There was a cool breeze passing over the rooftops of Canterlot. The city still bustling with evening commotion. Ponies sat outside at bars and restaurants, being served by lovely waiters at lovely round tables. Twilight admired the scene.
Spike followed Twilight's gaze, then studied his life-long friend and sister. He looked upon her with a sense of pride, they had come a long way to get here. Twilight had grown in the past thirty years. Not much, but just enough to make a reasonably noticeable difference. He looked down at his own claws, That said, he had grown too.
The wind blew Twilight's mane over her right. As it flowed in the breeze, Spike noticed the slight glimmer, a sort of sparkle that seemed to have been developing over the last fifteen years or so. Her mane also seemed to develop a sort of natural wavy effect.
He watched as she spread her wings high and gently levitated off the ground, only a few inches before slowly returning again. As she did so, the orange glow of sunset disappeared below the horizon, shortly joined by the deep navy night-time backdrop.
"I think that's everything for today Spike." She chirped, turning round from her spot on the over-watch.
"Yeah, like that ever happens." He mocked in reply, waiting only for a lone guard to run up to the over-watch with yet another task for them to complete before going to bed.
"We don't get extra work that often." She retorted. "Anyway, it's part of the job. Come on, let's go settle in." They made their way down the spiral staircase of the tower, finding themselves on the third floor of the castle once again.
Just across the corridor from them stood the tall door to the princess' private lounge. Twilight pushed the door open with her magic and they made their way in.
The room had a lovely, cosy feel. The three long couches surrounding the prepared fireplace. Long red-velvet drapes, closed, lined the far wall, shielding the windows. Opposite the fireplace stood a wall lined with bookshelves. Some shelves had memorabilia, artefacts from Twilight's life in Ponyville, at her school, and since she moved to Canterlot.
"What do you want tonight Spike?" Twilight asked, taking a seat on one of the long sofas.
"How about this one? We never finished it." Spike grabbed a book from the wall of shelves and took a seat on another sofa. Twilight levitated the book out of Spike's claws to examine it. The title read 'Time of the Great Cataclysm'.
"Alright then. What chapter did we get to?" She asked, dropping the book onto the cushion next to her.
"Chapter thirteen." Spike said definitively.
"Gotcha." Twilight replied, charging up a spell. She and Spike both became shrouded in purple auras. Then they started to disintegrate into individual particles. Each particle made it's way towards the book on the sofa. Within a few seconds the two had vanished from the world around them.
Twilight found herself stood on a street in an alien world. The buildings were fantastical, built from emerald. Spike stood next to her. In front of Twilight, he saw two sparkling silver alicorns. They were average height, with long, flowing white manes that shone in the sunlight. Spike took in the scene around him, other alicorns were sat at tables eating dinner or heading out for evening entertainment.
Some were silver, others gold, emerald green, sapphire, bronze, white and black alicorns lined the streets in one capacity or another. However, these two were the focus of the story.
"Are you sure this plan will work?" The first silver alicorn asked.
"It has to, or else this world will collide with Equestria." The second silver alicorn replied.
They cast a teleportation spell, and Twilight and Spike were taken with them to a new place. A palace of marble and sapphire, the throne room stretching out before them in a grand manner. The tall green alicorn, Queen Rootia, stood proud upon her throne, expecting the intruders.
"Guards!" She called, her grand voice echoing throughout the chamber. "We summon thee to handle intruders!"
The doors burst open and two golden alicorns ran in, retaining both silver intruders in a cage created from a magic golden lattice. Two more guards teleported either side of the Queen's throne.
"What did you expect to accomplish, two lone alicorns against the Queen's Companions?" She half laughed, making her way down the steps of her throne. She had a maniacal movement to her walk, a non-royal composure.
"You and Orbos will never get away with this, you'll destroy us all!"
"Oh Diaphanous, you were always one for exaggeration. I'm going to save us!"
Spike and Twilight watched on from the side of the room. The scene unfolding before them, but they were undetectable. They felt the presence of the Queen dominating the room. Spike was glad Twilight had never turned to this style of leadership. Suddenly the roof was ripped off the castle, revealing the purple skies above them. Spike and Twilight diverted their attention upwards, as did the characters of the story.
