight mere seconds to do that, and her horn was enveloped by a faint and pretty pink aura. “Good. Now, whatever you do, keep that flow going. If you feel like your concentration is waning, cancel the flow immediately.

“Remember how you picture your mana like swirling water when you make it flow into quartz. The exception now is that you have to picture it moving through a denser liquid, like molasses. That's the Harmonic Veil. Use your mana to make the Veil around the menu bend and wrap around it. You will be able to feel it through your mana. Yes, it’s different than touching it physically, but your brain interprets it as such when your mana feels resistance. That’s right, use it to force the Harmonic Veil fully envelop the menu. Don’t let the flow break. Good, just like that. Let yourself get accustomed to the feeling of having your mana interact with the world. When you feel ready, try to imagine the mana round the menu going upwards.”

Twilight grunted, a telltale sign that she had tried to lift the menu, only for her horn's aura to blink a few times. What many non-unicorns and unicorn foals didn’t understand about levitation was that it required a lot of effort to move even the lightest objects. Forcing the Harmonic Veil to move according to your will was a lot more difficult than anypony expected. Besides mana flow, which ensured that as little mana as possible would be expended, there were three aspects to take into consideration at the same time.

Control, to move your mana through the Harmonic Veil to the right location and into the right shape so that the target was properly enveloped, required a lot of concentration, which was already being shared with the flow of mana. This was especially true when trying to levitate several objects at the same time.

Balance was something nopony ever thought about. Since the Harmonic Veil was shapeless and the mana was in a perpetual swirling state, anything within the aura without balance would swirl along with the mana. Some argued that it wasn’t important when learning to levitate things like apples or practice balls, but the earlier you learned to correctly balance with your mana to stop things from swirling, the better.

Strength was misinterpreted as the amount of mana required to grab an object and move it. Physical weight was a critical aspect, of course, since the heavier the object was, the more mana was required to levitate it. However, strength actually referred to the grip within the aura. Too little and the object wouldn’t budge no matter how much mana you put into it, too much and you could squash an apple by accident. Too strong a grip, regardless of levitated object, would quickly become so strenuous on the horn that it could actually injure the unicorn, especially one unaccostumed to it like Twilight.

Sunset explained all of this as she guided her through every step along the way. And thanks to her previous experience with mana manipulation, Twilight only needed a few minutes of practice to levitate the menu, though it was very wobbly, showing a weak grip and not enough control over the balance. Still, she had managed to levitate something incredibly fast. Sunset felt a nice warmth in her chest.

Somepony cleared their throat, breaking Twilight’s concentration and making her drop the menu. Sunset turned to see a bored-looking waiter. “Are you ready to order?”

Sunset levitated the menu over to herself. “I’ll have the spinach omelet, the hellebore salad, and orange juice. She’ll have the daffodil oatcakes and grape juice.”

“Right away, ma’am,” the waiter said after writing the order in his notebook and left.

“Did you say daffodil?” Twilight asked. “Isn’t that poisonous?”

“You’re a pony now, Twilight. You’ll be fine.”

Twilight nodded slowly. After a second she smiled, then started giggling. “I can’t believe I did magic! Sunset, I did magic!”

Sunset snorted amusedly. “Twilight, you’ve been doing magic for months.”

“This is different, Sunset!” Twilight replied, still grinning. “All I’ve ever done is fill quartz rocks with mana. But this?” She focused, lighting up her horn, and the menu slowly floated in the air within her wobbly aura. “I can levitate stuff!” Her aura faltered and she dropped the menu back on the table.

They shared a laugh until the waiter returned with their orders. Sunset’s mouth watered at finally being able to eat proper food again. Sure, human cuisine wasn’t bad, but nothing they made could ever compare to pony-grown vegetables and a proper flower-based dish. She’d tried eating rose petals as a human and the experience had been miserable. Twilight, for her part, eyed her oatcakes with distrustful eyes. She used her recently learned levitation skills to cautiously navigate her fork, cut a small chunk of pancake, and take it to her mouth. The effect was immediate.

“Oh wow,” she said through her mouthful. “Oh wow. Thish ish…” She swallowed. “This is the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten in my life!” Disregarding any sense of decorum, she stabbed the top oatcake and shoved it all in her mouth. She moaned in utter pleasure, her cheeks puffed and reddened and her eyes watering with tears of joy.

In other times, Sunset would’ve been disgusted. Instead she found her cute.

