Transit to Twilight

by WaywardSon

3. Chasing the Sun

Twilight paced around the pedestal in the center of her private observatory, shaking her head. “I really don’t know if I’m ready for this,” she said, looking longingly at the amulet she’d used for years to control the sun and the moon. “Are you certain putting more of your magic in the amulet won’t work?”

From the balcony, Celestia and Luna watched the sun approaching the horizon, seeing it slow as it drew close. “Absolutely certain, Twilight.” Celestia looked back into the room. “As we said before, they will not respond to the amulet as they once did, now that it’s begun to fail.”

“Besides,” added Luna, “more magic isn’t the answer. We told you how that line of thinking ended for the unicorn sorcerers who performed this task before us.” She gestured to the pedestal. “The amulet has kept you from realizing your true abilities, Twilight. We know you are ready for this.”

Twilight frowned, looking down at her hooves. “At least you two are confident about this.”

Celestia smiled. “You’ve earned that confidence a hundred times over, Your Majesty. But now the time is drawing near. You should prepare yourself, and make sure you are not interrupted for this first attempt.”

She sighed and raised her head. Looking over the guards discreetly standing around the room, she picked out their captain. “Gallus, clear the room, please. We are not to be disturbed for any reason, no matter how urgent, until I inform you otherwise.”

The griffon saluted neatly, giving the faintest nod of his head. “Yes, Your Majesty.” He turned to the other guards. “Clear the room and secure the entrances. No creature enters until further notice.” He watched as the pony guards saluted and hurried out the door in an orderly march, making sure he was the last one out. With another salute to the Princess, he closed the door.

Twilight closed her eyes and took a long, steadying breath, raising one hoof to her chest. Stretching her hoof out in front of her on the exhale, she opened her eyes again. “Alright,” she said, stepping out onto the balcony. “How do I begin?”

Celestia and Luna stepped to either side of her, guiding her to the balcony rail. “Center your mind, Twilight,” said Celestia. “You’ll want to lower the sun first, then raise the moon after. When you reach out with your magic, remember you are not trying to push or pull the sun, you are simply making contact.” She glanced at Luna, nodding.

Luna stepped close, speaking quietly. “Once you make contact your perception will alter. That’s normal. You may find yourself in another place, and your sense of time will be lost. You are contacting two of the most powerful primal forces in our world, and they will only accept you on their terms. You must submit to their sense of reality, but be careful to anchor yourself.”

“Anchor?” Twilight asked. “How do I do that?”

Celestia smiled. “While you interact with them, you must hold onto a clear image of your own self. They may try to get you to forget yourself, but if you hold true they will come to respect it. When that happens, your task will become much easier.”

“But be warned, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna added. “If you lose your sense of self while in contact with them, you may never find your way back.” At Twilight’s alarmed expression, she smiled. “We said we know you are ready for this task, not that it was without risk.”

Twilight sighed. “Nothing worth doing ever is, is it?”

Celestia nodded. “You’ve grown very wise, Twilight. That wisdom and your knowledge of friendship will serve you well in what you are about to experience. I have no doubt you will succeed in this task.” She glanced to the horizon. “The time has come, Twilight. Take a moment, focus, build up your image of yourself as honestly as you are able. When you are ready, reach out to the sun with your magic and make contact.”

Twilight nodded, closing her eyes and taking another calming breath, focusing her thoughts. She conjured an image in her mind of how she saw herself, then how her friends saw her, and how her subjects saw her. The images merged, and she brought in her flaws, her fears, everywhere she knew she could still grow. Weaving them into the larger image, she found herself looking into her own eyes, and drew the image deep into the core of her being.

Only then did she open her eyes, looking at the sun looming over the horizon, and reached out with her magic. It touched a powerful presence, almost overwhelming in its strength. Twilight felt a brief moment of resistance, then a curious hesitation. She didn’t press forward, didn’t try to draw it in, instead she simply maintained contact, waiting.

