//------------------------------// // Prologue - Renascentia // Story: First Contact War // by Datsuzoku //------------------------------// 'I wonder if Dad would like the new look…'         Corona sighed as she appraised her reflection in the mirror. The first thing that caught her eye was her mane; it was still blonde and wavy, but instead of flowing well past her shoulders, now it barely covered the off-white fur on the back of her neck. She still missed it at times, but fashion and style were the least of her concerns now. 'Not after what happened…' Her hazel eyes drifted towards a small picture depicting her and her family in the midst of a snow-covered market, and as she closed her eyes, the memories came rushing back to her mind. It had been the beginning of Winter. Corona was in her second year of studies at the Equestrian Academy of Magic and like always, she spent her semester breaks at her family’s home in Trottingham. On the final day of the break, her parents surprised her with a trip to the city’s famous Hearth’s Warming Market. Full of vendors, food, music, and dancing, it was a local tradition nearly as old as the city itself. Together they spent nearly the entire day exploring every inch of the market while they sipped from bottomless mugs of hot cider, grazed on plates of caramel apples, and sang their voices dry with each round of caroling. They were near the central square when her father had stopped a random pony and asked them to take their picture with his prized camera. Unlike so many family photos, that one had turned out nearly perfect, capturing all of them with bright eyes and wide smiles.         It was the last time she would ever see them.         Two months later - in the dead of winter - the attack came. They came at daybreak, concealed in dark armor and shielded by the dim light offered by another misty, grey dawn. The guards were still changing shifts and exchanging reports when the first screams rang out from the central square.         Before anypony could react, five guards had been struck down. Arrows and swords cut effortlessly through unarmored flesh, while the few that made it to their weapons were torn asunder by talons and beaks as if they were rag dolls. By the time the alarm was triggered to signal an attack, the sky above the fortress-city was blotted out by thousands of griffons. Some swooped down to the streets to kill anything that was moving while others began dropping magical orbs that burst into flames upon contact. The fires raced through the mostly wooden structures that made up the interior of the city, sending hundreds of ponies scrambling outside to escape the flames - only to die at the end of a griffon’s sword. They showed no mercy, not even to the young and innocent among them. Fathers died protecting their families. Young colts and fillies were cut down in the streets like dogs while their parents were forced to watch. Mothers died clutching their foals in their hooves, or watched helplessly as they were torn from their grasp, never to be seen again. Word of the attack reached the Academy a day later, and the Princess’ had wept openly as they delivered the grim news to the students; Trottingham was a burned and shattered wreck, its citizens either killed or taken prisoner by the griffons. Tensions with the warrior-like griffons had been high since their first contact with ponykind, but blatant acts of violence had so far been avoided, albeit barely. Now though, a line had been crossed and there was no going back. The next day, the Royal Sisters made it official. Equestria was at war with the Griffon Empire. Within days, ponies from every corner of Equestria flooded recruitment offices, city halls, and town squares, ready to join in the defense of their lands. The ranks of the Equestrian armed forces grew ten-fold in a matter of weeks, and within months the Royal Guard had shaped them into a combat-ready force. But if Equestria was to survive the biggest conflict she had ever faced, more would be needed than extra sets of hooves. The griffons had already displayed a penchant for magic in their attack on Trottingham, and the early battles of the war only confirmed the ferocity of the dark, arcane power that their mages were able to wield. Such destructive magic required more than regular spells to fight, and very few unicorns outside of the Royal Sisters could command such powers on their own. So, a different call went out to the students of the Academy. Those willing to endure a brutal training regimen - and devote their entire lives to the study of magic - would become an elite force, trained to face the absolute worst that the griffons could throw at Equestria. Corona was the first in line to volunteer. Dozens of unicorns had joined her in the first recruiting class. Some, like Corona, chose to study solar magic, while others chose to devote themselves to the study of the night and its mysterious ways. Both her body and her mind were tested in ways she had never imagined possible, and there were many points that she questioned whether she should join the scores of others who