//------------------------------// // Chapter II : Pale yellow disc in the sky // Story: Starry Night // by Corporal Fluttershy //------------------------------// Starry Night By Corporal Fluttershy Chapter II :Pale yellow disc in the sky. ~*~*~*~*~*~ Arcing between the endless grey clouds that seemed to hang impossibly low in the sky, occasionally tearing itself free of the air to strike down against the treetops swaying in the driving winds and rain below, the lightning served as nothing more than a backdrop to the greater powers on display. The fury it displayed; shearing apart bark and burning green canopies to ash paled in comparison to the rage directed not at the land, or the sky, but a solitary alabaster blur and the rainbow trailing behind it through the downpour. Both the land and the sky, however, felt the wrath of that attention. Coruscating beams of light tracked across the low sky, honing in on the ghostly-white target. Where the twisting ribbons missed their mark, they simply obliterated whatever it was that stood in place. Great walls of stone, belonging to a structure that had stood for longer than the two warring spirits surrounding it had lived, exploded into debris no greater than powder. Perfectly square blocks, painstakingly carved by magic and hoof and weighing ten times that of the largest ponies, were spirited up as if made from nothing and hurled at that same, elusive target. Delicate tapestries of the Sun and the Moon hanging inside caught ablaze, spreading to consume room upon room and with them countless rarities, antiques and memories each contained. The flickering light of the flames licked about window frames, blackening the bright white of the exterior walls after melting through stained glass murals and tales of legend. Spirited out by the howling winds that whipped about the great, gaping holes blown in the stone, burning debris rained down to set the courtyards on fire. The Castle of the Two Sisters burned. Stone, memories, flowers and all. “Face me!” A voice bellowed, easily climbing above the din of collapsing structure and terrible weather. Midnight blue-on-black it took to the air with enormous, pointed wings and features set harder than any rock or stone it had yet blasted apart. The raw power the creature commanded bathed and swirled about it, hiding the details of its hooves and mane in twisting bands of purple and cobalt. Only the bright, silver slither of a crescent moon shining from its flank stood out to accompany the rage it wore so plainly. At one point, she had been known by a simple name, but names were labels for the finite, the mortal ... Not for Goddesses; not for creatures who could command the sky and everything inside it. “Celestia!” She roared, climbing higher until she flew level with the very highest spire of the Castle she had set about cleaving and tearing asunder. “Celestia! Face me or I shall burn it all! I shall burn everything!” Little One ... Bolting upright from the mattress before her eyes had finished opening, Luna took a deep, shuddering breath as her conscious mind caught up with her body and finally recalled the minor details of where exactly she was. Roughly shoving her damp mane up and away from her features, hindlegs dangling over the edge of the bed, the Princess rubbed at the sweat stinging her eyes with a weary hoof. Aware of a comforting presence behind, Luna leaned back and into the warmth of the embrace, heavy eyelids threatening to close as she felt strong, pointed wings extend around her. You have not dreamed of such things in a very long time. Luna frowned, sinking further down into the mattress and away from the gentle voice at her ear. “Too early ...” She mumbled, sighing contentedly. Withdrawing her snout and wings to fold smartly against her black coat and eliciting a grumble of discontent from the young Princess for her trouble Nightmare Moon – or at least a fragment of such – gently extracted herself from the embrace. Dropping down to the carpeted floor she ambled around the bed, over towards the heavy drapes that separated the bedchamber from the balcony outside. Look outside, the remnant urged. Rubbing at her eyes and muttering incoherently, Luna pushed her hindlegs over the bed’s edge and made hard work of setting one hoof in front of the other. Absent-mindedly parting the curtains with a flash of magic the Princess took barely a single step outside, regarding the day with half an open eye. Her senses all competed to be the first to show Luna what was so very wrong with the scene. Eyes fixed on the pale disc hanging so high she might block it out entirely