They finished eating rather quickly and found themselves walking through the snowed streets of Canterlot once more. Sunset looked at the sky, watching the sun, then led Twilight through the maze of streets. They passed by several stores Sunset wanted to check out, so she made a mental checklist before hurrying along. Earlier that morning Sunset had had a brilliant idea and she didn’t have much time to go through with it.

Twenty minutes later, the buildings finally gave way to a large open area. It was the western outer plaza of the upper ring. A few trees decorated the place here and there, and there were some benches for ponies to relax and some street lamps for night owls. A large cart in the middle offered hot beverages.

“Whoa, this is so cool!” Twilight exclaimed as she trotted towards the edge, which was protected by a stone fence tall enough that she had to stand on her hindlegs to see beyond. “We’re so high up!”

“Of course we are,” Sunset said. “You didn’t think the royal palace would be built on the lower rings, would you?”

Twilight flicked her head to look at her. “Rings?”

Sunset smiled. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

A section of the plaza was occupied by a line of about ten golden chariots. The fact that there were so many was enough confirmation that they were running out of time. Sunset picked up the pace until she reached a small booth at the end of the line of chariots, where she found a large group of pegasi talking amongst each other.

“Excuse me,” she said, and about twenty heads turned to look at her. “I want to rent a ride.”

Twilight stepped next to her with a questioning look.

The pegasus closest to her, a stallion of light blue fur and dark blue short mane stood up and walked to her. “Are you sure, ma’am? Winter Wrap Up will begin in about ten minutes.”

“I know,” Sunset replied. “We’re cleared.”

The stallion raised a distrustful eyebrow, but ultimately shrugged. “Alright, go to the sixth chariot. I’ll send your drivers in a minute.”

Sunset nodded and walked towards the chariot. Twilight hurried to her side.

“What’s going on?”

“I told you about it this morning,” Sunset said. “Winter Wrap Up, the end of winter, is today. I’ll take you on a chariot ride around Canterlot so you can witness it from above.”

Twilight blinked. “So it’s like a festival? Will we see fireworks? Wouldn’t that be dangerous? It’s dangerous, isn’t it? That’s why that pegasus asked you if you were sure, right?”

Sunset snickered at the barrage of questions. “It’s not dangerous at all. The reason he asked is because all unicorn residents of Canterlot older than ten are required to participate. I’m technically not a resident anymore, and you’re not even from this world, so we’re cleared from that obligation. Instead, we can watch the whole thing from the sky.”

“Why only unicorns?”

“You’ll see.”

Twilight frowned, of course. She didn’t like being kept in the dark, but Sunset was sure she was going to love the sight. Sunset had seen it once when she was eight. She had just earned her Cutie Mark and become Princess Celestia’s student. The princess had taken her to watch Winter Wrap Up from a chariot. It was one of her most treasured memories.

They arrived at the designated chariot, and almost immediately a pair of pegasus stallions —one green with red mane and the other white with orange mane— flew towards them and started strapping the chariot to themselves. Sunset helped Twilight onto the chariot, then used her magic to close the back door.

“Where to, ma’am?” The white stallion asked.

“Full tour,” Sunset replied. “We want to see all of Canterlot.”

“Right on!” The other stallion said.

The two pegasi broke into a sprint, making Twilight yelp, and guided the chariot towards a ramp that faced the very edge of the plaza. They spread their wings, and with powerful flaps, they took to the air, pulling the chariot with them.

Twilight immediately recovered from her initial shock and leaned over the side of the chariot, gazing in total rapture at the magnificent sight of Canterlot as a whole. Of course the royal palace was impressive in its own right, as it seemed attached to the mountainside and rose like a thorny flower. However, it was far from being the only impressive thing. Canterlot itself was a combination of five rings built on the side of the mountain, held in place by ancient enchantments that fed on both the sun and the moon, with wide rivers that fell as waterfalls all the way to the mountain's base. The palace was located on the top ring, which was also home to both the high, middle, and low nobility, along with the lucky few who’d managed to open their businesses there.

Two rings spread below and to the sides of the top one. The north middle ring was occupied by the rich and the famous. Anypony who was anypony fought teeth and hooves for the right to buy a house as near to the top ring as possible. Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns was located on the south middle ring, along with the Canterlot library. This meant that the south middle ring was home mainly to students, researchers, and their families. Many national businesses also had their central headquarters in there, which meant that not-quite rich ponies lived there.

