An Unexpected Party

by Gallifrey

The Rising of the Sun

Celestia woke early the next morning, very early, after the best night’s sleep she’d had for a long time. She looked at her clock, it was four in the morning. The Sun was to rise in three quarters of an hour.

“Happy birthday, Celestia,” she mumbled, as she magically pulled the bed sheets off herself.

If she felt old yesterday, it was nothing to how old she felt now. Five entire millennia. Nearly two million days - and she felt tired, not because her sleep wasn’t good, far from it. It was high summer, which meant Day Court ran eighteen hours a day. She felt overworked. She was quite glad that Luna was running Day Court today, or so she thought. Luna herself had no intention of doing such a thing.

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Twilight Sparkle and her friends were standing outside the Great Hall’s huge marble doors, which were shut. The eastern horizon had a pale blue tinge to it.

“It’s odd,” remarked Twilight, “they’re not usually shut.”

She cautiously pushed the doors open and had to supress a giggle. At the end of the hall was a dark blue alicorn, slumped on the throne, fast asleep, her light blue mane ruffled.

“Come on girls,” she said chuckling, as she entered the hall and made her way to Luna.
Twilight nudged her gently, while the other five ponies hung back, afraid to wake the Princess.

“Um, Princess Luna, it’s time to get up,” said Twilight.

Luna’s eyes opened half way.

“Oh my, how long were we asleep?”

“Well, it’s not long till sunrise,” said Twilight.

“All night!” yelped Luna, “Oh well, nothing can be done, I will just have to endure a sleeping pattern of some confusion for the next few days,” she grumbled. “Anyway, it’s nice to see you all here,” she smiled down at them.

“Is there anywhere we can put all this ‘ere stuff Princess?” asked Applejack.

“Allow me,” said Luna, her horn lighting up; all their luggage disappeared with a pop.

“They are hidden in my quarters,” said Luna.

“Why thank ya kindly Princess.”

“We should go to welcome my sister,” said Luna.

They made their way up to Celestia’s chambers, their hooves echoing loudly off the walls.

“Do you think she noticed her dress?” asked Rarity nervously to Fluttershy.

“I don’t think so, or if she did, she’s doing an awfully good job of hiding it.”

“Good, I think.”

Luna knocked on Celestia’s door.

“Celly! Are you awake?”

The door clicked as it unlocked. They all filed in. Celestia was standing regally by her window, the solar wind billowing her mane as always, she smiled widely at them, and when she and Twilight met eyes, her smile grew even wider.

“Happy birthday!” they all chorused at once.

Celestia looked at Luna, then back to the Mane Six.

“Lunes, did you tell them--”

“Yes I did,” said Luna, “Your friends at least deserve to know when your birthday is, Celly,”

Twilight skipped up to Celestia. The Princess lowered her head and hugged Twilight.

“Happy birthday Princess,” she whispered.

“Thank you, my faithful student, it’s wonderful to see you again my dear,” she said lowly in Twilight’s ear. She brought her head up and looked to the others; they all bowed, with the exception of Luna.

“Princess,” said Rainbow nervously, “sorry but I gotta fly, I have some things that need doing real quick.”

“Of course, Rainbow Dash. You will return later I trust?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there for the sunrise,” she grinned and left.

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Rainbow trotted out of the room. She briskly walked to the Great Hall and out of the marble doors. Unfurling her wings she shot into the sky, heading towards the Palace gardens. In the dim light she had trouble making out the ground below, but she eventually saw two dark blobs on the ground and descended towards them. She landed with a flurry of dust around her.

“Morning boys,” she said to them smoothly.

“Hey!” said Spitfire indignantly as Soarin’ giggled.

“We ready to put Operation Awesome into effect?”

“You betcha!” said Spitfire.

“Will there be pie?” asked Soarin’.

“Yes, Soarin’,” said Rainbow, rolling her eyes.

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Princess Celestia led them all to her balcony. Twilight and her friends were surprised to hear a sudden, overwhelming roar of cheers from the gardens below. Fluttershy’s ears shrank back from the noise and she shut her eyes tight.

“Where did they all come from?” said Twilight, astonished.

“I like to keep them out until after I wake up, they do like to make a racket don’t they?”

“That they do,” said Luna, looking slightly nervously down at the crowd, “Celly, how long before sunrise?”