with a single raised hoof, her snout flared with the chill of the cold air. Chilly enough that it numbed the alicorn’s throat and pricked her coat. Stumbling backwards and hastily commanding the drapes back together with a panicked thought, Luna struggled to find her voice. Not quite the eternal night I had hoped for. “That is not funny!” The Princess scolded, earning an apologetic dip of the head from the larger pony. Wheeling away Nightmare Moon padded across to the bed, leaping up to nestle in the tussled blankets as she looked over towards the drapes. “ ... It is as if winter comes,” Luna muttered, shaking her mane in confusion and angling her head back over her shoulder. “What has happened?” The remnant of what had once been the sum of the Princess’ jealousy and rage pursed her lips as if considering the question. Eventually she shrugged her slender shoulders, It is like no winter we have ever seen. As for what causes it, I do not control the Sun, Little One; as much as I might like to. Luna’s snout wrinkled in an even deeper frown. “Sometimes I do not believe we were ever one and the same ... I would never find that funny.” I agree, Nightmare Moon offered with a small smile. You were never particularly amusing on your own. Rolling her eyes, the Princess turned her attention back to the heavy curtains still drawn over the serious problem outside. Bidding them open once again and doing her best to ignore the icy chill of the cold air as it rushed inside, Luna closed her eyes and focused her attention up into the sky. Horn shimmering with effort she reached out, seeking to touch the Sun as anypony might touch a hoof to a door. Nothing. Eyes blinking open, Luna grit her teeth and used the surge of anger she felt to bolster her powers. She leaned forwards, the shimmer of her magic brightening until it cast rolling shadows about her chambers. The Princess pushed out further, higher, stronger. There! The slightest resistance, the smallest counter to her pressure; Luna could feel the fantastic power that could only belong to something as enormous and mighty as the Sun, or the Moon. The Alicorn was straining with the effort of it all however, and quickly what little response she felt from so far away faded. Luna tried once more, coat prickling with sweat as she forced her magic to even greater distance but she could not feel the sun again. Puffing her cheeks out and falling back on her haunches, Luna frowned. Whilst she had never dealt with anything other than her night and the objects therein – and she had not raised even them in over a thousand years – the Princess found it difficult to believe the day could be so challenging. Maybe she just didn’t have it in her to— Your magic is not what it once was, Nightmare Moon interrupted from her side as if sharing the thought. which Luna supposed she did. The Sun should still respond to you, in some fashion, as the Moon responds to Celestia. There is something more at work; perhaps you should seek out your sister. Nodding at the suggestion, the Princess stood and trotted towards the doorway joining her chambers to the rest of the Tower of the Moon. She got no further than commanding the tall doors to swing open, when a gold-capped hoof stepped out from the corridor to block her path. Taking a moment to adjust to Luna’s unexpected presence before glancing down with a warm smile, Celestia dipped her snout downwards to nuzzle her younger sister. Tensing for a few moments as her mind and body overcame the sudden surprise, Luna returned the gesture; enjoying the contact and the closeness it brought. She missed these simple pleasures the most. “Good Morning,” Celestia whispered aside her sister’s ear, withdrawing her muzzle reluctantly to focus on Luna. “You're up so early ...” Virtually everypony the length and breadth of Equestria held Celestia up as the living embodiment of their land. They looked to her to keep their homes and families safe, and prayed for her intervention and blessings during difficult harvests or troublesome times. None questioned her integrity, her wisdom or her power and as such, she projected serenity and peace. As far as the entire Principality and its myriad subjects were concerned, there was nothing she could not accomplish. Luna was not everypony, however. Millennia spent with her sister meant she could see the tightening around Celestia’s eyes, the stiff posture, and the slightest hint of something stirring beneath the ceramic cool of her royal disposition. The smile the taller alicorn gave was genuine, undoubtedly, but there was something else; something more than an unusual (but welcome) early-morning nuzzle. “Sometimes I like to see your sunrise.” Luna sighed inwardly, knowing that same innate knowledge of her sister’s true feeling was equally Celestia’s own when it came to anything the Goddess of the Night tried to keep buried. She could see her sister’s eyes narrow, as if Celestia were weighing up whether to let the lie slide, or turn it over to expose the truth. Being unwilling to discuss the dream which had forced her to wake so unpleasantly – for equal parts embarrassment at mentioning it and fear of having had it – Luna hoped for the former. Glancing away from her younger sister and up to the open curtains and the weak daylight streaming into the chambers, Celestia chose to grant Luna that small mercy. “Something's wrong with me ...” “The Sun?” Luna mumbled, already knowing the answer before Celestia’s rainbow mane dipped. “It took everything I could find to even feel it in the sky ...” Celestia’s eyes widened, and Luna instinctively knew the problem had become all the more worse. “I'd hoped it was something confined to my magic ...” The taller princess sighed, allowing her frustration to bubble upwards. “If we're both affected—“ “My magic is not what it once was,” Luna offered, as if her own inability might make the situation better. Celestia shook her snout, kindness in her eyes as she gave her younger sister a small smile. “You'd be as powerful today as ten centuries ago if you practiced ...” Celestia’s eyes returning to the daylight visible over the balcony ahead. Following her gaze, Luna turned to face the curtains billowing at the cold wind whipping inside, worry etched across her features. Instinctively stepping across to press herself against her sister’s brilliant white coat, the smaller Princess felt some of her fear subside as a great wing settled over her back and pulled against her tightly. “How will you correct it?” Glancing down at her younger sister, letting all the aloofness and tranquillity of her royal duties fall by the wayside, Celestia gave up any pretence of being the all-knowing Goddess of the Sun her ponies far and wide believed her to be. “I don’t know Luna ...” She whispered. ~*~*~*~*~*~ With a final buck and powerful kick, the stone column teetered over and fell into the long grass with a soft thud. Scrutinising the work of his broad hooves with a satisfied nod an enormous pony – almost as tall as the eldest of the Royal Sisters and far wider – trotted over towards a far more diminutive, dumpy unicorn busily gorging himself. “All done?” He slurred, words hurried by his tongue as it chased chunks of apple. The towering earth pony opposite nodded his snout, though his eyes were focused on the trees that surrounded the enormous clearing they occupied. “Can we go now?” “Boxer ...” The chubby unicorn sighed, biting down on the last chunk of apple levitating in front of his lips with a loud crunch. “What am I good at?” The powerful pony above dug a massive hoof into the damp grass, churning the soil beneath as he thought hard. “ … Ideas?” “That's right – ideas! Plans! Plots and permutations!” The Unicorn nodded, as Boxer mirrored the nod with one of his own and looked pleased with himself for answering correctly. “Now why do you think I bring you along? What are you so very good at?” The ground took another thorough hoof-pounding. “Hard work?” “Well, I'm not sure if I'd call it that ...” The chunky pony grumbled as he climbed to his hooves and ambled over to inspect the tipped stone nearby. “I provide the theory, you provide the practice, the physical. I build the plough, you pull it … That's how our partnership works!” Boxer cast his long snout over his shoulder, as if the rustling trees hid something else he couldn't quite see. “We shouldn't be here, Napoleon ...” The portly pony scoffed, rolling his eyes. “The Everfree Forest is just that, Boxer – it's a forest! Trees and grass and a parapsrite or fifty, and that's it!” “But--” “You like apples, don't you?” Napoleon interrupted, glancing about his hooves for one before realising they'd all been consigned to the pit of his stomach. “Especially those Sweet Apple Acres' crop?” Boxer nodded, “Sure do.” “Well unfortunately my honest and simple friend, the Apple Family don't just give their famous crop away. Equestria turns on bits, whether it's apples or houses or coatshine and it's up to me to make sure you're taken care of. That means we need to make bits, and that means we take on jobs.” “But--” “If filling your stomach isn't enough justification, think of all the ponies you'll be helping! Building homes is a long and complex