The final two rings, which grew below the middle rings, were home to regular ponies —those who wanted to move to Canterlot for the prestige but lacked the funds to go to the upper rings. Those lower rings were host to many parks and large venues for entertainment.

As the chariot rose into the air, Sunset could see the white rooftops and gray smoke coming from the chimneys. The air was cold, but the magic of the pegasi pulling the chariot protected them from the brunt of the freezing breeze. Twilight certainly didn’t seem to notice the temperature. Her eyes and her mouth hung agape as she took in the sights.

Sunset was about to say something, but she stopped herself when she felt mana coming from the city. It was a massive amount, something only thousands of unicorns could achieve together. Even under the midday sun, the city shined with thousands of lights, and sparkles of a million colors surrounded the structures.

The air surrounding the rings seemed to warp in wide heat waves, and soon enough, the blankets of snow were pulled upward, flake by flake, and turned into a thousand different whirls that spun slowly but purposefully, and then gathered in the air in the form of pristine white clouds that floated languidly around the mountaintop, depositing the snow back on the highest peaks.

As the snow disappeared, the real colors of Canterlot came into view. The dark cobblestone of the streets, the royal violet of the rooftops, the golden edges of window frames and balcony fences. Green spread vibrantly through the city as trees and bushes and grasslands in parks were uncovered, and spring flowers bloomed in as many colors as the rainbow had. Colorful birds came flying from the south in massive flocks, returning to their nests on the trees or the artificial lakes along the city rings.

Since Sunset had already witnessed the sight of Canterlot’s Winter Wrap Up, she spent the whole time gauging Twilight’s reaction. She didn’t need to have been worried, however, as Twilight could only stare in absolute delight at the spectacle. Her eyes wide, shimmering in the sun, her cheeks a bit pink with mirth, and her mouth hanging wide open in a massive beam.

And that sight was more beautiful to Sunset than anything else Equestria had to offer.

By the time winter was properly wrapped, the chariot tour came to an end and the pegasi pulled the chariot back to the same plaza they’d started at. Sunset helped Twilight down the chariot and guided her to the nearest bench. Even if they’d been sitting within the chariot, Sunset knew from experience that the constant rattling was hard on the legs.

“I can’t believe it,” Twilight whispered, still enraptured by what she’d witnessed. She looked at the now green trees that surrounded her. “You guys make the seasons happen.”

“I knew you’d like it,” Sunset said proudly.

“Like it?” Twilight sounded almost offended. “I loved it! That was the most magical thing I’ve seen in my life!”

Sunset snickered. “Yet.”

Twilight gasped loudly. “What? No. What could possibly be more magical than watching thousands of unicorns making the seasons change in a city built along the side of a mountain while riding a golden chariot pulled by pegasi?”

“Oh, you’ll see.”

Sunset got two hot cocoas from the cart that sold beverages and gave one to Twilight. Even if Winter Wrap Up had just happened, spring was still one day away, so the temperature was still rather chilly. It was also the reason why it wouldn’t be thought as strange that they didn’t take their coats off.

Having to concentrate on levitating her cocoa without spilling it helped Twilight relax further. Which was a good thing, since Sunset could sit back and enjoy hers as she watched the horizon. A small part of her wanted to get moving, to hurry up and visit the shops that had caught her interest earlier and return to her chambers to get everything ready for their return to the human world. But the other, increasingly large part of her told her to just enjoy the moment. The air was cool, the drink delicious, and the company warm.

Sunset felt comfortable. Simple as that.

When they finished their cocoas, Sunset levitated the empty cups into a nearby trash can. She allowed the silence to stretch for a bit longer, enjoying the simplicity of just being there. Twilight seemed content with doing the same, though her still shaking legs betrayed the fact that she was still riding the excitement of watching Winter Wrap Up from the air. Sunset couldn’t decide whether that was fortunate or not, since the thing she was sure would top that was coming into view little by little.

Well, no time like the present, she supposed.

“Twilight,” she said, waiting for Twilight to lazily look her way. “Ready for the most magical thing your human mind has ever seen?”

Twilight’s eyes widened in surprise, as if she had forgotten about that. “What is it?”

With a grin, Sunset pointed a hoof towards the horizon. “Take a look for yourself.”

