Antipode Juxtaposition

by Mokoma

Prologue - Farewell to Canterlot

Author's Note:

A species' swap interpretation of Season 1 - episode 1 and 2!

Author's note: Unfortunately this story came at a time of bad burnout and lack of motivation, so this ended up just a bit rushed. I hope you enjoy it either way!

In the Canterlot Castle was a gorgeous, cozy little room; adorned with finely made furniture, adorable porcelain figures, cups and plates, and stained glass that cast rainbows as sunlight washed through them. All the furniture was not made with labor, but the sheer force of willpower; and a snap of a few talons.

Princess Celestia smiled as she sat on the armchair; her appearance was as graceful...as it was wildly asymmetrical. Only her eyes contained a notion of symmetry. Her left leg a lion's, the other a dragon's. One hand a talon, the other a paw. She was a blend of different creatures - a draconequus, as it was known.

And so the graceful draconequus sat with a small, but warm, adoring, patient smile. She had used her magic to make two cups of cinnamon tea appear - one in her talon, and one on a little table in-front of the pony who sat opposite of her. The pony she adored so much; her star student, who studied magic all her life and knew it so well, more so than any unicorn in Canterlot...

Twilight Sparkle.

A humble, little Earth pony who sat there, smiling too as she happily spent the time with her mentor.

"How's the tea, Twilight?" The Princess asked.

"Wonderful!" Twilight beamed with joy. "Though, no offense, Princess - it is a little funny how you still have teapots around if...well, y'know..." She let her hanging words let the draconequus paint the picture, and so Celestia laughed.

"A tea set is but a collection of cups once you take the teapot out of the equation, Twilight." She answered. "Oh - before I forget." She snapped her talons once more; and two slices of carrot cake appeared. One on a small plate on the table in-front of Twilight, and the other on a plate in Celestia's talon, invisible levitation holding the tea now.

Twilight smiled softly. "Princess...You don't have to hold back around me. You know I love your chaos." She said as she looked at her mentor with adoring eyes - and ones that were almost asking to see more.

With a soft moment of thinking and a shrug, Celestia shrugged her shoulders with a smile. She snapped her talon - and the carrot cake on her own plate turned into a cake carrot. Her tea, in the meantime, grew legs and started to impressively dance, so far as to do a headspin, spilling the tea all over Celestia's lap; who smirked. She collected the liquid into a solid state, and ate the warm yet frozen tea in one bite.

Twilight was unable to help but to clap her hooves. She loved to see magic in action - like a child who could only experience an awesome video game at their friend's house, or as if the child was unable to have a dog, so they always went to play with their friend's own. Like a blind filly, always asking others to read for her.

As the teacup finished the entirety of the dance that was seen in the music video of "Weapon of Choice", it finally decided it had enough - and its legs disappeared in a slight "poof!". Celestia took the cue - things calmed down, and she smiled at Twilight once she sat upright.

"My faithful student..." The Princess softly said. "I'd like to talk to you about a certain little task I'd like to give you. A most important one. One I would only trust you with."

The earth pony's ears twitched.

"Protecting Equestria from Nightmare Moon?" Twilight beamed with excitement. "Yes! I knew you'd trust me, Princess! I've spent so many days reading about her and how to stop her!" She said, out of nowhere pulling out a folder with many papers inside. "On the longest day of the thousandth year - I studied all of it. Got the plans and spells all written down! I'll be able to tell the unicorns precisely what to do to prevent her from enacting her evil plan upon her return! And I--"

Celestia chuckled, using a snap of her fingers to produce a plate of cookies - one for herself, one for Twilight; the act of magic giving a signal to Twilight that she had to stop, but without being rude or assertive. "No, Twilight; not quite." She spoke.

"Oh..." Twilight bit the cookie. How were cookies taken out of the air so tasty? Princess Celestia could spawn chocolate milk, any kinds of tea - whatever, and it'd be delicious. Twilight studied so much magic - but never grasped what made the draconequus tick... "So, what is it?"

Celestia snapped her fingers once more, and a letter appeared in-front of Twilight. "Please head to the town known as Creatureville. And more importantly , I want you to make some friends." She simply said.

"Okay! And what do I do with these friends? Are they mages?" Twilight asked. "Should I get them to gather up for researching magic? Should I make some kind of plan with them? Or--"

"No, no." Celestia laughed softly. "I don't mean that in a figurative way. I don't want you to meet anyone in particular. I want you to go to Creatureville and befriend somepony. That's aaaalllll there is to it, my faithful student."

"Huh?" Twilight yelped. "Princess? Friendship? But...Why?" She blinked at the envelope in-front of her. "...I don't get the point...It's...not very important."

The draconequus gave a cute, soft smile. "Oh Twilight - it is.. You need to understand that merely focusing on studying magic on its own isn't going to get you anywhere." She said. "You need to make friends - to have creatures you can rely on, and can rely on you. Besides - you really ought to do something other than reading those dusty old books!"

"D-Dusty!?" Twilight yelped.

***

Twilight muttered as she tried her best to pack her bags. Books - so many books...This came along with many tools and instruments she had, all for the sake of observation and measuring magic. "Creatureville? Friends?" She softly groaned. "I don't get it!"

"Twilight - come on, it'll be fun!"

On her shoulder landed a small pair of talons. She sighed - comforted, but still pensive. The talons belonged to a phoenix - an impressive bird with green and purple feathers. It not only spoke - but it was an eternal phoenix, one that did not need to turn into ash and continuously rise again.

"Spike..." The pony shook her head. "I told you about the prophecy I've read so much about. The mare in the moon - I'm certain that it's going to happen. On the--"

"Longest day of the thousandth year." The phoenix sighed, flapping his wings to reposition himself on the nightstand in-front of her. "Twilight, listen, we have the chance to travel outside of Canterlot for once! Granted to help set up the celebration and all, but we haven't traveled in so long! I've practically flown over every rooftop of Canterlot at this rate..."

Twilight looked at her assistant phoenix and sighed softly to herself. "I guess so, Spike. But I have a feeling something won't be right." She softly said.