had fallen short and returned to their regular studies. Yet each time she was on the cusp of quitting, she’d remember. She’d remember walking through the burnt remains of her family’s cozy home, unable to find even a small fragment of the life she used to have. The raw smell of ash would choke her airways as she recalled the dozens of funeral pyres offering some measure of respect to the piles of bodies left by the griffons’ mindless slaughter. She’d remember all of it, and she’d press on despite the odds. Now over a year later, she had made it through the trials, passed all of the tests, and mastered the necessary spells. She who was once a studious but unassuming unicorn was about to become an instrument of incredible magic. An instrument of the sun itself. 'An instrument of justice…' The thought sent a shiver down her back, tugging Corona’s mind back to the present. She rose from her chair and stepped back to regard her mirror image once more. Other than the shorter mane and the admittedly tauter figure, she looked much the same as she always did. Yet as she stared at the mirror, Corona wasn’t sure what - or who - she was looking at. 'After today, will I be the same pony anymore?' Images of a burning Trottingham, of piles of dead, mutilated bodies, flashed in her mind once more. 'Can I even be that pony anymore?' A light knock on her door broke her train of thought.  “It’s open.” The door opened slowly behind her, and as Corona looked into her mirror, she couldn’t help but smile a bit as her visitor came into view. “Are you ready?” asked the tall mare that stood in the doorway. Corona looked again at the last picture of her family - 'the last time I was happy'... But this time, no tears came. She had run out of those long ago. All that was left for her now were memories of happier times- -and a burning desire for revenge. Corona’s horn came to life and a moment later, a long, tan cloak hovered into her view behind her. Nearly thoughtless twists of her light-green aura brought the cloak smoothly over her form, covering her from nearly head to hoof. As she closed the small clasp on the front, the cloak’s only embellishment, a depiction of the sun, came together. It was similar to the mark that adorned the Solar Princess herself, with one exception. This sun was blood-red. Corona raised the cloak’s hood over her head and turned from the mirror. “Yes, Radiance. I’m ready.” Corona and Radiance shared a comfortable silence as they made the short walk from their dormitory building to the grand assembly hall. Few expenses had been spared when it was constructed to the specific designs and wishes of the Royal Sisters, and it showed. Gleaming white stone covered its every surface, giving the entire building an almost ethereal glow in the midday sun. Twin spires rose from near the center of the building; one adorned in gold and dozens of stained-glass windows, and the other accented in silver filigrees and dark blue marble buttresses. Their designs were a study in visual contrast, but like the Princess’ they represented, they looked perfectly at home next to each other. Corona breathed deeply as she followed Radiance into the intricate gardens that snaked through the central courtyard. Along with the assembly hall, the gardens were considered one of the crown jewels of the Academy. Flora and trees from every corner of Equestria found a home in the expertly maintained maze of hedges, gardens, and pebble-lined paths. The path widened out as they came to the first of the gardens’ many circular intersections. Corona trotted ahead for a second before stopping underneath the shade of a towering, centuries-old tree that marked the center of the circle. “You know, I think I lost count of the hours I spent in these gardens.” Radiance chuckled a bit as she joined Corona beneath the tree. The expansive shade offered by its massive branches turned the exposed parts of her light-grey coat to a dark charcoal. Only her powder-blue eyes and a shock of her red forelock were visible under the hood of her cloak. “Oh, I know. For a while there, we were beginning to wonder if you’d dropped your classes and joined the grounds staff.” Corona shot her a teasing glare. “Good thing that I didn’t, or there wouldn’t be any gardens left here at all.” “Oh, please, you solve four-level spell matrices before most of us have had breakfast.” Radiance glanced at a nearby bed of petunias. “Surely, you can conquer some small pink flowers.” “I killed an aloe plant in two weeks.” Corona deadpanned. “Wait, you what-” Radiance tried to stifle a laugh, but only broke down into giggles for her efforts. “O-okay, even I could do better than that.” Corona stuck her tongue out in feigned outrage. “Well then, miss greenhoof, feel free to join the Botany Club anytime.” The shared moment of laughter stretched on for a moment before Corona turned to a more serious subject. “Do you think we’ll still be working together after today?” Radiance grew quiet for a moment before answering. “I don’t see why not. We’ve all trained together since day one, and the two of us have been paired up the entire