Chapter 3: Summer Sun, Eclipsed
Rainbow Dash was never a normal mare.
She knew this. Her entire childhood after the… incident… had been hammering in that fact. She knew what she did. She knew the damage it caused, even if everyone she admired and loved tried to hide it from her. And she promised herself never to let it happen again.
The cool, brisk nighttime air was just what the doctor ordered. She lived on the ground so that she didn’t have to worry about look strange to her fellow pegasus. The clouds were mostly taken care of, bucked into their constituent dew drops. The weather from the Everfree had been… managed. Now all that was left was flying her normal workout routine, away from prying eyes.
Rainbow Dash isn’t a normal mare.
One hundred and ninety three earth ponies and unicorns. That’s how many were killed directly by the “Great Cloudsdale Weather Factory Explosion”. Celestia said it wasn’t her fault. The convention hall was an experiment, a negotiation center for the great cartels that controlled the production of all the vital resources of Equestria. It wasn’t cheap, and the amount of money spent on transportation and enchanting that came out of the royal treasury signified how important the negotiations were. Yet even as Celestia herself saved over a gross of ponies, and scores more saved by the Wonderbolts and good Samaritans, almost two hundred ponies whose only crime was being at the wrong place at the wrong time ‘slipped through’.
Immelmanns. Barrel Rolls. Tailslides. Something called a ‘Cuban Eight’. A Pucachev’s Cobra. Those were this night’s exercises. If she wanted to be the best, she had to practice like the best. Her wings were well developed, better than some of the most athletic pegasus could ever dream. She wasn’t bad on the ground either, although she was no Applejack.
“Know your limits”, Gunny would say. “Know how far you can push yourself. Then push farther, but only when it is safe or you absolutely need to. We can’t afford to lose you, and it’d be a shame if you make yourself a red feathered splat on Celestia's green Earth.”
Rainbow Dash would never be normal mare.
She had been so proud of herself. She did the impossible! She performed the Sonic Rainboom, proved that it wasn’t an old mare’s tale! And for what? It had been a stupid race. Nothing was actually at stake beyond her own stupid pride. Fluttershy would never have stopped being bullied, and the yellow mare’s special talent meant she would have to live on the ground anyway.
After the incident, Rainbow Dash was quietly hushed away. She received personalized training, from both Celestia and the Royal Guard. Rainbow Dash saw some of the best pegasus kind had to offer not as stony faced tools, but as actual ponies. They took her in as one of their own, and taught her everything they knew.
There was a reason the old ways fell out of favor. They are the hard ways, from when the Pegasus were a culture of warriors instead of gardeners of the weather. But the Guard never went too far. They pushed her, yes, but she wanted to be pushed. She ended was the Guard’s mascot for the better part of her childhood. No harm would ever come to filly everyone treated like their own foal, not if they could help it.
Rainbow Dash refused to be a normal mare.
Rainbow Dash would never be content to just work on the sky or only practice her special talent. She certainly wasn’t going to mope. She would make the world a better place, prove herself one of the best fliers in Equestrian history! She wasn’t going to the princess and say ‘pretty please with sugar on top?’ She would earn her own place, and make everyone who ever believed in her proud.
As Rainbow Dash glided in the cool night air, she felt an overwhelming sense of approval. She didn’t how, or from where. It was dark, but not malevolent. Cool and detached, but beautiful, like a star spangled moonlit night. The sky was clear for tomorrow, her exercise routine was done, and now she could just… chill.
With a few wing flaps to keep her in the air, she continued to glide over the Everfree Forest. She wasn’t scared, though. She could handle the most common creatures in the forest. And if she ever met anything short of a dragon that she couldn’t handle, she could just take off and fly away.
Eventually she made her way to a particularly tricky patch of forest. The poison joke was thick here, and she had been treated more than once for being clumsy in her landings. But this time she would stick it! And if she didn’t, well, there was a reason she visited this part of the forest anyway.
