He gulped as he saw the expansive structure before him. His young was in awe of the tall round walls, the carved stones that decorated the outside, and of course, the massive telescope that pointed outward to the horizon. Two double doors were in his path, preventing him from entering the fantastical building. Here in front of him was, surprisingly, a house. The huts at the bottom of the mountain's trail and even the rich homes that dotted the hills could compete with this particular house. The place that he wished to enter was by far the most glorious monument on the island.
He took a deep breath. His small hooves brought him just close enough to the doors for him to knock on them with the feeble strength he possessed. The lavender-painted doors took his knocking and echoed it on the other side for the owner to hear. He then waited, his heart beating with both excitement and fear. The satchel that was swung on his side made him sweat from humidity. In his nervousness, he put it on the other side and then back, refusing to stay patient.
He eyes stared almost blankly at the golden doorknobs. his mind was elsewhere, thinking of all the ways the next moments may occur. The owner of this house was rich and famous. She was the island's pride and joy. Everypony knew her, or at least, they though they did. Nopony down the hill had actually met her before, as she resided in this mansion every day and night, performing studies for something the typical islander couldn't care less about. However, it was not what she was doing currently that made her so famous, it was what she did when she was this colt's age. And that was why he had ventured up to the tip of the mountain to meet her.
His heart leaped in his small chest when the doorknobs were enveloped in an aura of magenta magic. He held his breath when the door began to open, his eyes peering inside intently to catch any glimpse at what could be hidden in this mansion. Instead of seeing what could be inside, his eyes were now looking right at a lavender leg of a pony much taller than him. The next moment, he was looking up at the face of a unicorn mare, who smiled warmly back at him.
"Why, hello there?" she giggled. "What brings you up here?"
"I...I..." he stammered. "You're Twilight. Twilight Sparkle the Gifted Traveler?"
"Hehe, yes I am. You can just call me Twilight. I don't really need that title," she told him kindly.
He trembled in her presence. Only the tales he heard of her made him doubt himself, as she was nothing royal or even glorious. Her purple-striped mane was unkempt and her eyes appeared tired from a long night of no sleep. However, her smile was warm and incredibly kind, so after a few seconds, he felt more assured of himself. He coughed when he tried to clear his throat, but stayed strong in addressing her.
"Miss Sparkle, er, I mean, Twilight, I...I..." he stammered once again.
"Go on, no need to be afraid," she encouraged him.
"I've been wondering on the stories my parents tell me. The tales of your adventures when you were my age. You know, the reason why we call you the 'Gifted Traveler.' Are...Are they true?"
Her smile faded and her kind glance went upward in thought. When she did this, the colt felt afraid once more. Had he offended her? Of all things he wanted to do, this was not one of them. The tales he was asking about included her magical prowess and how she could cast even the most difficult of spells. He had no intention of being turned into a fish or a seagull, so he quickly shouted an apology.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean o bring it up!" he yelped.
She looked back at him. "Do your parents know you're here?" she asked casually.
He rubbed the back his neck. "Well, no. I mean, Papa's out on the seas and Mama is taking care of my little sister. So I mean, they won't notice I'm gone."
"And why do you want to know the stories so badly?" she questioned.
"Um, because, well, the tales, they often conflict with each other. Nopony seems to know it right if they keep contradicting each other. And I really, really want to know, so, why not go to the original source?"
Twilight giggled again, a bit louder than before. "I understand that thought process. I'm impressed by your initiative, reminds me of myself when I was a filly. Yes, my story is often exaggerated in some areas and sometimes completely false. Like, for example, I was never eaten whole by a shark. I honestly have no idea where ponies got that from. Well, hehe, I kind of do, but I can't say that in front of you."
"Really? But that was one of the best parts!" the colt complained.
"By the Sun Goddess, the actual tale is much better," Twilight insisted. "If you have the time, I can start it for you."
"Really?" his face lightened up.
"Of course, but not out here, it's much too humid. We can sit right inside. But!" she pointed a hoof at him, "don't stay here that long. Put your family first. I don't want to be in some trouble with your parents. Alright?"
"Yeah, yeah!" he nodded quickly.
She moved to the side to let him in. He ran inside like a bolt of lightning. His large eyes widened even more upon seeing the inside of the mansion. Besides the telescope, which dominated the entire place, the walls, covered in strange artifacts of all kinds, held just as much interest. Totems of dragons, warriors, gods, goddesses, and beasts filled every corner. If it were not so well organized, the mansion would not be able to hold so many trinkets. A flute rested on a table, swords of all shapes lined glass cases, a set of crystal armor stood in a corner, a gigantic ax was hung on a wall, and in the center of the massive room was wooden bust, depicting a grinning beast that the colt did not recognize. Above this bust was a chandelier that hung from the high ceiling, letting jewels and crystals hung gently from its many round arms.
"Wow!" he exhaled.
"Heh, yup, it's pretty spectacular," Twilight chuckled. "Now, let's sit over here."
She led him to a corner where a fabric sofa was located. In front of the sofa was a small table where she magically placed cups of water for both of them. When she sat down, he placed his satchel on the same table without any consideration of the hostess. Twilight rolled her eyes at him, but did not mind. It was clear he was on a mission and she was going to fulfill his journey.
"Now, I guess I have to start at the beginning," she told him with a sigh. "Seems like yesterday."
"How? It was years ago." he asked.
"Well, when you're older, you'll understand. Now, it started with me reading a book..."
"From what I've heard, that doesn't surprise me. Some of the ponies said you were quite the reader, like, you never had any friends."
"That's not true," her cheeks reddened. "I...I had friends!"
"You did? Why aren't they ever mentioned?" the colt pestered her.
"Well, because..." she blinked. "I don't know! I had three or four of them."
"Besides your family, right?" the colt said, not knowing that he had just insulted her.
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Just listen will you? You'll understand later."
"Oh, alright," he nodded in understanding.
"Good," she said and then cleared her throat. "It began with me reading a book. And at that time, I thought life was just peaceful and uneventful. I was but a filly. I did not know anything about this world or the Labyrinth Isles that you and I call home. When I was reading this book, it was just another regular day in paradise..."
~~~