A flaming red alicorn flapped her wings above the scene, her horn glowing a golden aura, the same aura that shrouded the floating ceiling.
BANG! In shot a bright beam of red magic, forming a circle around the alicorn Queen.
Spike felt his heart racing as he ran into the centre of the room to observe the battle above. Yet another alicorn, a golden one, was the culprit to the bright red beam of magic.
"SOLACE! TEMPORA! YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS!" Queen Rootia roared from behind the red barrier.
A knocking sound came from the sky, then a male voice echoed over the city. Spike and Twilight looked around for the source of the voice. The other ponies in the castle did not seem to notice it.
"PRINCESS."
Knock.... knock.... knock...
"PRINCESS TWILIGHT!"
Spike looked to Twilight and rolled his eyes. She gave him a sigh and lit up her horn once more. Suddenly the battle around them disappeared particle by particle, leaving the emerald city behind to reveal the lounge once more. Twilight felt herself softly land on the sofa.
The knocking started up, but a lot quieter this time. "Princess Twilight. Are you in there your majesty?" The guard's voice came politely from behind the door. Twilight took one second to re-orientate herself.
"Come in!" She called.
The door opened. A deep blue royal-guard wearing navy blue night-guard armour took two paces into the room standing to attention ready to deliver his message.
"Princess, Fancy Pants is downstairs with the firework parade troop. They are requesting permission to rehearse tomorrow; outside Canterlot's walls, instead of tonight." He rattled off the story he had been told.
"Why can't they do the rehearsal tonight?" She asked in reply.
"The Pegasi have started the rain earlier than anticipated, your highness." The guards pony explained. Twilight wore a confused expression on her face and looked towards the curtains shrouding the windows. Spike got up off the sofa and pulled one of the blinds back to reveal a window that looked more like a river.
Twilight sighed and turned back to the guard. "Tell him I'll be down in just two minutes please."
The guard nodded and bowed out to the door. Twilight looked over to Spike apologetically but Spike had anticipated the look and wore a big smile on his face. A smile that smirked 'I told you so'.
"Go on, I'll just read it like a normal book." He encouraged disappointed.
Twilight flashed him a sorrowful smile. "We will get through a chapter at some point." She replied promisingly. With that, she got up and headed downstairs for the entrance hall. Spike walked over and picked the book up, flicking to chapter they had been experiencing and took a seat on the sofa.
He took a deep breath and let himself settle into his book, reflecting on his lunch with Gabby as he did so. That made him smile. Before long he was lost within the adventure, the soothing sound coming of rain pattering on the windows. He realised the low pressure in the room which sent a chill through him, so he looked over to the fireplace and directed an outwards breath towards the unlit logs.
Within a few seconds a lit fire crackled against the pitter patter of rain. Spike turned his attention back to his book and settled in before bed.
Twilight opened the door to her bedroom, the same bedroom she had started the day in.
She sighed, having finally finished arranging Fancy Pants' firework rehearsal for tomorrow, and filled in all the necessary paperwork.
She made her way over to the bed, the soft, blanketed, lovely warming bed. She put a hoof onto the soft material, then stopped herself. Just like always, there was one more task before she achieved her objective. She lit up her horn and a door swung open. The door to her en-suit.
She traipsed over to the bathroom, placing herself in front of the mirror. She didn't care about her askew mane, or rugged looks anymore. These were the final and most peaceful moments of the day. With her magic, she picked up her toothbrush from the pot on the sink side, and lay a strip of toothpaste onto the bristles, letting it set there for a moment.
Rinsing it briefly under the running tap, she then brushed away, the sharp minty taste filling her mouth and clearing away the aftertastes from the day.
She spat, finishing up and cleaning her toothbrush off under the tap.
Then she returned to her chambers and jumped onto the bed sheets, nuzzling into the cold blanket, hiding her body away under the duvet, letting it warm with her body heat.
Slowly, she turned over, and let herself drift away. To the realm of dreams.