Twilight passed under the arch of the central corridor doorway.
She stopped at the guard post, resting the postal sack on the ground with the guards. "These are my responses to today's correspondence, have them taken down to the postal department please." She said to one of the two guards on duty. They had exchanged shifts since the morning.
"Certainly Princess." He replied, obediently picking up the sack and slinging it over his back. He gave a quick bow before trotting off to the staircase.
"Any news from the castle today?" Twilight pried.
"Nothing unusual to report Princess...." The second guard hesitated, "Although I did see Corporal Edge get chased from her post earlier by a goose." She shook her head with a smirk. "That was pretty funny."
Twilight gave chortle. "Yes they are very strict on their regimen. Anyway, I'm just heading to my room. I'll head down for dinner later."
"I can get the night shift to ready your dinner for you if you like?" The guard offered.
"No, no. I'd like to try a new recipe I learnt today. I'll head down to the kitchens once they have finished serving the rest of the castle staff." Twilight replied humbly, kindly... slyly. "I'll catch you later." She said walking away.
"Have a good evening Princess." The guard called behind her.
'I'm sure I will.' Twilight thought as she made her way around the corner. She checked behind her, nopony was watching. Then she slipped up the staircase that lead to the very top of Canterlot tower.
Reaching the top of the tallest tower, she didn't wait around. She unfurled her wings, stretching them to their grand length. She took a deep breath of the light, evening air that surrounded her. Then she looked around for the location of the sun. The bright warm orange ball was slowly slipping towards the west now, behind the mountain that overlooked Canterlot.
She allowed the light breeze to float under her spread wings. Her horn glowed it's purple glow, and she allowed the breeze to lift her up into the sky. Her body became weightless as she gently rose towards the sun, fading from her current place, getting higher and higher, lighter and lighter, until her body disappeared in a gentle cascade of particles.
Slowly, peacefully, she rematerialised within the Sun's gaze. Beams of bright sunlight shone over the town of Ponyville. Golden shimmers flew towards the Castle and School of Friendship.
Particle by particle, she appeared within the bright beams of light, eclipsing the sun. Her wings regally outstretched, feathers floating over the gentle touch of the breeze. She held her head high as her spell bought her down to the ground with a light drop. She felt the gravel path beneath her hooves appear and support her.
Her graceful appearance had left a young Griffon and Kirin open mouthed.
Principle Starlight stood with them in her long blue principle gown. She had been handing them sports forms outside the school when Princess Twilight had decided to make her grand entrance to the group. The young kirin was stunned by the appearance.
"Princess Twilight! Can I have an autograph, you're amazing." The young griffon asked, awed by the entrance.
"Now now Freida, remember friendship lesson seven-fourteen..." Starlight muttered to her student, who consequently blushed and calmed down.
Twilight chuckled. "That's okay Starlight. Just one, no more." She signed the young Griffon's friendship notebook on the inside page.
"Now run along you two. Take those forms to professor Vapour Trail or Smoulder when they return in two days time." She sent the two young students off back towards the school and then turned back to her friend. "Quite a flashy entrance you have there princess." She mocked.
Twilight beamed a smug grin she didn't get to share very often. Celestia had taught her that trick once she had started to feel a manifestable connection between herself and the sun. It was far more prestigious than the standard teleportation spells.
"Well, it's always good to make a royal impression." Twilight retorted. Starlight rolled her eyes.
"Shall we?" Starlight gestured to the Friendship Castle and Twilight's old home.
"Indeed." Twilight beamed. Starlight lead the way up the steps, towards the dining hall. "Where are Smoulder and Vapour?" Twilight asked, following her through the crystal castle corridors.
"They were called by the friendship map. It was very exciting. They're headed to the changeling kingdom, for whatever reason. I guess we'll know in a few days." Starlight explained, opening the doors to the grand circular dining hall.