process, Boxer – and it's expensive. All this stone, all this stone that's just lain around here for as long as anypony can remember … Doing nothing, except giving home to moss! Mister Salesbury can use it to build new houses, and the bits he'll save instead of having to go to those rip-off ponies up at Muddytop Quarry, well … That'll reward us faithfully for all this effort we're putting in, won't it?” Still looking less-than-convince, Boxer pursed his lips and shook his mane lightly. “Ponies shouldn't be in here--” “There's no statutory law on Equestria's books that forbids entry into the Everfree Forest!” Napolean insisted, pointing a hoof accusingly at the far taller pony. “I would never dream of involving us in anything illegal; I hope you're not insinuating this job is anything other than strictly proper!” “Nothing to do with laws,” Boxer whispered, almost to himself. “Ponies say the Forest doesn't sleep, that strange things live between the trees ...” Napolean guffawed. “Old Mares' tales! The very idea of this being anything more than a forest is ridiculous! Come now, what would other ponies think if they heard you saying such things … What would AppleJack say?” Boxer turned away, mumbling something incoherent. “That's what I thought! Now that's quite enough of that; we've got work to be getting on with.” With a flash of his horn, Napolean worked to levitate the stone slab still lying on the grass up into the air and, eventually, the short distance over to the waiting cart. Letting the stone drop onto the bed of the cart with a thump, the pudgy pony made a great show of wiping his mane with a hoof, and generally making sure the difficulty of the feat wasn't lost on his larger friend. “Phew!” Napolean groaned, Dropping down to his haunches and sucking in a deep breath. “On you go, Boxer! Knock over the next one!” Trundling around to present his flank to the next enormous stone cropping, Boxer frowned and looked up at the bulk of the enormous … Whatever it had once been, climbing up to ten times the height of the surrounding trees. “Do you know what this is?” “Hmm?” Napolean murmured, his eyelids drooping closed as he nestled into the long grass. “The ruins? Oh, supposedly it was once a Royal Castle of some sort … Allegedly. Though I don't believe it myself; it doesn't look a patch on Canterlot. I can't see the Princesses living here.” “Doesn't make sense to me ...” Sighing, Napoleon sat up and blew his mane out from his eyes with a puff of breath. “What doesn't?” “Stones been lying here a long time,” Boxer explained, gesturing with a rear leg to the slab standing behind his flank. “Mister Salesbury is clever, but there's been plenty clever ponies before. None of them ever thought the same thing, tried to take the stone away?” Settling back, Napoleon dismissed the notion with a wave of his hoof. “Maybe it has been tried before, but they didn't have muscle like you, Boxer, did they? Don't worry about it, and focus on knocking the stone down. That'll take your mind off all this nonsense.” The enormous earth pony looked as if he might argue on, but instead held his tongue and turned his attention back to the task at hand. Taking a long, steadying breath he threw his hind legs backwards – driving sturdy hooves into the stone with a resounding thud that sent chunks of grass and dirt flying up into the air. The enormous block teetered for a moment and unable to resist the pull of gravity in addition to the bucking it had received, collapsed onto the soft ground with a muffled squelch. Turning expectantly towards the cart, Boxer caught sight of the snoring, chubby unicorn nestled in the long grass as he swung his powerful frame away from the fallen stone. “Napoleon!” Grumbling something unintelligible, Boxer's “partner” rolled over and buried his face into the soft greenery he'd fashioned into a pillow. Ambling over to the makeshift bed, the tall earth pony carefully stopped his head down and pressed his muzzle into the smaller unicorn's side, repeatedly. “Napoleon!” “ … I can assure you, Miss Cheerilee … I have no idea how our new roof could have leaked so quickly … Of course, I understand … Might I suggest a bucket? Of course … You tried? All over Applebloom? No, that simply won't do … Closing the school would be unfortunate— ” “Napoleon!” Boxer shouted, sending the unicorn bolting upright in a flail of hooves and mane. Spluttering and coughing and looking most indignant, Napoleon frowned and smoothed the ruffled hair hanging over his eyes back behind his ears. The earth pony took a heavy step backwards as his partner shifted on his grassy cushion. “Is