//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: A Personal Summer Solstice // Story: The Gift of Life // by hell00001 //------------------------------// The Gift of Life Chapter 8 One month later… Princess Celestia was staring off across The Eternal Sea as she sat on one of the many beaches that dotted the beautiful Equestrian coastline. The sun was setting in the far distance and as a result, the colors that reflected off the water were mixes of shimmering orange and the deep blue that was character to the waters that separated the deer and the zebra from the other equine races. The lights sparkling off of the water glistened off of the princess’s eyes and she sighed as she lay down on her stomach on the towel underneath her. She wasn’t looking to dirty herself from the sand and the towel acted as a great median to separate herself from the beach. She was about to start singing a lullaby when she was jabbed in her stomach by something next to her. Celestia turned to look at whom or what could have possibly disturbed her only to find that there was nothing there. “Hm, that was weird.” Suddenly there was another jab at her stomach and she quickly whipped her head back around to see who the perpetrator was and yet again she was met with nothing. She got up from her towel and started slowly shifting around in a circle. “Who’s there?” She was jabbed again in the stomach. “’Tia! Wake up!” ~~~ “Huh! What? Who? Oh…” Celestia’s eyes shot open and she met the eyes of her sister who was staring at her from the side of her bed. She had a big grin plastered across her face and Celestia looked up at the clock to see what time it was. It was half past five o’clock in the morning. She rolled over in her bed. “Luna, it is way too early to get up right now.” She groaned. “But ‘Tia, it’s your birthday today! Mommy and Daddy want to take you someplace. I’m not sure where though. Oh, and happy birthday!” Luna squealed from excitement, hopping around to the other side of the bed. “How could you possibly be awake at a time like this? I thought we weren’t leaving for another few hours?” “Well, I thought you would be excited and everything because it’s your birthday. Sorry.” Luna’s face lost its enthusiasm and she gingerly pawed at the floor with one of her hooves. The older sister sighed and slowly removed the covers from her body and sat up onto her haunches. She looked at her sister and smiled. “I guess we can play for a while until Meadow Free and Regality get here. Give me a little while to warm up, though. It wouldn’t be right for you to be more excited about my birthday than myself.” She said. Luna looked up at her sister and smiled before hopping onto the bed and tackling her sister. The two of them rolled around on the bed, giggling and squealing as they each playfully bit each other and slapped at each other with their hooves. Finally they both rolled off of the bed and Luna took off, galloping towards the other side of the room with Celestia close behind her. The younger filly dove behind a pile of pillows and sheets that had been left in the corner of the room and began grabbing toys with her magic to throw at Celestia. Celestia quickly dodged the onslaught fluffy stuffed animals and spare pillows and took shelter behind one of the dressers that was near Luna’s encampment. She began to pick up the ammunition that her sister had used against her and threw the toys back at her sister, pelting the pillow fort until the fort couldn’t handle further attack. It disintegrated and Luna quickly ran towards the other side of the room. Celestia gave chase, quickly cornering her sister between the two beds. The little filly tried to jump up on top of her own bed but Celestia was too fast and quickly had her pinned on the ground. She dropped the pillow and began tickling her sister on her tummy all over. She had failed to notice that the door to their room and been opened. “Celestia, what are you doing to your sister?” came Meadow Free’s voice from behind her. Celestia quickly turned around and pointed at her sister. “She started it!” “And I’m going to finish it!” Meadow Free charged Celestia and her eyes widened. Just like her sister before her, the sun princess tried to jump on top of her own bed but Meadow Free was too fast for her. The maid quickly scooped Celestia up and pinned on top of the bed, tickling her on her tummy all over and taking pleasure in hearing her princess squeal from laughter. “No! Stop! Hehe, no more!” Celestia squeaked out as Meadow Free finally came to a conclusion on tickling her. She took in big gasps of air, trying to catch her breath as she rolled over and saw that both Regality and Luna had been watching her the whole time. She covered her face with her hooves. “Happy birthday Celestia!” they all shouted at once. Celestia slowly uncovered her face but it was obvious she was still embarrassed by the crimson tone of her cheeks. “Thank you everyone.” she said before quickly remembering something. “Oh, oh, Meadow Free! Do you know where