Twilight slapped herself once, looked down, slapped herself again, then picked the letter up.
"this can't be happening!"
She began reading it again.
To my most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle,
I am in need to inform you that Trixie Lulamoon has been accepted into my canterlot college of advanced magics. Though, I did partially regret that you even get this message, I have arranged for you transport shortly after this letter's arrival. you will have about fifteen minutes before the chariot arrives, so pack *lightly*, Twilight.
Waiting for your arrival,
Princess Celestia.
Twilight looked up, stared at absolutely nothing, read the letter again, then took deep breath.
"SPIKE!!!!!", she screamed, hurrying up the stairs.
"Yes?", the small dragon poked his head out of the kitchen.
No reply, he went back in the kitchen.
As Twilight flew out of her room, she caled again.
"Spike!!!"
Right after she zoomed over the small dragon, he poked his head out of the kitchen again.
"Yes?"
"Spike!"
Spike turned to the panicking lavender unicorn, "What? Youv'e called me like, three times."
"Emergency! Trixie, college, princess, disaster!!!"
"Wait...Trixie got accepted into Celestia's College of Advanced Magics? And the princess sent you that letter, explaining that you have only minutes to prepare for a trip to canterlot?"
"How did you know?!"
"I read the letter before you did."
Twilight froze, then began prancing again, "Spike, we need to get ready!"
"My suitcase is by the door, don't you have your emergency light pack?"
"Yes! But we still need to hurry!"
A knock ont he door startled the mare, and Twilgith flashed otu fo the ktichen, along with the baby dragon, putting them both at the front door.
"Twiligth Sparkle?", one guard asked.
"Yes! It's me! We ahve to hurry!"
Twilight took off after the chariot, Spike in tow with his own bags. Once in the chariot, Twilight removed a paper bag from her emergency light pack and began breathing into it, eventually popping it, and forcing herself to pass out.
Spike, who had seen this coming, sighed, moved Twiligth into a more comfortable position, and took his seat.
"Can you guys get to Canterlot in about ten minutes?"
"Can do, lord Spike."
The stallions pulling the chariot took off, almost forcing Spike into the seat. But once airborne, there was only a cool breeze pushing against him.
"So, do any of you know anything of why you were asked to retrieve Twilight?"
"All we know is that Twiligth must be to canterlot in less than an hour, as orders of emergency. To fit Twilight's predicted panic."
"Yeah. She panics too much. So OCD, perfect, she may need some therapy."
The stallions pulling the chariot were silent.
Spike let out a sigh, "Let's see how bad she explodes on the princess this time..."
Upon arrival, Twilight came to, and though a bit groggy, was calm. Though, she did still act a bit surprised to some things.
"How could the pricness even possibly send Trixie to Celetia's College of Advanced Magics? In order to even get in, you had to discover something entirely new int eh field of magic study. Trixie can't even get a teleportation spell to work for her."
"I dunno princess. The Princess wanted you to know for some reason. If she didn't need your help, Celestia migth not have sent a letter."
"Oh! Your'e right! Maybe she wants me to check this out, and even try to prove Trixie's discovery a fraud, or even something that was already discovered. Someponies do get in by rediscovering old forgotten magic."
"I don't think the Pricness sent for you for that reason."
As Twiligth and Spike entered the castle, they were immediately welcomed by Celestia, who smiled at both happily.
"Welcome, Twilight, Spike!", Celestia greeted.
"So, what do I ahve to do, pricness? Mass search the historical archives? Research Trixie's method of discovery,a dn-"
"Twilight, I didn't call you here to prove Trixie wrong."
"W...wha?"
"Twilight...", Celestia frowned, "Twilight, this shocked even me. But it's something unavoidable. I have to prepare her."
"Prepare her for what?"
"It'd be ebst if we were in the inner Solar Sanctum."
"T-the nner Solar Sanctum?! b-but! No normal pony is even allowed there by the laws of the ancients!"
"I know, but I am allowed to make any exceptions. Trixie has already seen what I must show you. You will see what she must see as well."
Celestia's horn glowed brightly, dimmed out, then flashed much brighter than before. It was like staring into the sun withotu being blinded. Though, as Twilight's view was obscurred by the bright, unblinding light, she was whisked off her feet. Her sight reappeared and she found herself quite literally walking on thin air.
"Whoa!", she lifted a hoof.
"Don't panic here, Twilight."
"I...I'm sorry, Pricness! I consider this an honor."
"I am glad you do, but you will hate this for your upcoming journey."
"Journey?"
"Twilight, it is time to show you an ancient destiny that has been in need of completion for longer than I have been alive, longer than since Equestria was rebuilding."
"Rebuilding?"
