A hush fell over La Commedia Della Luna like a shroud of finest silk. The curtains rose, and the second act of Longest Night, Longest Day was begun.
The scene was, once again, Ponyville. A stylized sun hung on the horizon, wreathed in cobalt light to indicate that it had just been raised. Scattered across the theatrical town, ponies burst into song.
Making friends in Ponyville today!
PONYVILLE!
Hoof on down to Ponyville, everypony!
Check out our store that only sells two things!
Get some books from our tree library!
Just don't mind the crazy librarian!
You should trot on down to see our boutique
It's the perfect place to be judgmental!
Our weather mare is so freakin' lazy!
Who the hay still uses an abacus?
Here's the stuff that got eaten by Parasprites
This mare lead them all here from the forest!
Ponyville leads Equestria in disasters,
But then again, it could always be worse,
Because at least we are not Detrot!
We're not Detrot!
And with that, the various ponies scattered offstage through an assortment of doors and arches, ostensibly going about their daily business. And as if on cue, stage Trixie and stage Lyra emerged from the Residency.
Oh great, thought Trixie, what will I do now? If this sticks at all closely to the real sequence of events, I’m about to attempt to “fix” the Longest Night festival. But then again, when has this play born any relation to what actually happened so far? And where the buck did that song come from?
“You were right, mon amour,” said stage Trixie. “I did just need a good night’s rest and a little snuggling. I will still have to work hard to salvage the festival by tonight, but I can and will get it done. I will not disappoint Princess Luna again.”
Stage Trixie and stage Lyra shared a hug and a kiss. Trixie tried to control her embarrassment.
“So, my love, what are the plans for today?” asked stage Lyra.
“I have much to do if I am to salvage the Longest Night, and little time in which to do it. I will have to make arrangements for more than just apples to be served, talk to the weather manager and ensure that somepony competent is managing the weather for the festival, try and get some proper decorations in place, and get ahold of somepony to do the anthem.”
“Sounds like quite the day. Should I come along for moral support, or do you think you’d look better without your lover tagging along?”
Stage Trixie winced. “I am afraid that might be for the best. I expect I am going to have to strain my authority and ingenuity to the limits to get this to work as is. I am afraid I can’t afford any signs of equinity just now. But I will make it up to you when we return to Canterlot.”
“I understand,” said stage Lyra cheerfully. Then her ears perked up. “Hey, you mentioned you need somepony to play the anthem?”
“Yes?” said stage Trixie curiously.
“Well, why couldn’t I do that? I’ll spend today practicing my harp, and then at least one part of the festival will go right.”
“Thank you,” stage Trixie exhaled in a sigh of relief, wrapping stage Lyra in a hug.
“Happy to help,” said stage Lyra with a smile.
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Carrot Top bit her lip as she watch Lyra and Bon Bon cling to each other like drowning ponies clinging to a spar of driftwood. This play had been rough on all of them so far, but those two were taking it worse than most of the others.
On the stage, Representative Trixie had just made her way to the weather office. Rainbow Dash was shown sprawled on her desk, with shades over her eyes and loud snores echoing through the theater’s sound amplification spells.
“Ahem,” said stage Trixie. Stage Rainbow Dash continued to snore.
“Ahem!” said stage Trixie, this time a bit louder. Stage Rainbow Dash’s snores continued unabated.
“AHEM!!” bellowed stage Trixie, in a passable echo of the Royal Canterlot Voice. Stage Rainbow Dash leapt up into the air, wings and limbs splayed in every conceivable direction, sunglasses flying off her face to reveal bulging eyes, and said something that sounded vaguely like “Awhatawhata?!?!”
“Ahem,” repeated stage Trixie in a normal tone of voice. “I am Trixie Lulamoon, official representative of the Night Court Of Luna to Ponyville. I am here to discuss the weather scheduling for tonight’s festivities with you.”
“Relax, dudess,” chided stage Rainbow Dash as she got her various appendages under control. “The weather’ll be fine. No need to go waking up decent ponies from their naps.”
“I beg to differ,” said stage Trixie . “I have seen the numbers for Ponyville’s weather service. It’s impossible to control the Everfree weather, and that weather drifts out past the border and hits the town with an unscheduled storm every few weeks. I can see one brewing up out there right now! I would think that you would take this more seriously, if for no other reason than retaining your job. I cannot for the life of me imagine how you’ve retained it thus far, but if one cloud is out of place tonight, I swear on Luna’s horn I will ensure that you go down along with me.”