After a long moment, the presence pulled at her magic, drawing her within itself. The world around her stretched and faded, falling away, and she found herself flying into the brightest light.

---

Twilight blinked as her senses slowly returned. She found herself standing, or she assumed she was standing, in a featureless void. As she watched, stars winked into view in the darkness, and soon a vast sky surrounded her.

“Hello?” she called into the starry field.

Instantly a light snapped into existence, blindingly bright, directly in front of her. She covered her eyes with a hoof but it barely helped against such intensity. The source of the light moved closer, filling her vision with it.

Where is she?

The question poured into Twilight’s mind with the same searing intensity as the light before her. She staggered back a step. “I don’t understand,” she protested.

Where. Is. She?

Twilight planted her hooves, trying to hold against the power in front of her. “I don’t know who you mean. Who is she?”

The light lessened, just a bit, seeming to pull back from where Twilight stood. She watched as it took the vague shape of two eyes surrounded by fire.

You’ve been hiding her from me. I felt your magic behind the image of her. Where is she?

Twilight gasped, understanding rushing in. “‘The image of her’— you mean Celestia’s magic. You sensed the magic wasn’t coming directly from her.”

The eyes narrowed, glaring at Twilight.

Thought she was playing, hiding for me to find her, but she’s gone! Where is my Celestia?

She smiled gently, stepping toward the eyes. “She asked me to come here in her place. I’m Twilight Sparkle, and I’m happy to meet you.”

The starry void around them seemed to swirl. The intensity of the light ramped up again as the flames around the eyes flared.

I want my Celestia. She’s played with me for so long, longer than any before. I want her.

Wincing at the painful light before her, Twilight took another step forward. “Celestia was worried that you had gotten bored without her, so she sent me along. She thought you and I might have fun playing together. I think we will, if you give me a chance.”

The light diminished, pulling back again. The eyes seemed to squint.

Why didn’t she come? Why send you?

She drew herself up again. “We are— finite. We don’t exist forever, as you do. Celestia knows it’s time to allow another to take her place visiting you. I’m the lucky pony who gets to come and play instead.”

The eyes floated there silent for a moment.

Twilight took the chance that silence afforded, stepping even closer. “You must miss Celestia very much. I know I do when I can’t see her for a long time. When that happens I think of all the good times I’ve had with her, and it’s like I’m still there with her. Do you miss the ones who played with you before Celestia?”

The light dimmed once again, growing to comfortable levels. The eyes softened, growing wider.

Some of them, long ago. Then others played rough, and never returned when I did the same.

“Then all you have to do is remember Celestia fondly. I can play with you now, if you’ll have me.” Twilight smiled. “I’d really like it if we could.”

The eyes vanished, leaving her in the dark and starry void.

“Please!” Twilight called into the emptiness. “I’m here for you. I want to play with you!”

The stars swirled around her, faster and faster. Their light blurred together, surrounding Twilight and growing brighter, blocking out her senses.

When her vision cleared, Twilight found herself standing on a grassy hill with the sun high in the sky above. A warm breeze carried the scent of summer flowers to her. In the distance, she thought she could see buildings, small houses like those around Ponyville, and forests edging the horizon.

Behind her, Twilight heard a musical little giggle. She spun around and found a little dandelion-yellow alicorn filly standing there, grinning. She peered up with wide brown eyes beneath a flowing orange and red mane. “Then let’s play,” she said. She turned partially away, showing a cutie mark of a deep-yellow sun with a smiling face within. “Bet you can’t catch me!” With that the filly was off and running, wings outstretched, laughing joyously with every step.

Twilight grinned, memories of when Flurry Heart was young rushing back to her. “You can’t get away from me!” she called out, then galloped after the filly. Their laughter echoed over the hills as the pair ran and dodged. The filly’s laughs turned to excited squeals when she ran around a rock and Twilight teleported in front of her, shouting, “I’ve gotcha!”