time.” She took a half-step forward to bump Corona’s flank. “Besides, why break up such a great team?” she added with a wink. Corona sighed a bit as she collected her thoughts. “You’re probably right. It’s just that… I don’t know… I guess I’m just used to having you and some of the others around me, you know? Going out there alone… It’s just different I guess.” Radiance furrowed her brow at that. “I get it, believe me, but remember that we’ve all done solo training missions and really lopsided duels. If anypony can handle themselves alone, it’s you. After all, nopony else was able to deduce the missing components of the fifth level flare spell while simultaneously holding off two squads of griffon sentries.” “That was just a simulation, and those griffons weren’t really out to skewer my flank.” Corona huffed a bit before sitting on a nearby bench. “I’m not doubting my technical abilities, Radiance, but you did just as well in those exercises as I did, remember?” Radiance opened her mouth to respond, but Corona kept going. “The point is, we’ve been together since nearly our first weeks as regular students, and even more so after we enlisted. I may have been first in line to signup, but you know who was right behind me?” Corona pointed a hoof at her friend and comrade. “You were.” “Which was quite alright, if you ask me!” Corona and Radiance jumped a bit as a voice rang in their ears. They looked about for a moment to find the source of the voice, but saw nopony near them. “I hate waiting in lines, but having that grey flank in front of me for a few minutes made things much easier to take.” Corona rolled her eyes a bit as she continued to locate the voice around her. A wisp of what looked like a light smoke wafted past her muzzle, and a she fought back a small grin. 'Found you…' She tapped Radiance on the shoulder and gestured to another wisp of cloudy air that was passing behind them. Radiance gave a smile and wink, but said nothing. From beneath the hood of her cloak, a cherry-red glow began emanating from her horn. She looked around for a moment before a tendril of red reached out and wrapped around the wispy air like a vine. “Ow! H-hey! What’s the big idea, Rad?” The voice called out from nowhere in particular. “You know how much I hate that nickname…” Radiance grunted in mild annoyance as her magic wrapped tighter around the smoke. “Alright, alright, I’m sorry, okay? Don’t get your tail in a twist!” Radiance glared at the could-like patch of air a moment more before finally releasing her magic. “You’d probably like that too much. Now get out here, Cobalt.” “Alright, since you asked so nicely…” Wisps of smoke came together from around the two mares, coalescing into a small sphere. Corona eyed the floating ball with a bit of bemusement, while Radiance continued to look mildly annoyed. The ball of smoky air glowed blue for a second before dissolving in front of them, the remnants all swirling towards a point on the ground like water in a funnel. Bright blue magic coursed through the trails of air as they dove towards the ground, and in a matter of seconds, a dark-colored stallion took shape before them. “Would you two lovely mares like an escort to the assembly hall?” “I think we can defend ourselves from the evil monsters that are surely lurking in the Royal Gardens,” Radiance deadpanned before folding back the hood of her cloak. “But I’m sure you’ll insist anyway.” “A gentlestallion is always to escort the mares when possible, if not for their protection, than as a show of proper decorum.” Cobalt swept into his best version of a formal court bow, sweeping his hoof out in front of him for added effect. Corona lowered her cloak’s hood as well as she chuckled. “You know, for nearly being a member of the Shadows, you’re being pretty obvious there, Cobalt.” Cobalt feigned indignation for a moment before breaking out into a sly grin. “Geez, some ponies just don’t appreciate the subtlety of things.” Corona shifted her gaze between the other two ponies. If Radiance was an example of poise and control, Cobalt was her exact opposite. From the gleam in his bright-blue eyes to his barely-tamed mane and tail, Cobalt played everything fast and loose. Even before the war, he was known around the Academy as a bit of a loose cannon, willing to bend the rules - and sometimes the laws of magic - to get the results he thought were needed. It was little surprise then that he was a bit of a mares’ stallion too. He had calmed down a bit under the strict discipline demanded of him and the other ponies that had joined the Shadows, the sister group the Solar Rays. Still, Cobalt was known to have an eye for the mares, and it was no secret that more than a few of them had their eyes on him too. 'I can’t say I’d blame them either.' Corona thought as her eyes glanced over his dark, almost midnight blue coat. His mane and tail, unkempt as usual, were a dark grey, save for a shock of bright blue that split them both down the middle. In another, more peaceful time, she might have entertained thoughts of getting to know him better. But she had little time to devote to anything other than her studies, and her heart was still clamped shut with repressed grief over the loss of her family and her home. 