Stage Rainbow Dash snorted. “I’m gonna let you in on a little secret, sugarcube,” she said, leaning in confidentially. “I’ve got connections. Fluttering Posey and I go way back. As long as I keep her happy, there’s no way that Thunderous Posey is going to kick his little butterfly’s B.F.F.O.A. out into the cold.”
What?!? thought Carrot Top. How in Luna’s name did Double Dash find out about that? Who could have told him? Nopony knows about that except me, Thunderous, Dash, and maybe Fluttershy and Duchess Fragrant. And none of them would have told, I’m sure of that. So how?
On stage, Rainbow Dash was still speaking. “Lemme give you some free advice: Loosen up a tad. Your plothole’s tighter than the locks on old Thunderous’s safe. And there ain’t nopony what likes a tightplot.” She snorted. “You’d think that mint-shake of yours would have loosened you up a bit. Or are you saving yourselves for marriage?”
Across the table from Carrot Top, the real Lyra made a noise that sounded as though somebody had jammed a whole carrot down her throat, and Bon Bon’s chair began to audibly crack under her grip.
Stage Trixie sputtered. “That is none of your business! And you may think you are safe from having to do your job because of your “special relationship” with Fluttering Posey, but in case you missed it, the Princess is coming here tonight. And if she gets rained on or struck by lightning because you were too lazy to pay attention to the weather, I guarantee you that neither Thunderous nor Fluttering is going to stick out their neck for you.”
And with that, she stormed off.
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Stage Trixie’s next stop was the Ponyville post office, where stage Ditzy was sitting behind the desk. Stage Dinky was nowhere to be seen, and Ditzy felt a slight prick of disappointment. She’d rather hoped that Double Dash would have included her muffin playing mailmare for the day. Still, given how many other things he’d muffed or altered for his play, it wasn’t too surprising that that little bit of adorableness got dropped.
“Anything you wish me to do, Ma’am?” stage Ditzy whispered, the theater’s sound projection spells making the whisper easily audible to the entire theatre.
“Just need a letter delivered,” said Stage Trixie, holding out an envelope in her aura. “Same-day delivery to Cloudsdale.”
“Oh, right, my other job,” said stage Ditzy with a chuckle. Then she glanced at the envelope.
“A weather-for-hire company?”
“Yes,” confirmed stage Trixie. “That storm over the Everfree is getting worse, and the weather captain apparently feels that because she is Fluttering Posey’s “B.F.F.O.A.”, whatever that means, she does not have to actually do her job. I am not about to let Princess Luna get rained on if I can help it.”
“Best Friends Forever Of Anyone,” said stage Ditzy. After a moment’s pause she shrugged her wings “My sister uses the term. Anyway, I can’t argue with your logic, but this is going to be expensive. Are you sure you have the bits for it?”
Stage Trixie shrugged. “I might have to do a bit of grazing to make it to the next stipend, but I will make it work. Somehow.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After a brief scene transition, stage Trixie arrived at stage Carrot Top’s farm.
Oh, perfect. What in Luna’s mane is going to happen now? Carrot demon attack? Actually, that might be a relief compared to what Double Dash is likely to throw in here.
“Representative Lulamoon,” said stage Carrot Top evenly. “What brings you here?”
“I have a…proposition… of sorts for you,” replied Stage Trixie. “Did you mean what you said yesterday about wanting a shot at some of the Longest Night sales?”
“Most definitely, but you know the mayor will never approve any application to sell at the festival by somepony other than an Apple. They provide too much of the food and jobs here for the mayor to risk going against their wishes.”
“ Ah, but I think I might have a workaround.” Stage Trixie chuckled slightly, tapping the side of her nose with one hoof. “I think you will find,” she said, “that the paperwork is strictly for food that is intended to be sold on the grounds of the festival. But if you were to, say, use my front lawn, which just so happens to border the town center, where the festival will be happening…”
“The Apples still aren’t going to like it. Loophole or no loophole, it’s somepony poaching on their private preserve,” stage Carrot Top warned.
“And why in Luna’s name should the Longest Night be the Trust’s private preserve?” retorted stage Trixie. “You have every bit as much right as any other pony to try and sell your goods. Even if it were not necessary to ensure that there is proper food available on the Longest Night, it is my duty as the Princess’s representative to ensure fair competition here in Ponyville. If the Apple Trust is so fragile that they need a monopoly on the big festivals to survive, then maybe they ought to go down and leave room for some more sturdy businesses to take their place.”