"I'm still amazed you managed to get it to work after the Tree of Harmony was destroyed." Twilight motioned, following her into the circular dining room. The large circular table had been set with tablecloth and exquisite silverware placement.
"Well Sandbar and Ocellus figured a lot of it out. I just added in a touch of the magic we used the other times we had to reset the map's magic." Starlight indicated a seat to Twilight and then went over to a serving trolley to pour out two glasses of water. There's a lot of magic in that Everfree Tree House of theirs that we still haven't figured out."
"I bet there is. This is wonderful silverware placement Starlight." She complimented, taking a seat at the table.
"Thanks Twilight," Starlight chirped in response, "I did a bit of research on it." She bought the two glasses of water over from the serving trolley, taking a seat next to Twilight and offering her a glass.
"Now you want me to guest lecture at the School." Twilight started. Starlight stopped her there.
"Twilight stop. We both know that's not why you're here. Anyway you already have our lecture timetables."
"Yes I know. But at least if I'm asked about it at the palace I'm not lying now." She chuckled in response.
At that moment a bright orange light manifested behind the pair. A bang swiftly followed the bright light. Twilight turned around to see Sunburst and Trixie, both in their usual star-coated dinner-capes. Sunburst looked a little worn out, while Trixie seemed ecstatic.
"There you go, I told you it was easy!" Trixie exclaimed in her loud, brash manner. Sunburst's deep breathing seemed to convey the latter to Twilight.
"Phew... Aha.. Wow, I did it...hooooo." Sunburst retorted through victorious breaths.
"AH, Twilight you're already here." She called across spotting the pair sat at the table, "I was just teaching Sunburst teleportation with multiple ponies, he's never done it before." Trixie exclaimed proudly, trotting over and taking a seat.
"I've just never needed to." Sunburst said, pouring himself a glass of water. "What do you think of my silverware placement Twilight?" Sunburst asked as he trotted frivolously to the table.
Starlight looked away sheepishly. Twilight rolled her eyes, grimacing a laugh towards Starlight. "It's wonderful Sunburst, thank you."
"I ordered some deep fried, sweet and sour daisy's from the castle canteen. It's been a busy day in the office and I didn't get ANY time to cook, as Starlight had asked, but I remember you like daisy sandwiches and so I figured you might like this." Trixie explained with glamour and showmanship. Only Trixie could turn dinner into a theatre piece.
"That's a new recipe for the canteen isn't it?" Twilight inquired. Sunburst was the one to answer her.
"Well we implemented it last year actually. It's been very popular. Me and Starlight were talking about the canteen, and turns out we had both tried sweet and sour vegetables in the human world, you know, behind the mirror." Sunburst indicated roughly towards the door and floor with his hoof. Twilight nodded and hummed to indicate she was listening to the story.
"Anyway, I know sweet and sour isn't an original recipe to this world, but it got us thinking it would be a nice addition to the canteen." He finished telling his story. In a muttered tone next to him, Trixie started singing.
"Starlight and Sunburst sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S....."
"Trixie that was a long time ago!" Sunburst said sternly, interrupting Trixie's song.
"Still funny though." Trixie muttered under hear breath.
"So Twilight," Starlight distracted, altering the topic of conversation, as swiftly as possible. "How are things up in Canterlot?"
Before Twilight could start her conversation, the door behind them opened. Twilight turned around to see who was entering the room this time, fluffing her wings from their place allowing her to turn further.
"Hey Spike!" Sunburst called across the table.
"Spike you made it!" Twilight called happily after him.
"Hiya guys, how's it goin?" Spike called with his usual self confidence. He sauntered his way over to the one remaining seat in between Twilight and Sunburst. Just behind him came a catering trolley, pushed by a now grown-up Twist.
"Guidance Councillor Trixie, I have your..." She stopped in the middle of her sentence. "Oh my, Princess Twilight, your highness." She halted just past the doorway and bowed, awaiting instruction.
"Oh, please, continue." Twilight allowed. Twist got up and nervously approached the table, pushing the serving trolley up closer.