my parents are taking me for my birthday? Do you?” “And where did you hear about that?” Meadow Free asked, raising an eyebrow and turning to look at Luna. The little blue filly blushed and quickly ran to hide behind Regality who only chuckled at her princess’s expense. “I think your parents would like to tell you themselves. C’mon, let’s get you two cleaned and fed so that we can get moving.” ~~~ The royal convoy of chariots was approaching a city that was floating off of the southern-most coast of Equestria. The beautiful blue water contrasted well with the red bricks of the many buildings all along the edges of the city and allowed for the small gondolas to be visible as they sat at their respectful docks. Celestia watched in awe as the chariots flew over the roof tops, heading straight for an enormous palace with a dome located in the center of the city that towered over all of the other buildings. She looked back at her mother and father. “I can’t believe we are going to see Voltenice! Are we going to be staying at the Doge’s Palace?” she asked. “Indeed we are, Celestia. We have quite a few activities planned out for your birthday today, including a tour of the coral reefs looked only a mile away and we will be visiting the Carnival of Voltenice tonight.” her father said, a sly smile protruding from his lips. “W-we’re really going to the carnival tonight!? I’ve always wanted to see the beautiful lamps that decorate the streets, the wonderful fireworks that go off at all hours of the night, and the creative masks that all the ponies wear. Do I get to wear my own mask?” “Of course! We have specially made masks for both you and your sister that accurately reflect your cutie marks.” Celestia squealed with joy. “Luna, isn’t this exciting? We’re going to go to a carnival tonight!” Luna wasn’t paying attention however as she continued to stare out of the chariot to the buildings that lay below and then the water than ran through the many canals that ran through the city. She had a wide smile on her face and flicked her tail back and forth. Celestia giggled at her sister and then turned back to see as the Doge’s Palace grew larger and larger as they approached. When the chariots finally touched down on the marble square set directly in front of the palace, the passengers were met with a whole mass of ponies who looked on as their royal leaders stepped off of the modes of transportation. They sent out shouts of greetings and blessings towards the family of alicorns along with endless streams of questions about why they had decided to come and visit Voltenice. Queen Galactica turned to address the crowd and they all immediately fell silent. “Good afternoon, citizens of this beautiful city. We do not come to Voltenice on a mission of politics or of economic relations. Instead, we come here to seek a day to relax and spend time with our own family. We plan on doing a number of activities and do wish that we may have a minute amount of privacy at the least. It is my two daughters’ first time visiting the city and I wish to leave them with a lasting memory.” Celestia was surprised to see that all of the ponies within the crowd gave them all a deep bow and then began to disperse, going back to their daily activities with just as much enthusiasm as they had before the alicorns had landed. “Voltenice has always been one of our most loyal and respectful cities. They feel as though they are treated well so in turn they treat us well.” Sol said, seeming to have sensed Celestia’s confusion. “That was wonderfully said your majesties.” came the high pitched voice of a pony from behind the alicorn family. They all turned to see that there was a pink Earth Pony standing behind them with a light blue and wavy mane and tail. She had a deeper blue pair of eyes that matched surprisingly well with her mane and tail and Celestia could see that she had the picture of a quill and paper on her flank as a cutie mark. “Hello, Governor Cherry Blossom. I’m so glad to see you. How are things going with the Earth Pony delegation these days?” Queen Galactica said, smiling at her benefactor. “It’s as bad as it always is. Earth Ponies from our western regions over by Stalliongrad are complaining that it is too dry for them to grow their crops and wish for some pegasi to spare their time and get some rain cover. If only they knew the amount of money it takes to get clouds over those mountains or from the sea.” she said with a sigh. Her somber expression didn’t last, however, as she caught site of both Celestia and Luna. “I’m guessing you do not wish to hear about politics anyways so let me show you to your room here in the Doge’s Palace. I am sure you all would enjoy the view.” she said as she spun around and started to head off towards the palace doors. Sol and Galactica quickly followed in behind Cherry Blossom with the two princesses walking in between their parents. Once they passed through the two massive doors that marked the palace entrance Celestia stared up in awe at the enormous