//------------------------------// // Princess Celestia // Story: Order of Eclipse // by Comrade Bagel Muffin //------------------------------// The heat of the fire washed over the small hill. “And that Agent Sweetie Drops is how you dispatch a child.” The phantom turned his pale blue eyes boring into her soul. “You should go. That potion you chugged won’t last forever.” The phantom sank into the ground his eyes still tearing into her soul. “You’re welcome,” the wind whispered his final words into her ear. “I didn’t want this.” Bon Bon struggled as training fought against instinct, protocol against basic urges. She shook, tears ran down her face, but she kept complete control. The first ponies were already coming up from the hamlet, bringing pales of water shovels, anything they could think of to put the fire out. She moved in what seemed like slow motion through the crowds she saw Lyra, with a bucket of water. She wanted to help to charge the fire save and comfort the filly that was dead or dying. Instead, she walked home, another mission completed. “Clear Skies, Open Skies, I need you two to get as many rain clouds gathered together as you can.” Soarin flew in bringing with him a level of order and control to the chaos “Fluffy Clouds, Thunderlane, Sunshowers, you three are with me we’re forming water spout, the rest of you get these pink clouds out of her I don’t care how!” “I’m all over it.” Pinkie Pie appeared out of nowhere. She bounced on her tail like it was some kind of spring and in one bite ate a cotton candy cloud whole. She hit the ground with her tail and bounced back up devouring another of the tasty clouds in a single gulp. “Earth ponies work on keeping the fire contained and use what you can to weaken it; unicorns form a bucket line.” Soarin finishes his orders and flies to the lake to meet up with the pegasi team. “What’s going on?” Cheerilee stared in shock at the cotton candy clouds, which floated around the burning building. “How, what’s going on?” “Cheerilee!” Star Gazer screamed over the noise of the chaos. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing.” Cheerilee shook her head back and forth, clearing her mind. “It’s nothing.” She said running past him. She’s alive please Celestia and Luna let her be alive. She raced through the crowds of that had started to form some semblance of order. Snails somehow managed an entire bucket line by himself. The rest of the town ponies formed lines of their own, or were heaping dirt onto smaller fires to snuff them out. She didn’t pause to grab a bucket. She didn’t hesitate at the doorway. Instead she charged full speed ahead only a sudden shield of blue magic protecting her from the embrace of the flames. “Screw Ball!” She yelled over the roaring of the hot beast that was devouring Screw Ball’s home. “Screwy!” Star Gazer burst through the blazing curtain of fire. “Cheerilee wait.” He grabbed her in his magic; just as she began to make her way up the stairs. “I know that we’re in a hurry but my shields aren’t strong enough for you to get to far ahead. “I don’t care we’re running out of time.” She looked back at him. “She needs us to hurry. I need to hurry. She needs me to hurry!” “Cheerilee, calm down. We can’t help her if we end up needing to be rescued. So please stay close and don’t get to far ahead of me.” Star Gazer quickly got to her side. “Screw Ball?!” They called as they went up the stairs. “Screw Ball?!” Cheerilee’s ears perked up at a faint sound, something between a whine and hum. “Screw Ball!” Cheerilee grabbed Star Gazer, and started down the hallway toward the sound. “Screw Ball!” Cheerilee waited for the sound to be repeated. Her heart beating against her chest, and the sound of the fire consuming the house, counted the seconds in spans of years. “Screw Ball, please I need you to make a sound again!” Somehow her heart was freezing inside her chest. “Screw Ball, attendance, are you here!” Star Gazer yelled over part of the ceiling collapsing. “Screw Ball, Dinky, have you seen Screw Ball is she in class!” Star Gazer’s ears were perked up hearing every sound in horrible clearness. Celestia, Luna, Cadence, or any star that will listen: please not again, not her, not now, not like this. Please. “Pre-Sent.” Screw Ball’s voice barely managed to squeak above the sound of the unrelenting inferno. “I’m. Pre-Sent,” she whined again. Cheerilee and Star Gazer raced down the burning hall toward her voice. “Screw Ball, going once!” Cheerilee called down the burning hall. “Pre-Sent,” she answered. I’m present Ms. Cheerilee please don’t count me absent. Why do I hurt? What’s going on? Screw Ball heard her name called again. Attendance. “Pre-Sent.” Cheerilee appeared in her vision. She didn’t look right though; she seemed all distorted, like she was looking at Cheerilee from under water and really far away. “I’m not tar-dy am I?” Cheerilee picked her up and pulled her into a hug. She