"Yes. A mistake of the ancients. Close to causignt he mass extinction of everything on the planet, they saved Equestria, Equus, and every living creature that tread this planet."
Twilight was stunned.
"And all of it was recorded in the one place you could hide such crucial information."
"Where?"
"Youv'e heard of the Inner Solar Sanctum, So I'm guessing that you know partially where it is."
"By what I know, it is in the center of the planet."
"Well, that is only half of the truth. Twilight, it was hidden in plain sight. It was the epicenter of life. Do you know where we are now?"
"No, Pricness, I do not."
"We are on our way to the center of the sun. That is where the Inner Solar Sanctum exists."
"In plain sight. But, the books said exactly, that it was the center of the planet!"
"That's what they thought Twilight. As we speak we enter the corona layer of the sun. Soon we'll be there, and we must make haste of this. Your time there is limited by the second."
"How much time do I have?"
"You will have an entire week's time of prtection from the destructive power that is the heat of the sun. It is much mroe than enough to review what is needed to be known. We are ehre."
The whit eroom dissolved into the walkway beneath them. Walkways of white color, that gave ligth of their own. The walls were hard to distinguish, and di the same. Everything here was white, and illuminated.
"Walkways of white flame.", Celestia informed, "The perfect underhoof for a god or goddess."
Twilight looked up at the princess, and jumped, seeign hwo far away she had gotten. Gallopign to ehr side, Twilight took what had to be a total of a whole minute to catch up to Celestia, who was barely walking.
"So, what can you tell me of this ancient prophecy?"
"Prophecy? A prophecy is something that has been seen and predicted for future generations. No. This has already begun, and has been a struggle that otherworldly powers have had to fight for millenia. They are only enough to hold back what is soon to come. Should Trixie fail."
Twilight gasped, "You mean, you sent Trixie to Your College of Advanced Magics-"
"To train her for what is to come."
'Then...What part do I play in this?"
"You are her guardian."
"Guardian?"
"Yes. By bloodline, to be exact. You are a distant relative of Trixie Lulamoon."
Twilight fell silent.
"Don't see it as a burden. She has had her past struggles, but now you should be proud."
"How closely are we related, then?"
"Your great great grandfather was Star swirl the Bearded."
Twiligth gasped, "You mean I'm a direct descendant of THE Star swirl teh Bearded?!"
"Yes, and so is Trixie. Star Swirl the Bearded was a very old Unicorn, and new a great many spells. One being an age spell he used to connect with younger generations. He was, as modern language labels him, a player. He had fourteen kids, and cared for each and every one of them. You and Trixie are related by your Great Great grandmother, Which was his last wife. She gave birth to two fillies, and since then, it's been an only child bloodline."
"So my mother..."
"Is a direct descendant. So was your grandmother, great grandmother, and you know your great great grandmother was Star Swirl's wife. It's the same for Trixie."
"How long does it take to walk to the center of the sanctum?", Twiligth asked.
"It's onyl illusion. Walking towards your goal keeps you walking further away. But...", Celestia turned, "We have been here the whole time."
Twiligth Turned around, and gasped at the sight before her. A deep, pitch black sphere that hovered just above the walkway. She turned abck around, and saw the same thing at the other end of the walkway.
"Then...Then that means it's a last defense."
"To those who are determined to get in the sun. Some can survive with powerful magic, and many have made it here, but each has given up after a day's journey. If ou give up, and turn, you are lead back out of the sanctum, but if you see the illusion, you are rewarded."
"How many have gotten in, total?"
"Twenty two. Now, we msut not waste nay time. I have told what must be known by me, now you must speak with the Last One."
Twilight looked up at Celestia, then back at the big black orb. Approaching the large object, she was lifted off the path, and brought inside of the orb, her vision growing darker the further in she went.
After the darkness set completely in, her midn was flooded with memories. Magic, evil, bloodlines, and finally, what Trixie really was. Once it was over, Twilight found herself standing once more, on the whtie fire walkway.
"You ahve used three days. Much longer than Trixie did."
"T-three days?", Twilgith said weakly.
"Yes. Three days of no food, sleep, or water. I'm surprised you are not unconscious."
Twilight took a few steps to turn around,a nd her joints popped with every movement, forcing her to the ground as her weak legs were not enough to hold her up anymore. Celestia picked Twilight upw ith her own magic and set her on ehr back, in between her wings.
"Sleep, Twilight."
Twilight's body responded before her midn could, and every movement she made slowed until finally, her eyes were too heavy to keep open. The darkness, and relaxation were welcomed.
Celestia, on the other hoof, was already galloping down the long walkway, casting the spell to bring her and twilight back to Equestria. As she set hoof into the same sphere that brought them there, her own vision became black. Blackout.