//------------------------------//
// LP19: Among the Stars [Slice of Life] 
// Story: Half Hour Horses: Legacy Prompts 
// by HoofAndQuill 
//------------------------------//



(The prompt: Our home among the stars.)



Magic crackled through the air, and small objects around the room began to lift off of the tables and floor.  Princess Twilight Sparkle's horn sparked and shone, and somewhere amid all the chaos and swirling magical lines, a baby dragon dove for cover.  The whirling winds and flashing light grew to a crescendo, then stopped, and Twilight Sparkle was gone.

When she opened her eyes, Princess Twilight Sparkle found herself in a familiar place.  A quick, disbelieving look showed her that she was alone, and she allowed herself a little excited dance on her hooves.  It had worked!  All around her hung quiet, blue clouds of... something, and little star-like points of light, which signified... something.  Twilight took a deep breath of whatever passed for air here, and tried to calm herself.  This was new, this was something to be observed and studied.  This was not a playground for full-grown mares to hop around like excitable fillies.

Now that she took the time to consider, Twilight couldn't help but feel that this place, or this other world, was deeply calming by nature.  She remembered being here before, just before her apotheosis into an alicorn princess.  She had been scared, she had been nervous, and uncertain of Princess Celestia's plans for her, but she had managed a remarkable calm and restraint despite everything.  Now that she was here again, she could feel that same lightness and calming serenity creeping back in.  Suddenly she wished that she'd had the foresight to bring quill and ink with her, as well as something to take notes on.

She looked down at her hooves, seemingly solidly planted on some kind of invisible floor.  Stepping forward, like last time, continued on the same level as though there were something there.  With no other  options than to move forward for the moment, Twilight Sparkle began walking.  Her hooves made no noise on these clouds, and watching the points of light pass her was soothing, if a bit alien and strange.  As she walked, she had the feeling that she was moving while standing still, and it didn't make any sense when she thought about it.  Twilight just placed that sort of thing in the same category as Pinkie-sense, and tried to just accept it as it was.

Her silent hooffalls and the calming, quieting effect of the place served her well, as out of the fog a figure of a pony appeared.  Sitting at rest, with eyes closed and calm, easy breathing was the regal figure of Princess Celestia.

Twilight gasped quietly, but the Princess didn't seem to hear her.  Something about the scene was so private and silent that Twilight quite nearly galloped off in a panic for having seen it, but instead she simply stood paralyzed by indecision a few moments.  Something in the air must have changed, because a few seconds later Princess Celestia opened her eyes, and turned toward Twilight, and her eyes grew wide.

A silent moment hung in the air between the two alicorns, and the lack of a greeting formed into a slowly growing ball of panic within Twilight.

A ball of panic that was immediately dissolved by a warm and strangely lighthearted laugh from Princess Celestia.

"Princess Twilight, I should have expected you would find me."

Celestia's warm, proud smile made Twilight's heart leap in her chest.  It was that same pride she always saw when she excelled at some test, or learned a new magical talent.  It still managed to draw a faint blush to the young princess' muzzle.  Twilight Sparkle hated how it always made her stammer in embarrassment, but even the calming atmosphere of this place had its limits.  "I... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude!  I didn't even know you were here, I just wanted to try to come back here, and--"

Princess Celestia stood, and Twilight managed to stop blathering apologies.  Celestia leaned her muzzle down and nuzzled against Twilight's mane, and Twilight just smiled and felt all her panic and worry disappear.  "Twilight, don't worry.  You are as welcome here as any princess.  I assume Cadance showed you how?  It is remarkable that you learned so quickly."

"Princess Cadance?  No, I... well, I was studying that book that connects Equestria to Canterlot High, and I remembered that the first time I was here.   I had noticed the resonance of this world, and..."

The look of shock on Princess Celestia's face was so unusual that Twilight couldn't continue speaking.  Had it been any other pony, she might have thought it almost comical.  She continued after a moment, the nervousness she felt creeping into her voice.  "... I... modified that spell, myself?"

Another moment passed before Princess Celestia smiled, positively glowing with pride.  "My dear Twilight, I have known you for years and you still surprise me."

Celestia pulled Twilight into a brief hug, and then sat again, resting in the trackless clouds and stars of this world.  "I assumed Princess Cadance showed you the way, because it is not an easy spell to master.  Cadance took four years, and my sister... well, she rarely comes here, even now.  To think you created a spell for this, all alone... I believe Princess Luna would be quite jealous."  Celestia's smile turned a bit wry.  "Please do not tell her I told you that, Twilight."

"Of course not, Princess!  But... where are we, exactly?"

Princess Celestia turned her head upward, looking into the stars around them.  "I don't believe it has a name, Princess Twilight.  Only alicorn magic can reach it, however.  I come here often, for solitude, or rest from my duties."

Twilight immediately thought to apologize and tried to stand, but suddenly found Celestia's wing opened over her back, holding her in place.  Celestia spoke again after a moment.  "I don't own this place, Twilight Sparkle.  Here I am not 'Princess Celestia'.  We can just be two ponies, two friends."

A moment passed as Twilight Sparkle let that sink in.  Back in Equestria, Spike was probably growing a bit worried about her prolonged absence.  She wondered if the Canterlot Castle staff were getting concerned about the missing princess as well.  But for right now, the biggest thing in Twilight's mind was the comforting warmth of her friend, and the softness of her wing over Twilight's back.

"Okay, Prin--- Okay, Celestia."

Celestia smiled at her.  Smiling, they both just turned to look at the stars.