was shaking and crying. “I’m sor-ry I di-di-did-n’t mean to be, be late.” “Hold on tight to her.” Star Gazer said to Cheerilee as his horn burst in an over glow. “Come on, come on.” There was a sudden blue flash, and the three of them were gone. *** All three of them appeared in a flash of blue light in the middle of the Ponyville hospital waiting room. The sudden appearance of three ponies in the waiting room of the Ponyville hospital was not a common occurrence. In fact, it was unheard as in it had never happened before, so the five seconds that the staff just stood around and gapped at the three ponies in critical condition could be reasonably forgiven. “Finally got that trick, down, Doctor-“ was all that Star Gazer could get out before falling to the floor. The waiting room fell into a well-rehearsed chaos. Nurses ran to fetch doctors as the orderlies hurried to get all three of them processed as quickly as possible. “What’s going on?” Screw Ball tried vainly to struggle away from the orderlies. “Screw Ball calm down.” Cheerilee was seated into a wheelchair by two of the orderlies as another three tried to get Screw Ball on a bed, which two frantic nurses had just rolled into the waiting room. “Screw Ball relax their going to help you.” She continued trying to convince the frightened and hurt filly to calm down. “No I don’t want to be here make them stop.” Screw Ball flailed her forehoof around, and smacked one of the orderlies. The contact of her burned fractured leg striking something solid caused an instantaneous scream. Accompanied by a stream of tears, and an end to all but her vocal discontent to being strapped down to a bed. Nurse Tenderheart was already rolling Star Gazer down the hall. “Screw Ball calm down their going to help you.” Cheerilee said as Sweetheart grabbed the back of her wheel chair. “It hurts.” Was all the objection that Screw Ball could muster. “It hurts.” “Screw Ball.” Cheerilee turned as far as she could to look behind her as the nurse rolled her down the hall to her room. The double hinged doors swung closed behind her, completely ending her view of the little light magenta filly. “Will she be okay?” Cheerilee asked as she was rolled into a small room and put on the sole piece of furniture, an only slightly uncomfortable bed. “I assure you Ms. Cheerilee, Dr. Horse is the best harmonics doctor that I’ve worked with in my twenty years in the medical field.” Nurse Sweetheart smiled; it didn’t reach her eyes “I’m sorry but all of the doctors on staff are dealing with the young filly you came in with you, so I’ll be helping you tonight is that okay?” nurse Sweetheart asked. Cheerilee nodded. The checkup was quick; the diagnosis was easily concluded, Exhaustion and minor smoke inhalation. “I suggest you get some sleep Ms.Cheerilee. That’s all I can do for you, I’ll try and get one of the doctors to help.” “Nurse Sweetheart to the operating room.” The call came through the speakers, nurse Sweethearts smile disappeared. “I’m sorry Ms Cheerilee. I’ll have some help cheek up on you as soon as I can.” She closed the door behind her. The minutes crawled by like years. Thirty minutes passed by with the speed of an eternity. She laid back on the hospital bed unable to sleep. “Excuse me, Ms. Cheerilee.” She sat up as Nurse Redheart opened the door to the room. “I’m sorry for bothering you but one of our patients is requesting to see you.” Redheart continued, her voice drenched with exasperation. “She is being rather difficult,” she finished more to herself. “I don’t mind at all.” Cheerilee started to get up before Nurse Redheart stopped her and pulled up a wheelchair. “I can walk.” “We already have one difficult patient Ms. Cheerilee, I’d rather like it if something went by the book tonight.” Cheerilee sighed, but didn’t argue with the nurse who pushed her down the halls of the hospital. She didn’t like the turns that Nurse Redheart was making. Cheerilee didn’t have the layout of the building memorized, but she had been inside the hospital often enough to know where the minor problems were treated, and where the more sever patients were at. “How are Screw Ball and Star Gazer doing?” “I’m doing fine thank you for asking.” Star Gazer answered her from behind. “Of course, I won’t be doing any magic for the foreseeable future, but that’s really such a small price to pay. How are you doing?” “Exhausted. Worried.” Cheerilee answered as they arrived at a pair of doors. The scene inside the room did little to alleviate the latter. Screw Ball’s normally vibrant coat had faded to a near complete monotone gray. Her eyes which were always spinning and full of life, now stood perfectly still. Causing her spiral eyes to look like vortexes which fell deeper and deeper into complete nothingness. “Screw Ball.” “Ms. Cheerilee, Mr. Star Gazer make them stop,” She whined her voice horse and empty, “They're picking on me that one keeps poking me, and