The Studying Obsession

by Lhmac

The Summer Sun Celebration

Twilight somehow got through the day without using all her energy. With her big brother, Shining Armor, by her side, it was easy. He held her back every time she was about to go overboard with excitement, but expertly kept her occupied the whole day long so that she wouldn't be anxious while waiting.

The siblings coloured and played checkers, they read books together and helped their mother make snacks and do the dishes. The day was easy to pass with her family by her side, and as the evening celebration came closer, Twilight knew this was definitely the best day ever.

There had been a leisurely pace to the day, but once the celebration festival began, everything began to move by so quickly. They ate and played on the rides and games that were set out for the celebration while they admired the effort that had gone into decorating the city square of Canterlot. Everything was a whirlwind of joy in celebration of Equestria's princess and the gift she gave them by raising the sun every day.

Dawn came, and it was time for the raising of the sun. The crowd pressed in, moving as one towards the podium where Celestia would raise the burning ball of light into the sky to begin the first new day of the new year.
Twilight had never felt so excited. The anticipation welled up in her, but as her brother had said, she kept it down to conserve her energy. There was only a short while to go, and she didn’t want to be that foal who fell asleep just at the good part.

As the crowd pressed tighter around them, Shining and Twilight were pulled away from their parents. The little filly looked nervously to her brother, but he just smiled down at her. The sounds of the crowd drowned out his words, but Twilight could see he was telling her it would be okay and they would find their family later.
As the time for the sun to rise drew nearer and nearer, Twilight was pulled away from her brother. She tried to push back against the flow for a panic-stricken minute, but remembered that this was her home city of Canterlot, and she would be able to find her family at the conclusion of the celebration.

Twilight looked towards the podium, but she was too small to get a good view from so far back in the crowd of ponies, so she began picking her way forward, catching the odd disapproving glare from mares and colts as she did so.
She managed to squeeze herself right to the front of the platform where her princess would soon be standing. She took in all the details of the stage. Two rows of royal guards in full ceremonial armour stood before golden horns, waiting for their time. A monument that Twilight saw every day took pride of position in the middle of the podium, the large sun reminding the populace and tourists of Canterlot how magnificent and powerful their princess was.

The lights suddenly switched off, the rides and stalls having held out until some unknown signal. Everything was plunged into darkness, and after a few hushed murmurs, the ponies around her fell completely silent. Twilight Sparkle felt a chill down her spine as she was left with the silence of her own thoughts and the thudding of her own heart, waiting on the moment she had waited her entire life to see.

The guards on the stage blew their horns in a royal fanfare and Celestia finally stepped forward, wings outstretched and brilliant mane flowing behind her in regal beauty.
Twilight could feel the grin stretching the corners of her mouth. The excitement charged the air through the entire crowd. She’d never felt anything like it before, and gave a starry-eyed look to the princess who was just about to raise the life-giving sun.

After looking out over her gathered subjects for just a moment, Celestia closed her eyes and her horn began to glow. She gently lowered both her wings and head before suddenly propelling herself into the air with a flap of her wings.

Twilight couldn't even blink as she watched the princess rise into the air, the sky brightening in a pink glow behind her. When she reached the middle of the sun monument, her body was only a shadow blurring the brilliance of the newly risen sun, its brightness bathing the gathered ponies in light as they gasped in awe.

When their princess hit the wooden floor and looked down over them once more, a massive cheer came from everypony surrounding Twilight. The joyous screams and stomping of hooves was deafening, but Twilight didn't join with them. She was too amazed to do more than continue to grin up at her mighty princess.

The raising of the sun was the single most amazing, most wonderful thing she had ever seen or could ever hope to see. The princess was majestic and incredible; her alicorn magic had pulled the sun into its position in the sky, bringing light and heat to every pony in Equestria, and Twilight Sparkle had been there to witness it.

The little foal felt a surge of inspiration and conviction. If alicorn magic could do that, unicorn magic could certainly do things that were just as wonderful. And so she, Twilight Sparkle, made a promise to herself that she would be able to do such things herself.

In a loud voice, Princess Celestia declared the Summer Sun Celebration to be over for another year and trotted regally from the stage. The crowd began to disperse, but Twilight stood in place, staring up at the sun. It would be hard work to use her unicorn magic for something so magnificent: Twilight had read a bit about unicorn magic and its application, and she knew it required a lot of study, but that was what she would do.
She looked into the beaming brightness of the sun and vowed that she would show all of Equestria what incredible things unicorn magic could be used for.

Twilight was still staring when she felt a hoof on her shoulder. She turned her head to see her big brother's grinning face. "Did you see it, Twily? Did you get a good view?"

"Yeah," Twilight said distantly, not looking directly at her brother.

Shining Armor frowned down at his sister, "Did you not enjoy it?"

"No, no. That's not it." Twilight finally looked her brother in the eye, letting out her signature beaming smile. "That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. The princess is so ... so ... brilliant! And one day I will be able to use my magic as well as her, Shining. I will." She nodded, as if to affirm her promise.

"That's great, Twily." Shining Armor looked genuinely impressed. "I know that you'll do great." He looked to the left and right. "Well, we should go find Mother and Father and head home. I think it's time a certain little filly went to bed."

Author's Note:

This chapter certainly took some re-writing. Hope you all like it.

Comments

[Star-Corrsin]

This was a great take on her first Summer sun celebration.

[Star-Corrsin]

This was a great take on her first Summer sun celebration.