there something wrong with the new school roof we built?” “Hmm? Roof? Oh, the roof!” Napoleon stammered, his eyes refusing to meet Boxer's as he tried to think. “Minor hiccups! Trifling corrections! I'm taking care of it, not to worry.” The powerful pony opposite seemed less than convinced. “I don't want ponies to talk about us badly, thinking I don't work hard enough. I always do the best I can.” Napoleon waved a hoof dismissively, and shook his snout. “Not to worry, my friend! It remains a minor snag I have well under control … Now what exactly did you wake me for? As I've explained before, it might look as if I'm sleeping but really I'm resting my eyes while I think about all the very great multitude of many things I have to think about.” “Stone's ready for lifting,” Boxer gruffly replied, not entirely sure what “multitude” even meant. Lifting himself up with a long, drawn-out sigh, Napoleon trotted around his partner's large frame and frowned. “Perhaps you're the one sleeping ...” He chuckled, much to Boxer's confusion as the earth pony turned to see the very same stone he'd brought crashing to the ground a few minutes earlier once again firmly standing, as if it had never received as much as glance let alone a bucking. Boxer shook his muzzle in confusion. “I bucked it over … I know I did. Heard it fall and saw it flat on its back with my own ears and eyes.” “Far be it from me to question your ears and eyes,” The unicorn replied with a wide yawn. “It appears to stand, anyway. Quickly now; let's have it down so we can take these two slabs back to Ponyville in time for a late breakfast.” The empty stomach and the thought of food filling it after a hard morning's work pushed questions of what Boxer had – or hadn't – seen to the back of his mind. Manoeuvring around to present his flank to the slab, the powerful pony took a steadying breath and crashed his hind hooves backwards and down against the rock. Settling back onto all fours, Boxer cast his head over his shoulders, glancing behind himself at the slab that remained firmly standing and showing no worse the wear for the tremendous impact it had just endured. Not bothering to wait for an invitation, he kicked out again. And again. Each impact a little more powerful than before, driven by the earth pony's increasing frustration at the slab's incredible staying power. “What a stubborn rock ...” Napoleon mused from afar, chewing absent-mindedly on an apple core. On the fifth attempt the stone surrendered and toppled backwards. Boxer, however, did not have time to take pride in his success and Napoleon had none in which to congratulate his colleague. The attention of both ponies was instead stolen by a twisting ribbon of light, erupting from the sunken ground where the slab had stood a moment before toppling. A coruscating collection of all the colours one could imagine, bending and flexing and running together into something that defined explanation. It continued upwards at impossible speeds, tracking high into the sky, shimmering. And then it exploded. The two ponies squeezed their eyes shut, turning away from the blinding light that burst forth and covered everything in white. Both remained still, frozen with hooves clamped over their features as the surrounding forest returned to the solitude it had known before. Eventually, hesitantly, Boxer chanced a glance about himself. He frowned. “Has it gone?” Napoleon squeaked, still refusing to open his eyes. Boxer nodded, “Think so.” It was the unicorn who first saw that it was not the only thing to vanish. The troublesome slab that had earlier taken five buckings to dislodge once against stood upright, plugging the spot from which the incredible multi-coloured something had burst forth from. The stone already loaded into the cart had disappeared, and a quick glance around saw it standing where Boxer had knocked it from earlier in the morning … As if he had never even bothered to try. “Never should have come here ...” Boxer ventured, shaking his mane mournfully. Napoleon coughed nervously, fidgeting with his mane as he surveyed … Whatever it was this was. “Perhaps, in the interests of prudent sensibility, and of course, our own well-being in matters of uncertainty such as this, it would serve us well to expedite our return to Ponyville ...” “Let's go home,” The earth pony translated gratefully. The unicorn nodded, and both ponies broke into a faster-than-gentle gallop away from the clearing, leaving the cart and some very old, very odd stones far behind. ~*~*~*~*~*~ Applejack didn't know of the precise mechanics behind how the sun worked; she knew