'Then again, who would want to try and tame him?' The sound of several bells boomed through the campus, breaking the shared moment of silence. Radiance moved first from the shade of the tree and looked at the tall clock tower that stood on the Eastern edge of the main square, which showed the time to be eleven o’clock in the morning. “The ceremony begins in less than an hour. We should get going, Corona.” Radiance raised the hood of her cloak and began to trot away. Cobalt sighed a bit before giving Corona a bemused look. “What’s got her so moody?” Corona could only offer a shrug of her shoulders in return. “Don’t know, to be honest.” She glanced sideways at Cobalt. “Final trials took a toll on everypony, so maybe she just needs some rest.” Cobalt blew some air from his lower lip, lightly ruffling his messy forelock. “Somehow, I doubt any of us will be getting rest before this war ends.” “If it ever does end, that is.” “Looks like this is where I get off,” Cobalt said as the trio came to a stop. They had just entered the assembly hall through one of the many entrances that had been reserved for students. The warmly-lit entryway branched off into three hallways, each of them marked with a simple but beautifully carved stone archway. The path directly in front of them led to the main welcoming area at the front of the hall by way of a sunny atrium and one of Princess Celestia’s many art collections. The path to their right led to a winding staircase that rose to the ground level before terminating at the entrance to the assembly hall itself. To their left, the third and final path led deeper into the bowels of the grand building, where many of the more mundane activities and services that kept the Academy running smoothly were housed. Corona eyes drifted over Radiance’s shoulder to the left-most hallway. “I’m sure they’re waiting for the two of us in the preparatory rooms.” Radiance nodded in agreement, but a tan hoof stopped her when she began to turn in that direction. “Before we go,” Corona’s glanced at both of them as she spoke, “I just want to thank both of you. I know we all have our reasons for being here, and there’s been nothing easy about any of this.” A warm smile crossed her lips. “But I know I couldn’t have made it on my own; not without two good friends by my side.” Cobalt lunged forward and wrapped the two mares into a nearly crushing hug. “Aww, now that calls for a group hug! Come here you two!” Even Radiance had to crack a smile as she allowed herself to be drawn into the mess of fur and hair. After a few seconds, Cobalt stepped back from the embrace and let his hooves fall to the polished floor. “You two better get going. I’ll see you at the ceremony!” Cobalt waved before trotting down the righthoof path toward the assembly hall. They waved after him for a moment before turning toward the left most archway. Corona smirked playfully at Radiance. “Shall we get our hair done then?” Barely thirty minutes later, they emerged from the preparatory rooms and into a long hallway. “Yeah, my Mom would pass out if she saw my hair now.” Corona joked as she exited the preparatory room behind Radiance. “Well, at least you can tell her that you only did it because everypony else was doing it too,” Radiance whispered over her shoulder. Corona snorted as she tried to stifle a laugh, and quickly muttered an apology to the stallion behind her in line who had just very conspicuously cleared his throat. She gently ran a hoof over her forehead for what felt like the hundredth time already. Her wavy blonde forelock was gone, a victim of the barber’s shears. Corona frowned slightly as she gingerly rubbed the exposed fur around her horn. 'Are they sure that its only our manes that can be singed?' Her hoof stopped for a moment as it brushed across the splash of body paint on her lower forehead. Painstakingly applied by hoof, the red sun matched the symbol on her well-worn cloak, but on her fur, it felt less a symbol and more like a mark. 'A mark of purpose.' Movement in the front of the line snapped her attention from her departed mane, and she moved quickly to follow Radiance and ten other ponies through the warmly-lit hallways. The line twisted and turned through multiple corridors before stopping at the base of a small staircase marked ‘To Antechamber’. They waited for a few moments before an older unicorn mare appeared at the top of the stairs. Bearing the royal crest and trimmed in blazing gold, her gleaming white cloak marked her as a member of Princess Celestia’s senior staff. In this mare’s light brown eyes, Corona could see wisdom and stress in nearly equal amounts. 