“Fine,” said stage Carrot Top, “but I sure hope you know what you’re doing.”
“So do I,” admitted Stage Trixie.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The real Cherilee almost wasn’t surprised by the noises coming from the closed door behind which her stage counterpart lurked. Cherry Blossom had evidently graduated to professional acting since Cheerilee had last known her (the mystery of why had been solved when she’d reread the program in more detail and noticed that Blossom was now married. No wonder she had wanted to work at something a little less racy), but there was still a certain level of typecasting when you had a mark talent of sex appeal.
At any rate, there had been quite an extraordinary volume of moans, squeaks, and shouts coming from behind that door before Stage Trixie arrived on the scene and knocked vigorously. These were quickly stifled, and a moment later the door opened and stage Cheerilee’s house was illuminated.
At least two ponies (judging from the number and color of the visible limbs) were protruding from under the blankets of the bed. Stage Cheerilee, meanwhile, was wearing socks on two of her hooves, and had a third sock of a different color still gripped in her mouth. Her mane was mussed and her tail was fluffed.
Oh dear Luna, is that supposed to be Raindrops’s wing poking out there? And who’s the other pony supposed to be? Don’t recognize that color, though I suppose it might help if I had more than a couple of legs to work with.
“Miss Representative,” said stage Cheerilee, “what brings you here?”
“I have come to discuss the decorations for the Longest Night festival.”
“Miss Lulamoon,” stage Cheerilee said, “the students worked hard on their art projects – ”
“You have said that before – ”
“But the mayor, but she gave me final say on all decorations – ”
“Madam Cherry,” stage Trixie said, smiling, “as festival overseer, I have final say over the decorations. And I say that there is going to be a spot set aside for Luna to admire the art projects of the foals, but we are going to have an actual professional make the main decorations.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The curtain rose once more, now showing what was clearly intended to be the Longest Night festival. The Ponyville town square was bedecked with blue and silver ribbons and the stage was packed with ponies. In the center of the stage stood stage Luna, her horn glowing blue as a stylized moon crept up the backdrop behind her. After a few moments stage Luna released her magic, and the moon hung in the sky, sparkling silver. On cue, the ponies began to mill about and chat, the very picture of a festival going well.
In the now-open space at the front and center of the stage, stage Luna and stage Trixie drifted together.
“Well , my student,” said Stage Luna. “I’ve heard all about your exploits tonight. The Apples have complained about your overturning Ponyville tradition, the weather manager has objected to your contracting a weather-for-hire team, and Madam Cherry has been haranguing me over your rejection of her submission for the decorations. All of them have asked me to punish you.”
“Um…” said stage Trixie, seemingly at a loss for words.
“But I have no intention of doing so,” continued Stage Luna. “A pony who is buffeted around by the whims of her subjects will never be a suitable noble of my Court. And I am glad you ensured that there was appropriate food and clear weather tonight. Continue as you have begun, and your stay in Ponyville will be brief.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” said stage Trixie.
Well, that’s interesting, thought the real Trixie. I guess the idea is to make me look better. I almost wish Double Dash’s Luna had ripped my hide off like the real Luna did, though. It’s a lot harder to stay angry at somepony who’s trying to make you look good, even if he is failing epically at it.
There was a tremendous boom and a flash of light. When Trixie’s eyes recovered, all the theater’s lights had gone off, even the spotlights that usually illumined the stage. The only illumination was the flickering firelight emanated by stage Corona.
Trixie grinned, not for the first time that night, at the quality of the visuals. At least there was one thing about this play she could honestly appreciate. As an illusionist herself, she had a very good idea of just how much magic, skill, and creativity must have gone into the play’s special effects. She made a mental note to convey her compliments to the illusionists once the play was over.
When Stage Corona spoke, her voice proved to have an odd echo to it, as though multiple different ponies were reciting the same lines and their synchronization was just slightly imperfect.
"Rejoice little ponies, I have returned
The long night hath ended, I am set free
And though my false sister my rule hast spurned
Yet am I Queen. Rejoice, everypony!
Beneath my wings you’ll find safety and peace
For naught escapeth the gaze of the Sun
And all the monsters, whose hungers won’t cease
Will have nowhere to hide, nowhere to run.