only what she needed to – that it rose in the morning and set in the evening and between those two points, it shone brightly. If any of those three simple things went amiss, then that was enough to let the plain-speaking pony know something was wrong. Fortunately, there were others who knew more about the exact science behind it, like the good friend standing right next to her. “C'mon Twilight,” Applejack prompted, trying to hide the worry in her voice. “This is your kinda’ thing – Please put 'mah mind at ease here and tell me you know what's happenin' with the sky.” Dimly aware her friend was saying something, Twilight couldn't help but feel entranced by the sight above, unable to tear her eyes aware from a sight equal parts astounding and worrying. A chill wind whipping past her snout brought her back to the present, and Twilight shook her head slowly. “I've … Never seen anything like it!” Swallowing nervously, Applejack glanced around and down the empty streets of Ponyville. At such an early hour, only farmers like her and night owls – like Twilight – would be found up and about. With the new day now well under way however, that would quickly change and soon two confused ponies would be multiplied a hundred-fold. They would need answers. She needed answers! Allowing the initial shock to sink in, Twilight quickly felt her analytical nature reassert itself and demand she calm down, focus and get to grips with the problem at hoof. Parties were for Pinkie Pie, dresses for Rarity and small animals, Fluttershy. Problem-solving was Twilight Sparkle's forte. “We need to contact the Princess,” She announced firmly. Applejack smiled in relief. She was all over a good plan. “Sure are good pancakes, Twi,” Spike half-mumbled between mouthfuls of said pancakes as he meandered through the open door to join the other ponies. Shivering at the sudden change in temperature Spike's eyes grew wide as he saw the same thing that had so shocked his friends a few minutes before. “Spike! No time for pancakes! Take a letter for the Princess!” Nodding dumbly and jogging back into the Library to fetch the quill and parchment, Applejack scratched at the soft ground with her hoof as she glanced back up at the pale day. “Ah sure hope this ain't nothing too serious, Twi' … Harvest's only a few weeks away. Can't afford no upsets like this. Sure is a fragile time for apples ...” “The Princess will know what to do,” Twilight nodded confidently. The Princess always knew what to do. Out of breath from both running and eating, Spike skidded to a halt, bent over with claws on his knees. “Okay ...” He wheezed, wiping a bead of sweat from his scales. “Ready … To … Just a minute … Go!” Nodding, Twilight swished her tail aside and began dictating. “Dear Princess Celestia—” A groan, gurgle, burp and flash of green flame interrupted the purple unicorn as Spike stumbled backwards, clutched his stomach and belched out a wrapped parchment. Instantly levitating it up to her eyes with a flicker of magic and untying its binding ribbon, Twilight scanned the words. Applejack nudged over, trying to see the scroll over the unicorn's shoulders. “What's it say, Twi?” Folding it away before she could get beyond “My faithful student ...”, Twilight galloped through the open front door and back into the library with Spike and Applejack in hot pursuit. Skidding to a halt they watched their friend frantically toss open chests and drawers with a flurry of magical power; clothing, quills, books – lots of books – and all manner of sundries flying through the air in shimmering auras and being crammed forth into saddlebags. “Twilight!” Applejack shouted, finally gaining the unicorn's attention even if objects continued to zip across the library at speed. “What in tarnation did yer' letter say!?” “We're going to Canterlot!” Applejack blinked, mouth agape while she struggled for words. “Now wait an apple-pickin' minute! Who's goin'? When? Jus' slow down and give me a lil' more information, sugarcube—” The tapping of Spike's claw on her hind legs forced her to turn away from Twilight and towards the open door, mouth dropping open once more as she took in the sight before her. Dressed in shining plates of brilliant gold and towering as high as Big Mac himself, a half-dozen pegasi of the Royal Guard of Equestria filed in through the library doorway without fanfare. Barely visible behind the powerful stallions, a royal chariot stood shining as well. And waiting. “I guess we're leaving now,” Spike shrugged, finally being the one to answer Applejack's question when it least mattered. ~*~*~*~*~*~ TO BE CONTINUED ...