'The things she must have seen…' “Good morning. My name is Silent Note, and I am here to escort you into the assembly hall.” Her voice was warm, but authoritative. “Please follow me.” The line promptly followed in Silent Note’s wake, keeping a respectful distance behind her as they ascended the short staircase. Corona peered around the room as the line came to a stop inside the antechamber. The space was quite a bit larger than its name would suggest, and could easily fit another dozen or more ponies in it with room to spare. It was a fairly simple room in comparison to much of the rest of the building; tables and some couches were clustered about the room and around the quaint stone fireplace on the far wall, while pale yellow wainscotting broke up the otherwise off-white walls. Plush rugs carpeted many areas of the room, offering their hooves a soft reprieve from the gleaming wood floors. “You’ll be moving into the grand hall in just a few moments,” Silent Note announced as the dozen unicorns began to loosely mill about the room. “Please reform a line in front of the door over there when you are ready,” she added, gesturing to the door to the right side of the room. About a minute passed before a single bell chimed from outside the room, and the door to the grand hall opened before them. “Well, here we go,” Radiance whispered as she stepped up beside Corona. “You know I’m not one for eloquence, but-” she laid a hoof on Corona’s withers, “thank you for being there for me as well. Without you - and perhaps Cobalt - I wouldn't be here right now either. S-so, thanks.” Corona leaned to her left, gently bumping her friend’s side. “You too, Radiance… You too.” Everypony was fidgeting in place as they rejoined the tail end of the line, with Corona now bringing up the rear. Hooves lightly tapped on the floor and bodies swayed like grass in a gentle breeze as they tried to keep their energy - and their nerves - in check. Silent Note stepped to the front of the line and twelve heads turned as one to face her. “The procession will now begin. When your name is announced, remove your cloak and enter the hall. A guard will step forward and escort you from there. The ceremony will begin when all of you have taken your places.” Silent Note’s eyes gazed over all of them as she continued. “You are all exceptional ponies, and I know you will make all of us proud. On behalf of the Academy and its staff, I thank you all for your service in the defense of Equestria. I wish you all good luck and a safe return from wherever you may go.” Silent Note turned and stepped to the side just as another bell rang out from the main hall, followed immediately by a booming voice. “Mares and gentlestallions, please rise as we announce each pony’s name. Again, we ask for complete silence during this time.” Corona peered around the rest of the line and could just catch a glimpse of the dozen guards outside of the door, six to a side. “Emerald Gleam!” The unseen voice called out the first name, and the light-green mare at the head of the line doffed her cloak and stepped through the door. The line shuffled forward a few steps before stopping again. "Mirabelle Blossom!" Corona’s pulse spiked with each small step. "Emberglow!" A few more steps; Corona swallowed a growing lump in her throat. "Flare Star!" The line grew shorter with each name that was announced, and Corona could almost feel the butterflies bouncing around her stomach like playground balls. "Radiance Belle!" Corona's stomach twisted into knots as she watched her friend walk through the door and into the chamber. She shuffled forward to the threshold while her magic quickly unwrapped the cloak from around her, and as she looked out to the chamber beyond, Corona couldn't stop her mouth from hanging open just a bit. The hall was filled to capacity, with dignitaries, families, and guests filling every available space alongside the entire student body of the Academy. Silken banners hung from every column and overhang, while lush flower arrangements dotted every table and railing. The bright midday sun poured in through dozens of expansive windows, bathing the entire chamber in a soft white glow. 'I wish Mom and Dad could see this...' She closed her eyes, and for a split-second, an image of her parents came vividly to her mind. They stood together in an endless field of green, their hooves entwined and adoring smiles on their faces. She felt a knowing warmth fill her heart... A warmth that only her parents could bring to her. "Corona Haze!" 'Perhaps they will after all.' Corona stifled a small gasp as she took in her surroundings from her spot at what would be the six o’clock position in the circle. 'This doesn’t look nearly as big from the cheap seats…' The short procession had come to a stop near the tile mosaic embedded in center of the floor, its thousands of hoof laid tiles depicting Celestia’s and Luna’s marks in exquisite detail. The twelve ponies stood equal length apart around the mosaic, as if they were the hands on a clock. The hall seemed to spread out forever in all directions. Rows of seats - all filled to capacity - stretched out on nearly all sides. Her eyes followed the huge marble columns up from the floor to the ornate balconies that jutted out over the chamber; these too were full to capacity with onlookers. An expansive dome covered in more mosaics and carvings soared hundreds of feet above her, the huge window at its peak casting a natural