Twilight leaned over and glared in the general direction Sunset was pointing. She was silent for a minute before speaking up. “I… I don’t see it. Is it some kind of magical construct I have to learn how to feel or something like that?”

Sunset shook her head. “Just keep looking, it’s getting closer.”

“What, that cloud? It’s rather big. Should we get worried that a storm is coming?”

“Keep looking,” Sunset insisted, barely managing to suppress a giggle.

Twilight groaned but kept looking as the cloud grew larger and closer. She narrowed her eyes when, upon closer inspection, she realized that it wasn’t just one massive cloud, but a series of clouds that followed each other in sectioned levels. Her mouth hung agape when she saw structures, actual solid buildings on top of those clouds, and the black spots moving around the buildings were actually thousands upon thousands of pegasi.

“No way…” Twilight whispered. “No way!”

This time, Sunset didn’t suppress her chuckle. “Yes way. Behold the largest cloud city in Equestria. Cloudsdale.”

Cloudsdale was already so close to Canterlot that it was easy to see the many buildings that rose here and there, and the massive rainbow that jutted out from behind which marked the location of the rainbow factory. Hundreds of pegasi flew in neat, organized lines towards the mountain, where they met with the aerial section of the royal guard before continuing on with their trek to the peaks.

“What are they doing?” Twilight asked as she watched the pegasi fly back to their city after spending less than a minute at the mountain peaks.

“They’re picking up the snow,” Sunset replied. “Cloudsdale is in charge of coordinating and regulating the weather in Equestria. When spring comes around, the city comes to Canterlot to gather the excess snow so they have enough resources to produce rain. Some sections break off to gather the snow from smaller towns, but Canterlot is large enough that the main city needs to get close.”

Twilight’s mouth worked silently for a few seconds. “I duh, uh… Y-You mean to tell me you don’t have a natural weather cycle? That you have to create it so that the seasons are possible?”

Sunset hummed. “Not quite. The weather and the seasons have always existed. We just regulate them so that we always have the perfect weather for each season. Thanks to that, we don’t experience droughts or food shortages or anything like that, unlike the other nations.”

“You manipulate the weather,” Twilight said slowly. “You… created an enclosed ecosystem the size of a country where everything works perfectly and according to your needs… That’s…”

Sunset grinned. “I told you it would be more impressive.”

Twilight snapped her head towards Sunset. “Do you think we could achieve this in my world?”

Sunset thought about it, then shook her head. “Proper weather control can only be performed by pegasi. And as you can see,” she pointed towards the pegasi flying to and from the mountain, “it requires the work of hundreds of them on a daily basis.”

“But I just saw the unicorns manipulate the weather not even twenty minutes ago!”

“That’s different,” Sunset said. “Cloudsdale is on a very tight schedule all year long, and it can’t afford to spend much time in one city or another. So Winter Wrap Up was devised as a way for all towns and cities to lend a hoof. Ponies take the snow to a designated area for Cloudsdale and its smaller sections to collect it. That’s why all unicorns in Canterlot are required to help, so that we assist Cloudsdale with its duty to Equestria as a whole. But without them, it would be no different than simply shoveling the snow and hoping for the best.”

Twilight groaned disappointedly, but she recovered rather quickly as she gazed up at the massive cloud city, and her frown gave way to an awed smile. Sunset tried to join her in watching Cloudsdale, but she kept looking back at Twilight, enthralled by the way the soft wind made her mane dance and her fur ruffle slightly.

“You were right, Sunset,” Twilight said without looking away from Cloudsdale. “This is the most magical thing I’ve ever seen.”

Sunset agreed, though for a completely different reason.

Author's Note

This chapter serves a few purposes.

Wolrdbuilding, of course. The only Winter Wrap Up we've seen in the show is the one happening in Ponyville, but they do mention that Canterlot just magics it away. I decided to go with that explanation, but make it a bit more nuanced and be a joint effort with Cloudsdale.

Then there's a bit more of how magic works. Specifically levitation. In this fanfic's canon, levitation is an entirely different thing from any other unicorn spell. While spells require the "arrays" and "circuitry" to work, levitation is more physical in nature. Any given unicorn can learn how to levitate stuff on their own, but for spells they will have to study.

And finally, Sunset's crush on Twilight growing as the day goes by.

Winter Wrap Up mission complete. Next up: Gathering materials. Will they survive?

If you liked it, please do leave a comment! I may not reply (because I'm an idiot) but I read 'em all and make me wanna keep writing!