She came down to tree level. It was tricky, but she made it past the branches and bramble, onto the cleared ground. Before her was a strange house, and weird looking masks gave her a warm greeting. A zebra walked out of the house, giving her a smile.
“And she has come with her usual lack of flash. If it isn’t my good friend, Rainbow Dash!” The zebra said, with her ussual poetry.
“Hey Zecora,” Rainbow Dash replied. “I figured you’d be the only pony up right now. Or… zebra.”
“Semantics you worry about, but without due," Zecora then beckond Rainbow to follow her. "Come in, sit down, enjoy my latest brew.”
As the sky blue, rainbow maned mare stepped into the warm light of Zecora’s Hut, the aches and pains of her exercise routine began to manifest themselves. Already she was having a warm bowl of tea set before her, which she gladly dranked. “Thanks, Zecora.”
“Little problem it is for a friend so true. Did you come for supplies, or perhaps to taste a brew that’s new?” Zecora asked.
Rainbow Dash shook her head. “No, not for those. I was wondering if you’d like to come along for the Summer Sun Celebration. I mean, I realize it’s a pony festival, but it should be fun. Right?”
“A pony festive might be fun, But if I joined, everypony would run," the zebra slowly shook her head. "For now it is fate, from your village I am shunned. But worry not my friend, for zebras have their own ways to celebrate the sun.”
“Man, that sucks!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “I can’t believe they treat you that badly just because you're weird. Umm… no offense.”
“None taken,” Zecora replied, before returning to her cauldron. “For now, though, I have a tale to tell.”
Rainbow Dash walked up to the cauldron, wondering what exactly was going on. To her surprise, it was images from the royal archive.
It was one of a dark blue alicorn, her mane etherial, like the nighttime sky. She was looking satisified over something, likely the moon.
“A thousand years ago, more or less,
There was an alicorn who tried her best.
For her job, you see, was to raise the moon,
And to use sky as a canvas, one that was dark blue.
For constellations she installed,
Tapestries set true,
For the Great Father, only the very best would do.”
“This isn’t one of your funny stories,” Rainbow Dash said. “I’m guessing there’s a moral.”
“Not a moral, but a warning. A warning grave, but true,” the Zebra replied. Again the images changed, becoming something appropriate for each scene in Zecora’s poem.
The first one was confusing. There was some sort of lighted figure presiding over a misty Equestria. The alicorns sat at it's right and left hooves. The one to the right was obviously Celestia, but the one to the left was still a mystery.
“For the Great Father left, other children needing raising,
For their jobs well done, he left the alicorns a gift not so brazen.
Dominion over the sky, and pony-folk below,
To be wise matriarchs, and their gifts bestow."
Another scene in the caldron: The blue alicorn was sad, sitting in clouds while the ponies below sleep. Her sadness slowly turned to anger, her coat changing from blue to black as she did.
"Yet the alicorn of the night was corrupted:
‘The ponies of the day sleep during my beautiful night,
None give me attention, so I will instead give them fright.
For if they will not love me, they will fear me, I say.
So I will raise up the moon, and blot out the day.’"
A battle between the sisters. Strange creatures without hooves holding metal sticks fighting alongside ponies, zebras, gryphons, and Celestia knows what else. Funny thing was, Celestia likely did know.
"For that, the sisters fought.
Sigel won over Selene,
And the mare of the night was made to drink a bitter draught."
The imaged changed to that of the moon. The black alicorn mare was superimposed upon it. Eventually, she faded into it, her likeness becoming the mares and craters upon its surface.
"In the moon Selene imprisoned, exiled and humiliated.
But in the thousandth year, on the longest day,
Selene shall have her final say.
Unless the Heroes arise, and friendship settle the score,
Corruption shall win, and the day come nevermore.”
Rainbow Dash watched the scenes faded away: a group of haloed mares triumphing over a demon from their worst nightmares, and its dark counterpart of a dark tyrant ruling over a broken kingdom. “What can I do?” She asked.