he hit my knee. And I don’t feel good. And I want to go, can I please go home?” “Absolutely not.” An old white unicorn pushed open the doors, his cutie mark was the staff of Zercury-the great zebra of healing in zebrain mythology. “Dear Celestia.” He froze looking Screw Ball up and down. “What have you been doing here?!!” “Dr. Anisalgia, Thank goodness you’re here. We’ve been doing the best we can,” Doctor Horse began. “Nurse get the other patients out of here please.” “No.” Doctor Horse’s horn glowed as Screw Ball tried to jerk out of her bed. “What do you think you’re doing Horse?” Dr. Anisalgia demanded, his horn glowed white along with Screw Ball, and an instant later Horse’s sedation spell popped like a balloon. “Have you even bothered to read her dossier?” He pulled out a bundle of papers and floated them over to the brown unicorn doctor. “We weren’t able to find it.” Horse began reading through the papers as Dr. Anisalgia trotted up to Screw Ball. “Wait a second if this is true then.” Dr. Horse stepped back in a panic. “This, these reports can’t be right that would mean. She would have to be.” “Dr. Horse. You swore an oath.” Dr. Anisalgia grabbed Horse in his magic and pulled him up to himself. “Everypony here has taken that oath now, are you going to keep it.” He looked around at the nurses and doctors who were reading the dossier. They looked worried, frightened, but none of them looked willing to give up on the filly on the table. “Now then, hello Screw Ball, we’re going to help you but we need your friends there to leave for a little bit.” “No.” “I understand that you don’t particularly care to be alone, but you’ll be asleep for the whole thing okay, and when we’re done they come back okay?” Screw Ball nodded. “There we go, that’s a brave little filly.” Anisalgia smiled “Nurses would you be so kind.” Nurse Redheart and Nursery Rhythm, pushed them out. “When we’re finished, they’ll bring them back okay?” Anisalgia asked. “Okay.” “Doctor how are we supposed to put her under if harmony magic only makes this worse?” “I have more than enough experience with zebra magic to do the job, right now, I need as many zebra healing brews as you can get. After that we’ll need to do the surgery by hoof no quick magical solutions.” He turned his attention back to the pony on the bed, and began to cast his spell. Sleep now Sleep now I command you You hear only my voice Fall into slumber I forfeit your choice. Screw Ball tilted her head, as her eyelids became like lead curtains. Sleep now sleep now I command you You will obey my lullaby And fall into slumber And sleep tonight. If thirty minutes had been an eternity, then there really was no word for the three hours that she waited. Cheerilee paced up and down the side of the small bed. Constantly eyeing the clock on the wall. Cheerilee jumped when the door opened suddenly. Nurse Redheart walked in. “You can go and see her. She's been transferred to room 186,” Redheart said. She looked at the empty bed. “Are you going to use that? Never mind I don’t care I’m taking a nap, wake me when you get back.” She climbed into the unused hospital bed and was out the second her head touched the pillow. Cheerilee headed down the hall as fast as she could. Screw Ball’s mouth curved up into a small smile when the doors to her room were opened by the magenta school mare. “Hello,” she said. She was wrapped in bandages and three of her legs were in cast. "Screw Ball." Ms. Cheerilee smile as her eyes started to tear up. "I'm glad to see you smile again." "Me too," Star Gazer said from a chair at the foot of her bed. Cheerilee jumped, not having seen him when she came in. He and Screw Ball chuckled soon causing the latter to wince in pain, and reach for her throat with the only hoof that was not currently mummified. "Are you alright?" both of them asked in unison. "Fine," she answered with throaty cough. "It just hurts when I laugh or cough or talk." she started coughing again. Cheerilee walked up, and handed her the cup of water that was on the table next to her bed. She took a few sips before placing it back on the table. "How are you?" "Fine," Cheerilee answered. "I'm sorry, but we haven't been able to get in contact with your parents." Her tone instantly filled with aggravation. "Well I hope you haven't wasted to much time on trying to contact her 'parents'." A gray stallion said from the door. "Hello Screw Ball my name is Fate, TwistOf Fate, or Mr. Fate," he continued, as he looked around the room his eyes taking in every little detail. Eyes coming to a rest on the two educators and the hospitalized filly. "Normally I would ask you where the spare key to your house was so as to pack your things, but unfortunately nothing survived the fire." "Ahem. TwistOf, was it?" Cheerilee asked with unsettling calmness. "Exactly why would you need to pack HER thing?" "Ms. Cheerilee, I am with Foal Services, and Screw Ball was participating