The little filly responded by launching into the air over Twilight’s head, laughing as she took flight. Twilight spread her wings and followed, letting her playmate get a good lead. Soon they swooped around the clouds. Twilight spun around one of the fluffier ones, sending it spinning in front of the filly. She dodged it at the last moment, actually galloping over the spinning edge and shooting off toward the river.

Twilight closed the gap and laughed along with her. The filly looked back and grinned. “You play harder than Celestia does,” she commented. “I like it. Hope you don’t get tired.” She sped off again, forcing Twilight to keep up.They chased and swerved all over the hills, down into the valleys, even flying over the stream winding along between.

The filly swooped into the edge of town, laughing, and disappeared around the corner of a building. Twilight flew up a bit, looking for where she might be hiding. Seeing no trace, she descended to the yard behind the house she’d ducked behind. She touched down with her hooves crunching the snow beneath.

Twilight frowned, looking around and finding the entire town covered in a thick blanket of heavy snow. “It was just summer,” she muttered. She looked back over her body and found she was dressed for the cold in a winter saddle and scarf, with warm boots over her hooves. “When did I—”

She was cut off by the feel of a snowball splattering over her flank, followed by a gale of laughter. She turned just in time to duck another snowball, seeing the yellow filly, also bundled against the cold, ducking out around the wall of a snow fort to fire another volley.

Twilight grinned and took cover by a tree, using her magic to form a dozen snowballs. In moments, the two were engaged in a full-scale snowball war, the air full of projectiles and laughter. The filly flew up and over her barricade, launching three snowballs at once with her magic. Twilight yelped, falling backward as the snowballs pelted down on her flank. She rose again, laughing and waving her scarf. “I surrender! You win!”

The filly ran up and jumped on Twilight, giving her a big hug. “You are so much fun! I could play with you forever. Come on, let’s make a snow pony.” She jumped down, trotting quickly to the center of town.

Twilight blushed at the hug and the complement, rising to follow the filly. “You’re a lot of fun, too. Let’s get this snow pony going!” She ran after the filly, laughing, and threw a hoofful of snow her way before starting to roll the snow for the snow pony’s body.

They worked on the snow pony together, giggling and tossing snow at each other, letting the afternoon pass. The shape formed quickly, and the filly seemed to find just the right objects to make the eyes and mouth. Before Twilight knew it, they were standing side by side, looking up at their creation. Tall with wings spread wide and a long horn, it resembled Celestia more than a little. “It’s perfect,” she said.

The filly looked over into Twilight’s eyes, smiling. Without a word she threw herself backward into the snow, laughing. She started swishing her legs through the snow, making shapes. Twilight laughed and joined her, laying by her side and swinging legs and wings in big arcs. Their eyes met, and they both jumped up out of their creations. Twilight turned and looked at where they were.

Two nearly identical filly-sized shapes lay in front of her.

“I don’t understand,” said Twilight, turning to the filly. “Where’s my snow art?”

The filly laughed. “Don’t be silly, Twilight Sparkle. It’s right there next to mine. We made some great art, huh?”

“But they are both so small.”

“Aww, you’re not small, Twilight.” The filly put a hoof around her shoulders. “You’re just as big as I am. Now come on, let’s play some more. Maybe we can explore the forest!” She trotted away toward the edge of town.

Twilight looked down at her short legs and small wings, then reached up and touched the tiny nub of a horn on her forehead. She turned in a circle, trying to get a good look at all of her body, and confirmed she looked like an alicorn filly. “How did this happen?” she whispered.

As if in answer, Luna’s words echoed through her thoughts. I forgot my anchor, Twilight thought in a panicked rush. She looked around her frantically while her playmate got further away. She just started to trot after her when she stopped and shook her head. No, I can find it. I just need a moment.

“Wait!” she called out, turning to where the filly was heading. “We’ve been playing so hard. I think I need a rest.” She closed her eyes, not waiting for a response, pushing her thoughts back through all the fun and games they’d had. She dove deep into herself, looking for the image she’d constructed before she even started.