“Five minutes.”

“Right.”

Celestia raised a hoof and silence descended.

“My little ponies!” said Celestia in the Royal Canterlot Voice. It was not a harsh voice like Luna’s, in fact, it was just like her normal voice, amplified many times. “I warmly welcome you all to this year’s Summer Sun Celebration!”

Much clapping of hooves on the ground and cheering ensued.

“But this year is very special, for today, with my blessing, Princess Luna shall be honoured with the raising of the Sun,” she looked fondly at her sister.

Murmurs ran through the crowd.

“Luna?”

“Why Luna?”

“What if it’s like Nightmare Moon again?”

“My feet hurt.”

“I choose her, because I love and trust her completely,” said Celestia, with a powerful undertone of finality that quelled the suspicious muttering at once.

Luna meanwhile just grinned - she was getting excited now.

“The Summer Sun Celebration is a time when we--” Celestia continued…

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Rainbow Dash, Spitfire and Soarin’ had finished warming up: they were ready.

“This is a very complicated plan Rainbow,” said Spitfire. “When do we take off?”

“In exactly twenty seconds.”

“And when does the Sun rise?”

“In three minutes, forty two seconds.”

“And by your calculations, the Rainboom will happen as soon as the Sun is up?”

“Yup.”

“As long as you’re confident, I believe in you.” She kicked Soarin’s hindquarters. His mind had wandered.

“Uh yeah, Rainbow, I believe in you too!” he said sincerely.

A great bubble of pride and confidence welled up in her.

“Let’s do this! Three! Two! One! GO!”

All three shot from the ground like bullets, flying as fast as their wings could take them, to the Palace.

-------

“Forgive me, this old mare likes to ramble on,” said Celestia apologetically after she had finished her speech. “It is time for the Sun to rise, on this, the longest day of the year!”

Luna stepped forward modestly to much clapping of hooves.

“Thank you everypony!” she shouted loudly, not using her Canterlot Voice because she knew it was intimidating.

She bowed her head and shut her eyes tight: this was going to require all her power and expertise.

---------

Rainbow Dash looked to either side of her as she tore through the sky, Spitfire and Soarin’ were at her sides. It was time. She accelerated hard, and so did they. She could feel the distinctive resistance of the air in front of her, bending the forces of nature was no mean feat after all. Her forehooves started to feel hot, everything was a blur, the Palace was racing towards them - this was her moment! A curious silence filled the air around her as it started to tingle and spark brightly.

---------

Luna tensed up, and lifted her graceful head slowly, her horn blazing for everypony to see. Celestia looked on with intense pride. The Sun rose from the eastern edges of the world. Luna’s surprise was hidden in its golden glare. The Moon. The newest Moon. Luna used all her formidable strength to raise the Moon as well at the same time, unbeknownst to everypony, even her sister, until it began to cover the Sun’s face.

“The Moon!” cried Twilight.

Celestia’s jaw dropped openly.

BOOM!

An explosion of colour erupted in the sky, Rainbow Dash seeming to fly out of the Sun, the Wonderbolts lightning trails behind her.

Twilight, hit by sudden inspiration, directed a powerful beam of magic at the heart of the Rainboom and it magically incorporated itself into the sky as the last vestige of sunlight disappeared behind the Moon. Everypony was in stunned silence at the spectacle.

The solar winds of the corona were a myriad of colours, billowing slowly and serenely from the dark orb low in the sky, the colours mixing elegantly. Lightning sparks radiated from the eclipse, yet they were as distant from Equestria as the Sun itself. The spectrum was cast over the entirety of the heavens, clouds were contrasted with dark shadows, and every so often, a distant crackling thunder of unimaginable power broke the heavy silence. The world had a profound sense of unreality, beautiful and dreamlike. After five minutes, the Moon began to fall behind the Sun’s pace, and a golden beam poured from behind it. For maybe a second, the corona lingered, turned to gold, with silver clouds and platinum lightning. Then it was gone, leaving a slither of the crescent Sun in its wake as the Moon gave way for a new day to begin.

Um, this is a side note, um, if that's alright with you.
I am gonna give credit here to Varanus' story Composure for inspiring me to use the idea of a solar eclipse. Read that fanfiction by the way, it's absolutely amazing.