in The Foal Self Sustaining Project." Fate's eyes leveled with Cheerilee's own. "With the loss of her house, and no one to stay with she will be the returning with me to the Van Hoover Orphanage as soon as she can get on the train." Screw Ball was glaring at the changeling. She wanted to protest, but somehow his magic was keeping every word lodged securely in her throat. "Your supervision of her has been greatly appreciated, but is no longer required. The two of you may return to your own rooms I will personally take over as Screw Ball's supervisor." "Orphanage?" Cheerilee stepped between him and the filly. "Screw Ball's parents are in Hoofington, on a business trip." Fate let out a long suffering sigh. "Have you ever actually seen her parents Ms. Cheerilee? Have you ever once received a note from them, signed by them." Cheerilee began to visibly deflate. "The fact that she kept the little fact a secret is nothing surprising." "I want to adopt her." Fate's eye twitched a little. Screw Ball's went wide. "If she's an orphan then that shouldn't be a problem now should it. I ran into a burning building to save her, that should speak enough on my feelings for her." "Ms. Cheerilee I applaud you for your bravery-" "I didn't do it because I was brave. I did it because I care for her, because I couldn't bear the thought of her hurting for even a second longer than she already had, and that still being to long." She started to shake. "I did it because she's special, and had I been aware of this fact I would have already adopted her." "But the financial requirements needed to raise a filly can't be met by just a single teacher's salary." "It can however be met by two." "You're not married." "We don't need to be Mr. Fate. Besides which I believe it would be in her best interest to remain in Ponyville with those that care about her," Star Gazer continued the argument, as Cheerilee recomposed herself. "Ms. Cheerilee has already voiced quite sufficiently my own thoughts about Screw Ball." Star Gazer ended his argument when he heard sobbing from behind him. All three pairs of eyes focused on the filly who was crying her guts out. "Screw Ball are you okay?" Cheerilee asked fearing the worse. "I don't want to go." She answered between sobs, as she half shook half rocked back and forth on the bed. "I don-don't whant to g-g-gooooo." Cheerilee already had her forehooves around the filly, and Star Gazer was doing his doing his best to comfort her. Again the room filled with the sound of Fate pushing out a long suffering sigh. "I'll see what I can do. She won't be in any condition to leave anytime soon anyways." He turned around, and went out the door, with the broadest smile of all time on his face. He walked quickly down the hall, and vanished in a flash of green. The wind blew in from the Everfree Forest. Bringing with it the unmistakable smell of potent powers, far beyond the changeling's ability to grasp at, no matter how hard and often he had tried. He waited alone on the hospital's roof for the others to arrive. He enjoyed the commanding view of the hamlet. and the hundreds of ponies that were still cleaning up from the fire. Pony society was odd, but possessed things in it to which were deserving of praise. Tonight had showed off in full colors all of those things. "Hello Changer." Ditzy and her husband Time Turner appeared out of thin air. Button Mash was with them as well. "Button Mash first protection mission against bad Smiling ponies. Nervous?" Button chuckled dryly at the changelings question, and nodded. "Is it that obvious?" "Button will be fine." Changer looked out to the Everfree. "Friends almost here." All four watched from the roof as three distinctly not pony shaped creatures flew out from the Everfree Forest. Two of the silhouette were lion like with large leathery bat wings that propelled them closer and closer to the hospital. The other silhouette was unrecognizable, and didn't look like it belonged on the same world with the ponies on the roof. With in twenty seconds of appearing over the tree line the two mandicors and phantom landed on the roof. "Well looks like everyone is here. Changer how did your mission go?" "Changer think spinny eyed pony figured it out near the end. Gave Changer lots of gratitude. It was nice. Teaching ponies were happy too." "That's great." The phantom's eyes glowed red. "I'd love to catch up, but we have work to do." Pony shaped shadows began to move around the hospital from every direction. "You all know your jobs correct." All present nodded affirmative. "Good remember be quick, be quiet, and above all have fun." *** The two celestial beings made their way down the steps of the cavern. The sounds of their hoofsteps echoed off of the stone walls joining the countless drops of water which fell from the stalactites. Lights glowed from the tips of their horns which illuminated the dark cave. They descended another