spotlight onto the polished floor below. A bit of movement caught the corner of her eye, and when she looked up, Corona saw a tall, burly stallion standing at a dais that had been built into one of the nearby columns. “Mares and gentlestallions, it is my honor to present her Royal Highnesses, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and the Archmage of Equestria, Sunspot!” Every pony in the chamber bowed as one as the three most powerful beings in Equestria emerged onto the balcony at the front of the chamber. The Royal Sisters strode forward to opposite ends of the balcony, each of them clothed in some of the most resplendent fabrics that Corona, or anypony in the room, had ever seen. An iridescent white gown flowed around Celestia’s hooves, the shimmering fabric reflecting the myriad of pastel colors and shades that coursed through her mane and tail. Corona ignored the nearly blinding glow from Celestia’s regalia as she stared in awe at the pony who had become a distant but ever-present mother in hers and her classmates lives since the war began. On the other side of the balcony stood Princess Luna. Where her elder sister’s gown was flowy and bright like a summer day, Luna’s gown reflected equal measures of foggy mystery and shadowed beauty. Entire constellations of stars seemed woven directly into the sheer midnight fabric; innumerable shades of blue, purple, and black twisted around and through each other so perfectly, it was hard for Corona to tell where Luna’s mane ended and the gown began. Finally, Corona’s eyes stopped on the tall stallion that stood between the two sisters. As Equestria’s first Archmage and second-in-command to the Royal sisters, Sunspot was literally and figuratively a synthesis of the night and the day. A flowing mane of alternating black and white waves swept well past his shoulders, nearly touching the middle of his chest when he moved. Streaks of glistening light and inky, star-crossed night shone through the mane as well as his tail, casting his murky grey coat in a miasma of color. Even his eyes reflected the duality of the powers at his command; his left eye shone a bright, piercing yellow, while his right was a deep mixture of blue and purple. A long, heavy cloak covered most of Sunspot’s body, designs of sun, moon, and stars cascading down the deep blue and grey fabric until stopping at his white fetlocks. The sigil of magic - a six-pointed star - sat proudly on his broad chest at the end of a gleaming silver chain. “My ponies, we bid thee rise.” Luna’s voice echoed through the chamber as Corona and her classmates rose along with the crowds. “On behalf of my sister and the esteemed Archmage, we offer a warm and sincere welcome to all who are gathered here today.” Celestia then stepped to the railing, pausing to regard her sister and the crowd in turn. “War with the Griffon Empire is something that neither I nor my sister wanted. Yet, despite our best efforts, war has come to Equestria’s borders, and we were left with no choice but to stand and fight.” Her voice grew somber as she continued. “This war enters its second year now and with each new battle our enemy’s bloodlust grows stronger, their methods more brutal. Far too much carnage has been wrought upon our fair kingdom, and let it be known to all here that the sacrifices made - and the lives lost - to defend this nation will not be forgotten.” Celestia looked over the crowd once more, raising a hoof towards them. “It is in their memories that we continue to fight, and I will not rest…” Her bright magenta eyes hardened like cold steel as she raised her voice. “We will not rest until peace returns to our lands, and justice is wrought upon those who stole so much from us.” The crowd burst into an enthusiastic round of applause at Celestia’s last words; even the normally stoic Archmage joined the crowd in showing his approval of the Princess’ words. After a few more moments, Princess Celestia raised a hoof and the crowd grew silent once again. “Thank you all. I now give the floor to our esteemed Archmage.” Celestia nodded briefly to Sunspot before stepping back from the railing. Sunspot waited a moment before stepping forward to speak, his voice soft but brimming with authority. “One year ago, our Princesses issued a call for ponies willing to make an even deeper commitment to the art and science of magic, and a brave few responded.” Sunspot glanced down to the twelve. “Some chose to study the power of the Day, while your brothers and sisters devoted themselves to the Night,” he continued, nodding towards the group of unicorns on the right side of the chamber. “I congratulate Princess Luna’s apprentices as well, and look forward to their ascension to The Shadows in the coming days.” Corona peered in the same direction and for a split-second, she found Cobalt’s eyes among the rows of dark cloaks. Corona returned his small ‘good luck’ smile with one of her own. Sunspot’s gaze turned up to the crowds once more. “Today, these twelve will become more than just well-trained mages. They will form a special, other-worldly bond to each other, to