"Don't worry about it Twist, Twilight's here for dinner with us this evening. Have the student's all eaten?" Starlight checked.
"Oh wow we're very privileged to have you this evening Princess. I hope you enjoy it." Twist replied, slightly amazed at Twilight's unexpected presence. "Yes all the students are fed Starlight." Twist answered. She knew, of course that the Princess came around sometimes, but it was mostly for organised formal events.
She served up the five plates around the table, each pony and the dragon thanking her as she did so. Twist felt slightly embarrassed, but gratified all the same.
"Thank you Twist," Starlight finished up, "You can take an early finish tonight if you like."
"Oh thank you Starlight... I, I'll see you in the morning.." Twist replied. "Um, Princess." She bowed one more time before leaving the room.
"Ugh, do you get that eeeverywheere you go?" Trixie groaned across the table.
Twilight chuckled. "It happens yeah."
"Trixie..." Starlight asided her a stern look.
"Once we were visiting Rainbow Dash at the Wonderbolt's academy, and one of the new students literally fell out of the sky!" Spike exclaimed.
"I don't like it particularly. It makes it hard to make new friends. They have to get past the fact I'm royalty before I can actually talk to them like a normal pony. But it's part of the job, and we've tried to dismiss the veil of fame before, but it never makes much of a difference." She explained, gesturing to Starlight.
"I know, remember the first time we tried after that diary incident. Took five days to dismiss that crowd of angry fans from the castle grounds." Starlight responded.
"Ponies will always look up to you, so you have to set a good example for them." Twilight said honestly.
"I knooowww the feeling. Like being a councillor. Students just want soooo much advice from you aaaall the time." Trixie whined comically. The table laughed and started to dig in to their steaming hot plates of sweet and sour fried daisies.
"I know you're joking, but councillor and princess titles do share a lot of similar responsibilities." Sunburst stated through a mouthful of scrumptious food.
"Mmmmm Starlight, you're right, this is a good choice." Spike called across the table.
"I know right!" Starlight exclaimed, shovelling another bite into her mouth with a levitating fork. "Twist is a brilliant chef, but you should try her deserts. Every Thursday, the students are lining the corridors to the cafeteria to make sure they don't miss out. That's the shift Twist works deserts, see." She swallowed her mouthful, and immediately went to take another one.
They finished up dinner, the jokes and jests and stories could go on for years, they'd known each other long enough. Twilight loved these evenings.
"So Twilight, did you get a chance to read Moondancer's latest paper on ancient kirin artefacts?" Sunburst inquired, dabbing a napkin to his mouth.
"I did, she's done some amazing work in her research." Twilight replied. "She's got something big coming out soon." She teased.
A cough came from next to her. Spike was staring out the window behind them, the sun was nearing it's time to set. Long orange streaks passed their way through the purple tinted castle windows, reflecting off the hard crystal floor, penetrating the room's atmosphere.
Starlight nodded to Twilight. She absolutely understood. "Don't worry Twilight. I hope we can have another catch up some point soon." She said, regretting the short hour they were limited to. They got up, Twilight and Spike sharing a hug with Starlight, Sunburst and even Trixie.
"I promise I'll make plans as soon as I can." Twilight said sincerely. "You ready Spike?"
"I still don't see why I can't go with you through the sun teleportation." He murmured.
"I told you, it's dangerous Spike." Twilight chuckled. "Bye guys." She called.
"See you later Twilight." Starlight responded.
And with that, they disappeared in a bright flash of brilliant purple light. For a second the room glowed with a purple splash. The purple filled both Twilight and Spike's vision before the thick swirling noise died down. The sensation of falling safely onto a concrete floor filled their bodies as they returned to normality from the nauseous purple ride they had become so accustomed with over the years.
Twilight fluffed her wings and once again looked over the towering heights of the buildings that made up Canterlot. The golden roofs glimmering in the orange glow of sunset.
It was time once again.