flight of steps and arrived in a sort of greeting room. At the center of the room was a great fire which burned in a pit, despite the flames size it gave off no smoke. Ten chairs formed a semicircle around the great fire. Casting their shadows on the entry. One lone chair rested on the other side and there on sat the reason for this visit. “Hello Celey, Lulu,” the cloaked phantom asked as he rested on his chair. “What special occasion may I ask has brought the two of you down into my domain? It isn’t the End of Days already is it? That was a joke why so serious?” “Thou hast over stepped thine bounds phantom!” Luna’s voice boomed in the old Canterlot fashion, causing lose gravel stones to vibrate on the cave floor. “Thou hast encroached into mine domain, and made assault on one of mine charges.” Her eyes glowed white in her fury. Her sister stood by her side remaining quiet keeping her horn pointed at the phantom. “Thinkst thou that I wouldst not notice?” “Well now that every living creature in a hundred miles knows how you feel on the subject of last night’s affairs, Celestia, do you have anything to add to that?” The phantom waved his arm around in front of him goading on the keeper of the sun. “Surely you have a comment or two to make to this.” “I do.” Celestia’s normally gentle and motherly voice roared. The fire grew ten times over till it licked the roof of the cave. The walls quaked before the great alicorn’s anger. “How dare you attack a filly! How dare you bring yourself against one as young as her!” Her eyes glowed, her voice boomed, and the ceiling shock, as the earth quaked in fear. “You have right to exercise your powers over one so young!” “I have every right to exercise my power over those put under my authority. Her included.” The phantom’s eyes glowed red. “And how dare you come to me with charges against my actions. Were, not your agents trying to kill her also?” “How dare thee raise thine voice against us. After all that thou hast done that night.” Luna took a step toward the phantom horn pointed at the cloaked specter. “Darest thou chargest us with thine own transgressions!” Lightning struck out from her striking the walls behind the phantom and his seat scorching the wall and floor. “Ah! Why is you guest always so loud?” Changer trudges up a flight of stairs. “Changer can’t get any sleep when you have loud guest.” The two alicorns’ eyes fade back to normal, as the phantom groans and rolls his head. “Changer not sleep since night that was before the last one. And then all of the yelling giving Changer headaches. You two big colorful ponies so loud hurting Changer. Stop, Changer just wants to sleep.” “All of your guest stink the place up, but you never hear me complaining about them, do you? Now we’re trying to have an epic show down, so either you go back down stairs and stay there, or find somewhere else to sleep for the night.” The changeling closed his eyes, again the phantom groaned. “You can’t teleport while in the cave you, stupid idiot.” Changer screamed his frustration at the phantom, before walking past the two alicorns sparing neither a second glance. The two alicorns returned their glares back to the phantom. “What I needed a roommate; Discord is still a statue, and the Smooze. Just Smooze I don’t think I have to say any more than that. Now, where were we?” The specter’s eyes flashed red. “Ah, yes we were discussing a little Screw Ball, and why you Celey, have no right to lecture me.” The fire in the pit started to swirl, and shadows moved and danced in the flames. They made the contour of ponies. “First the order was given to Bon Bon, however a contingency was made involving dozens of your SMILE agents.” “I would never give that order,” Celestia said her voice returned to normal. The shadows and flames moved around forming sixty-eight other pony shapes; the shadows providing the contours and cross-contours. “Their orders came from the very top of the agency.” The shadows fled back to their places. “Ergo you have no right to lecture me about this filly if her life is forfeit with or without me; I might as well exercise my right to her blood first and foremost. As judge. Jury. And Executioner. And the two of you have no right to interfere.” “That order was given without my knowledge or consent,” Celestia said staring down the phantom. “And now that I am aware of it; it will not stand. She is not forfeited not to me, not to Discord, and certainly not to you.” “And in exchange for my relenting in this matter?” The phantom asked mute blue eyes staring into the sisters’. “I want a favor nothing more nothing less. A favor, which I’ll call in later. Deal or no?” “Very well.” “Good then the little filly is safe.” The two alicorn sisters left. Minutes past and the shadows once again danced in the fires of the pit. They slowly formed an image of Screw Ball. They moved causing a pained expression to come upon her face. “For now.”