Bow to your Queen and your lives will be spared
For I will be mistress of that which is mine
These are my ponies, my stallions and mares
My land, my cities, my crops and my kine
But if you should choose to stir up Discord
Know ye that death is still treason’s reward."
Stage Luna flared her wings, the halo of magic around her horn seeming almost black in the flickering orange light. “Corona. I don’t know how you escaped, and in truth, I don’t really care. But must we do this again? Can you not remember what once was, what can be again if you give up this madness? The day could be yours again, as it was when you were content to stand equal with me. It will take a generation or two for the fears to fade, but what’s that to us?” Stage Luna’s stance softened by a hair’s breath, her voice becoming quieter and more intimate. “Sister, I miss you. I miss you more than I’d have ever believed possible before… before. Please, come back home.”
Trixie turned her head ever so slightly to cast her glance sideways, and her stomach twisted. For all the expression the real Princess Luna now displayed, she might have been hewn from lapis lazuli. Except for her eyes. Those glistened with tears the Princess could not allow herself to shed.
After all, she’s the Princess! And the Princess can’t have feelings, can’t have doubts or feel pity. It doesn’t matter that Celestia was her sister, that they ruled together for Luna alone knows how long--well, Luna and Celestia and a few other immortals, if you want to get technical about it--, or that Luna still blames herself for not heading off Celestia’s fall into Corona in the first place. No, Corona is a monster, and the heroine doesn’t feel sorry for monsters. She just smites them and trots on, secure in the knowledge that she has Vanquished The Evil.
Wow. I didn’t know my inner monologue was this sarcastic.
Stage Corona snorted and pawed the ground.
“Sister, I tire of thy follies and jests
I am the elder and I am the Sun
Equestria ‘tis mine, to rule and to run
Though from my grasp thou may seekest it to wrest
The night ‘tis thine, that I’ve never denied
But night must still yield to the light of day
Kneel, and night shall be thine with which to play
But thou must let thy rebellion subside.
For I will be mistress of that which is mine
And all is mine that lies under the Sun
These are my ponies, my stallions and mares
My land, my cities, my crops and my kine
I am Queen, and there can only be one
The Solar Throne cannot by two be shared.
“So be it, then,” said Stage Luna sadly.
Golden and cobalt auras flashed as the two faux-alicorns leapt into battle. Trixie glanced off to the side again. Flashing flames reflected off unblinking eyes as the Princess watched her doppelganger and that of her sister chase each other back and forth across the stage.
Trixie turned her gaze back to the stage just in time to see stage Ditzy leap out of the crowd and dash at stage Corona. There was a metallic flash, and stage Corona howled as her golden telekinesis sent stage Ditzy flying. In stage Ditzy’s wake, a line of red could be seen on stage Corona’s flank, neatly bisecting her cutie mark.
Stage Corona shouted, “Traitor, thou hast brought thy Queen pain. Thou shan’t get to do that again!”
Stage Corona hurled a blast of golden light at stage Ditzy, but a cobalt flash knocked it aside to splash against a building.
“Run, my Shadow!” yelled stage Luna. “This fight’s beyond you!” Stage Ditzy nodded her head and disappeared offstage.
There were more flashes of light as the two alicorns continued their duel. Trixie allowed her mind to wander a little.
I wonder why they’re dragging it out so long? Probably trying to flatter Luna a bit, make it look like Corona really had to work to take her down. Or more likely, they’re trying to pretend that Corona isn’t as powerful as she really is. I can certainly understand that. Seeing Corona just overcome Luna so effortlessly was just about the worst moment of my life. Buck, I’m not even sure learning about the Night Court was worse.
And it’s important to keep up morale in any war, and especially in this one. Ponies are afraid, and that fear is one of Corona’s best weapons. We only managed to beat her because we believed we could. If we’d been too afraid to go for the Elements, we’d never have defeated Corona.
Trixie’s musings were interrupted by stage Corona grabbing a foal from the crowd of ponies still crouching in the background of the stage. From behind Trixie, there was a squeak, and Trixie turned to see Dinky staring wide-eyed at the stage. Trixie glanced back, and sure enough, that was stage Dinky in stage Corona’s telekinetic grasp, with a blade of sunfire held to her throat.