“Who is to say?” the Zebra asked. “We know not our destinies until the chosen day. But be of good cheer, my friend. You are loyal, and the rightous you shall defend.”
“It’s never easy,” Rainbow Dash said, sighing a little bit before looking at her unusual friend. “Well, sleep’s going to be hard enough to come by as it is. Thanks Zacora, but I need to go.”
“It was my pleasure to play the host. Be untroubled, my little pony, and fear not the silly ghosts.”
And with that, Rainbow Dash walked outside, shot up into the sky, and flew home.
* * *
“Ugh... mah head...” Applejack groaned, using her hat to best shield her from the light. The outside streets of Ponyville were fully lit, in anticipation of the coming festivities. Already ponies were running back and forth, carrying bells and fireworks and who knows what else.
Twilight snorted. “'Can hold my cider better' my flank.”
“You best be watchin' what attention you're callin' to your flank, little missy. You just might not like it,” Applejack bit out, before wincing at her own words. Not the harshness, just at how much the noise caused her headache to get worse.
“I'm not even going to respond to that,” Twilight replied, before a light flash went out from her horn. Applejack blinked her eyes a little bit, feeling a bit of relief for the pounding inside her skull. “The Traditional Canterlot Hangover Cure. One of them, anyway.”
“Well thanks, I suppose,” Applejack replied, getting a better look at the scene. “What's the other cure?”
“Do you feel like raiding the chicken coop for eggs?” Twilight asked. The disgusted look on Applejack's showed most definitely that no, she was not.
Ponies walked to the main hall, in which little expense was spared to make it look as though no expense was spared in welcoming the Princess of the Realm. Pinkie Pie managed to shanghai the entire operation, that much was apparent. Confections were on every table, confetti already on the ground from “Party Poppers”, and ponies generally having fun. Even though the Element of Laughter was already at work, Twilight's trained eyes noticed another detail.
Even from the door Twilight could tell that there were pyrotechnics were artfully hidden from view. Pinkie Pie knew her craft well, so they were the obvious ones. Odds were as good that some would be hidden behind the stage as they were that some would be hidden in one of the miniature orchestra's horns. Knowing Pinkie, probably both, and then someplace so random that somebody who knew her for years wouldn't know.
There was a small commotion outside. Twilight and Applejack turned to see it. Noticing that everypony was looking up, they did the same.
It was Rainbow Dash. The powder blue pegasus didn't appear with any of her usual bombastic theatrics, at least from Twilight's perspect. She just sort of... glided. Her flying was efficient, elegant even, with only as much energy needed to go into it and no more. She banked, turning the same direction as Mane Street before angling her wings to slow her air speed. She then hovered, flapping her wings enough to land gently on the ground.
It was all textbook flying according to 'Whirlwind's Guide for Young Pegasus Fliers'. Which is exactly what made it so odd, since pegasus magic meant they could get away small mistakes. Everything Rainbow Dash did while flying was meant for speed, acceleration, and control during near sonic velocities. This sort of graceful movement at low speeds was completely out of character.
“Well, if it isn't Ponyville's finest weather pony!” Applejack exclaimed.
“Well of course I'm the finest weather pony Ponyville has! I never leave Ponyville hanging,” the powder blue mare replied, now having her typical level of bostfulness.
“Aren't you Ponyville's only weather pony?” Twilight ventured to ask.
“Details, details,” Rainbow Dash replied, before getting a good look at her critic. “Hey, AJ. Who's the new girl?”
“Why this here is Twilight Sparkle,” Applejack said. “She's here to make sure that this shindig goes down all smooth-like for Princess Celestia.”
“You were sent by Princess Celestia?” Rainbow Dash asked. Then she connected the dots, recognition lighting up her face. “Wait a minute... I know you! You're the shut in!”
“... the what?”