“Aww, you don’t need a rest!” she distantly heard the filly calling. “I’m not tired, so you can’t be tired.”

At long last, she found the image of herself she’d formed deep in the core of her mind. She embraced the image and opened her eyes. The snow was gone but the filly stood there, looking up at the fully-grown Twilight Sparkle.

“That’s no fun,” she said. “We could have played for so long, and you would have loved it.”

“Oh, I still want to play,” said Twilight. “I’ve just gotten worn out because we played so hard.” Stepping to the fountain in the center of town square, she sat down on the ground with it at her back. “I just thought that while I rested I could tell you a story.”

The filly drew closer, looking her over skeptically. “You can’t fool me. You’re just trying to get me to go to sleep.”

Twilight laughed. She smiled back at the filly. “Oh, don’t be ridiculous. You’re not tired, I am. I think telling you a story will help me to stay awake while I rest up for our next game.”

She raised an eyebrow, but stepped closer. “I suppose so. A story does sound like fun.” Twilight patted a spot in front of herself and the filly sat down, leaning up against Twilight’s barrel.

Twilight caressed the filly’s cheek. “All comfy? Good. Now let’s see, what story should I tell?” She tapped a hoof against her chin, as if pondering the question. After a moment she began. “Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there was a beautiful young alicorn who was as bright as the sun! There was nothing she loved more than to play all day from sunrise to sunset, never stopping or resting.”

“I don’t need to rest,” the filly interjected, snuggling in a little closer. “I have plenty of energy!”

Twilight grinned and lightly booped the filly’s nose. “Of course you have energy. I’m talking about the filly in my story, silly.” The filly grinned and Twilight continued. “Now this filly loved to play with her friends, but nopony could ever keep up with her. As the day wound by more and more of the other children would find comfy places to sleep, but not her. She kept running and dancing and playing games until she realized she was alone.”

“That’s sad,” said the filly. She stifled a little yawn. “I don’t like being alone.”

“Neither did the filly in our story. She ran back into town and found all her friends cuddled together having an afternoon nap. She shook them and shouted, ‘Wake up! Why don’t you want to play?’ Her friends woke up, still tired, and tried to tell her to let them sleep. ‘Come and join us,’ they said, making room in the middle of the group.”

The filly yawned louder, talking through it to say, “I’m not tired!”

Twilight smiled. “That’s just what our filly said. Her friends did look really comfortable, though, and they told her, ‘Sleep can be lots of fun. That’s where we dream and have even more adventures. You should try it.’ She thought about that, and said, ‘Alright, I’ll try it this once.’ She cuddled up in the middle of her friends, cozy and warm, and drifted off to sleep. And her friends were right! Her dreams were filled with adventures and play, and she woke up with even more energy to play with all her friends. From that day forward, she always joined her friends for a nap, and every pony had a fun time. The end.”

The filly smiled, her eyes closed, her breathing growing deep and regular. “That was a good story,” she murmured. Another yawn overtook her, and she rested her head on Twilight’s shoulder. “I hope you’ll come to play with me more tomorrow, Twilight Sparkle,” she said softly.

Twilight nuzzled her cheek, whispering, “I’ll play with you every day, for as long as I can. I promise. Sleep now, little one, and I’ll see you in the morning.”

The filly sighed contentedly, cuddling in, and drifted off to sleep.

Twilight activated her magic, conjuring a blanket and wrapping the sleeping filly snugly within it, settling her down on a soft patch of grass.

“Ahh, good, the kid is asleep.” The voice came from behind Twilight and she stood up quickly, turning to see a tall alicorn mare standing in the doorway of one of the houses. Her long silver and white mane flowed over her mottled gray coat. She looked at Twilight and smiled. “Now you and I can have some real fun.”

Comments

[Falkenlied]

I always thought the idea of giving a tangible character to the sun and moon to be filled with potential for mystery, character and world building, and I do enjoy the way you've portrayed both (Though you already know that I preferred the moon's portrayal to the sun's, though both were good)