the essence of magic…” he glanced towards Celestia, “...to the very sun itself.” Corona felt a warmth and a shiver at once as Sunspot’s eyes fell across her and the others in the circle. “Now, to the elect, I ask you a final time. Are you ready and willing to take on this duty?” The twelve responded in unison. “We are.” "In doing so, you understand that after today, your magic - your very life essence - will be irrevocably bonded to the Day itself. Put simply, in many respects, you will never be the same ponies again for as long as you live." "We do," they chanted as one, with Corona adding just a bit more volume to her voice than was required. "Very well then," Sunspot replied solemnly. His dark robes flowed around his legs as he turned and bowed before Celestia. "Your Highness, I present to you these twelve unicorns - these elect - to your judgement. They have committed every fiber of their strength to the study of your celestial namesake, and before me and these gathered witnesses, they have stated their unwavering desire to take up your banner. Therefore, I beseech you, the ruler of the Day and commander of the light, to grant their request and let these twelve souls become one with your essence." Celestia looked out to the circle of unicorns below, then turned her eyes back to the still-prostrate Archmage. “Archmage, please rise.” Sunspot rose to his hooves, though his head remained bowed out of respect. “We thank you for your wise counsel and for presenting these skilled unicorns to us. We have also observed them and their performance, and have judged them more than worthy of the power and authority that they seek.” The distant sound of the clock tower’s bells rang, announcing the time as high Noon. Without another word, Celestia unfurled her wings and leapt over the railing, gliding smoothly down to the floor below. Corona and the other unicorns bowed as low as they could put their muzzles the moment her golden shoes touched down in their midst. "Please rise, my little ponies." Corona stood along with the others, and her heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she lifted her eyes. Princess Celestia stood at her full height in the center of the circle, her mane and tail billowing around her outstretched wings. The ray of light coming through the top of the dome shone directly onto the Princess, turning her snow-white coat into a miniature sun. “Just as my Sister’s Moon has a light and a dark side, so too does my Sun. A seed grows into a strong blade of grass under the same light that eventually starves it into scorched, dry straw. Through the power of the Day, the sun’s light gives and takes in equal measure.” A golden glow burst forth from Celestia’s horn as her magic came to life. Under the light beaming down onto her, Celestia’s entire body seemed wrapped in an aura of pure golden light. “In this way, the name ‘Solar Ray’ is a reflection of the dual power that will now be yours to wield.” Corona was so enraptured by the sight that she didn’t notice Celestia’s magic branch off towards each unicorn in the circle. 'Oh, my-' The moment the beam of magic touched the tip of her horn, Corona felt a kind of warmth that she had never experienced before; even the loving embrace of her parents could not compare to the sense of peace and harmony that she felt now. A bright, pure magic flooded through the leylines in her body, and her mind was awash with senses and perceptions that she had never imagined. The hum of magic in the air morphed into an ear-splitting roar as Celestia’s eyes turned to blinding white orbs as the glow around her began to grow exponentially. “From this moment on, you are no longer unicorns, but Solar Rays. The power of the Day will embrace you, and the purity of its light will flow through you. In your hooves will be the authority to bring light to a nation darkened by war, the ability to renew what has been lost…” Celestia spread her wings back, reared up to her hind legs, and thrust her horn skyward. A ball of white-hot magic gathered at its tip, as if the Sun itself had been recreated in their midst. “...and the power to burn those who would do us harm.” The whole chamber turned white as Celestia released her magic, and the full force of the Sun hit Corona like a bolt of lightning. Her every nerve was on fire as a tidal wave of magic raced through her. Raw power unlike she had ever felt before flooded into her magical reserves as the very essence of the Sun touched Corona for the first time. New leylines began to emerge into her vision; not just of the other ponies in the room, but of every single thing around her - the tiles in the floor, the marble columns beneath the balconies, even the plants on the railings. She could see the glowing white lines of magic flowing through them all like blood in a vein.  'It’s so beautiful…' Corona’s body took on a white-hot glow as she freely gave herself - body, mind, and soul - to the Day, and as its power claimed her as its own, a sense of unbridled joy and righteous fury rose up within her. In the Day’s embrace she felt alive... Powerful… Purified... Reborn.