“Yeah, the shut in. You spend all your time in that library with the baby dragon learning about magic, right?” Twilight could only dumbly nod as Rainbow Dash continued her explination. “I mean, I suppose it makes sense, because pegasus fly and unicorns use magic. I spent all day and most nights flying with the Guard until I got everything just right, and I guess it's the same with you. Oh man, would you believe our luck? Both of Celestia's apprentices, under this roof.”
Applejack chuckled. “Well, I suppose that is a mighty fine string of luck we have. Now lets get inside. Ceremony's about to start, and I wouldn't miss it for the world!”
* * *
She sat in an isolated booth, high above the festivities. Pinkie Pie watched over all the party goers, the guests that she was hosting. Fluttershy was easy to bring onboard, and Miss Belle, although always a tough nut to crack, eventually relented to the Pinkie Pie's force of personality and weird charisma.
Twilight wasn't a normal pony. She was a good pony, and it was the first time 'the works' was ever requested. There was something old and wise about Twilight, but it was obvious that she was still a limited mare way over her head. Which is why Pinkie had to help her! But that didn't mean that she should be all serious and dour either. It wasn't the rock farm, after all. Well, except now it was a 'rock ranch', but those where just silly words and silly rolling stones and boulders and rock things.
The old ways of rock farming were better anyway.
Teasing Twilight would be fun, but surprising Twilight would be even better. And if they could prank together... oh, the wonderful pranks there could be. The purple unicorn was going to make one of the bestest best pranks ever! And even better, she ask Pinkie to help her prank a mean old physical god of being an itchy witchy rhymes with twitchy. Parties and pranks and making friends would make everything better! Twilight didn't know that yet, but Pinkie sure did! Pinkie had a sixth sense about parties and pranks and all sorts of fun stuff and stuff of stuff and things. Everyone called it her Pinkie Sense, which she supposed made sense. It was hers, right?
Oh, this prank was going to be one of the best ones ever! She could feel the eyes of the universe upon her, and a few from outside as well. She didn't know how, but she didn't question it either. She just knew that there was a twitching in her nose, and an itching in her spleen, and her left leg was a going 'thumpa thump thump', horseshoe against carpet like a drumstick on drum.
“IT'S SHOWTIME!” Pinkie declared to no one in particular.
It's party o'clock, and MC Pie is in the house!
* * *
Twilight Sparkle had a sense for when things were about to go bad. One doesn't survive thirty years as the 'Element of Magic' if you don't. One also doesn't survive as an effective leader if one doesn't know how to manage a crisis.
'But do I really know what is coming?' Twilight asked herself. 'Everything about this is wrong. A lot of things don't make sense. A lot of things make too much sense. And now Nightmare Moon was about manifest, and the seeds of friendship haven't all been planted and...'
”You need a break.”
'You know what... buck it. I might as well have some fun with this,' Twilight thought to herself, before looking at the mares she had on hand.
“Rainbow Dash... do you trust me?” Twilight asked.
“...no? I mean, we just met and...”
Twilight didn't give the pegasus a chance to finish. “Applejack, do you trust me?”
“Well, seeing how you were actin' during and after the Reunion, and the hangover, I suppose I do,” Applejack replied. “Only way we could be closer buddies right now is if we went and picked a fight with a police mare. Ya' don't take that sorta sacred bond lightly.”
“Good,” Twilight said, more determined now then she was before. “Luna was always a prude, so I hope this works.”
The two mares looked at Twilight in confusion. It was Applejack who broke the thought. “Twilight, what are you goin' to do?”
“Who the hay is 'Luna'?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Applejack, keep Dash from doing something stupid.” Twilight began. “Dash, as hard as it is for you, don't do something stupid.”
Gasps came from all around. A dark mist seemed to rise up from the surroundings. Through the windows every pony could see the morning sun was rising. Quickly trailing it was a blood red moon, which eclipsed the planet's native star.
“Don't worry, girls,” Twilight assured the two as the dark mist coalesced into the form of a long forgotten goddess. “I've got this covered.”