Out of the corner of her vision, Trixie could see Ditzy enfolding her filly in a hug, and – Trixie suspected not coincidentally – blocking her view of the stage. Meanwhile, Stage Corona said, “If thou persist in this pointless fight, know that this filly will feel the fire’s bite.”
Stage Luna froze, and in that moment stage Corona’s horn flashed white. The light grew brighter, and brighter, and brighter still. Everypony in the theater had to squint their eyes shut, and then the light peaked, and was gone. Trixie cracked open one eye, and when her optic nerves remained unseared, she opened both eyes. And, of course, stage Luna was gone. Stage Dinky was still held in Corona’s TK, Stage Ditzy was still hiding somewhere, and the rest of the stage Elements could be seen in the crowd.
Stage Corona flared her wings, and her… corona… flared with them, spreading into a dome of flames like a bisected sun.
“My little ponies, listen and pay heed,
Pay heed to your Queen, Pay heed to the Sun
And if thoughts of treason in your hearts breed
Know that of chances I’ll give you but one
My traitor sister is bound in her Moon
The Elements lie inert in yon Everfree
Without her power or Element’s boon
There is naught that can stand against me
But thou art fools, who bowed to a traitor
And some chance to resist think you have
You’d learn your lesson, sooner or later
But I wish not to dig that many graves
At this point, Corona’s field lashed out and she scooped up several more foals to join stage Dinky in her grasp.
So if ye desire your foals to live,
Utter obedience to me shall ye give.
And she turned and departed the stage, hostages in tow.
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After stage Corona left the scene, the theater was pitch-black for a few moments, during which Ditzy felt her little muffin burrow into her side. Then the regular stage lights came back up, illuminating what was clearly intended to be the interior of The Official Residency Of The Representative Of The Night Court Of Luna To Ponyville. Stage Trixie and Lyra were sitting in the center of the room, huddled together like fillies cowering from a thunderstorm. Ditzy carefully raised her wing, but when Dinky showed no signs of detaching from her mother Ditzy let her wing fall again, holding her filly close and assuring her in the oldest of languages that her mother was there to keep her safe.
There was a quick knock on the door. Stage Trixie glanced through a peephole, and then pulled it open. Stage Ditzy, Raindrops, and Cheerilee tumbled in.
“Agent Doo, what are those two doing here?” asked Trixie, surprised.
“I thought they might be useful, ma’am. Raindrops here is strong, and his brother was among those taken by Corona. And if my suspicions about Miss Cherry’s occupation prior to being a teacher are correct, she has skills which might come in handy.”
“Suspicions which were never proven,” insisted stage Cheerilee.
“Alright,” said stage Trixie. “Everypony, we still have one hope to save our nation from Corona. The Elements of Harmony could still stop her, she admitted as much herself. And she was telling the truth about them being in the Everfree. There’s an old castle in there, and the Elements are hidden there. P…Princess Luna showed me once.”
“So we go in, steal the Elements, and use them to sucker-punch Corona?” asked stage Cheerilee.
“That’s the general idea. I won’t lie, this is a long shot. But we’ve all seen what Corona can and will do. If there’s any chance, even the slightest, of stopping her, I have to take it. Are you with me?”
“I’ll follow you wherever you go, my love, you know that,” said Stage Lyra.
“I still have a duty to my Princess,” said stage Ditzy. After a moment’s thought, she added, “And to my sister. She will never be safe as long as Corona has her.”
“I cannot imagine a more terrifying fate than trying to survive under her rule,” said stage Cheerilee.
“Raindrops in,” said stage Raindrops.
“Then we’d better hurry,” said Stage Trixie.
They trotted out the door and offstage, only to return to a different scene momentarily. This scene showed Golden Harvest Farms, with Carrot Top on her porch staring at Ponyville.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“We’re going to retrieve the Elements of Harmony and stop Corona,” said stage Lyra cheerfully. Stage Ditzy facewinged.
“Wait, let me come with you,” said stage Carrot Top. “I know the Everfree, I go there sometimes to gather herbs.”
“You’re right, we could use someone who knows the Everfree,” said stage Trixie. “Welcome to the team.”
As if on cue, the six ponies burst into song.
Do you hear the ponies sing
From the mountains to the glen
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!
Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Do you dream of a night
Beyond the Solar Tyranny?
Then join in the fight
For the right to live and be free!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!
The faux-Elements disappeared offstage, and the curtain fell for the second intermission.