narrow and vaulted ceiling that towered above her. Great chandeliers hung from crossbeams placed on sections to give light to the darker corners of the sections underneath the ceilings. When Celestia looked down from the ceiling ahead of her was a courtyard that contained a massive fountain almost as large as the one located in the Everfree Gardens. In the center of the fountain were four ponies depicted rearing onto their hind legs, each pointing north, south, east, or west. Water shot out from between them all. Cherry Blossom led the alicorns from the courtyard to up a flight of stairs and then down an open air hallway to a pair of massive doors. She pulled out a set of keys and unlocked one of the doors, pushing it open to reveal a massive bedroom that was open to the outside and overlooking the largest canal in all of Voltenice. There were three beds all placed up against one side of the room and a beautifully decorated chandelier that would allow light to fill the room during the night. Both Celestia and Luna broke into a run to the balcony that overlooked the Grand Canal. “Thank you so much for these fabulous accommodations, Governor Cherry Blossom. Do you think you would be able to attend the Carnival of Voltenice with us tonight? It is the least we could do.” Queen Galactica said, watching as her husband strode over to look at the Grand Canal with their daughters. “I would love to join you four but I really must get back to work with dealing with the Earth Ponies from the western regions. This crisis needs to be fixed before we have a strike breaking out over there.” The governor said. “Understandable. Well, I won’t hold you from your duties any longer. I hope everything works out.” “Thank you, your highness. If there is anything you need, do not hesitate to ask.” ~~~ The sails of a small Ibex Empire junk ship flapped in the gentle breeze. Celestia peered over the edge of the ship, staring down into the deep blue water hoping that some kind of fish might jump out of the water at any moment. The ship gently rocked back and forth and a pair of hoofsteps clopped behind her until father was standing next to her looking out across the Eternal Sea. He took a deep breath of the ocean air. “I’ve always enjoyed the smell of the ocean. I’ll tell you a secret but you are not allowed to tell your mother.” Sol said, taking a quick glance behind him and then leaning down so he didn’t have to talk so loudly over the ocean waves and the ship creaks. “The ocean smells so clean and inviting that I can never stay away. You know some of those diplomatic missions I go on? Well, sometimes I’m not home in time for dinner because I like to take a break along the coastlines and smell the salty air.” Celestia snickered and gently punched her dad in his leg. “What will it take for me to stay quiet about this?” “Oh, you’re not going to blackmail me, are you Celestia?” Celestia just grinned at her father. Sol sighed. “Fine, I will allow you free and total access to the Royal Cookie Jar for one whole week. Deal?” “Deal!” Celestia squealed and jumped to hug her father’s leg who returned the hug by putting his other hoof around his elder daughter. “Attention ladies and gentlemen! We are now approaching the Great Coral Reef! If you would all move your flanks to the starboard side of the junk ship you will get to catch your first glimpse of the magnificent elkhorn coral.” shouted the captain of the ship. Celestia and her father walked to the other side of the ship and stood next to a few other ponies who had come along for the voyage. When she peered over the edge of the ship she was amazed to see all of the color that was shining from under the water. There were browns, oranges, reds, yellows, blues, and greens all reflecting the sun’s light from underneath the water, mixing well with the gentle and very clear ocean water. “Daddy! Look! I can see the elkhorn coral.” Celestia said, pointing to a patch of coral that branched out from the floor into thick and wide pieces, similar to what would be seen on an elk. “Oh, yes, I see it. Hey, if you look over there past the elkhorn coral you can see a stingray.” Sol said, guiding Celestia’s eyes with his hoof as a pointed to a spot away from the coral. Celestia squinted to try and make out what her father was pointing at. Then she saw it, a massive stingray that was about the size of her was lying against the coral beds. She squeed in delight as she began to notice all of the other fish that were swimming among the coral reefs. There were striped damselfish, beautiful yellow tang, giant triggerfish, brightly colored angelfish, creative foureye butterflyfish, and the well know and orange clownfish. Celestia was astonished how all of the fish swam together through the coral, either going back to their homes among the beds or looking for possible sources of food. “How is she liking the coral reefs?” came Celestia’s mother’s voice from behind her. “Just look at her. She is completely captivated. This was a great idea.” her father said in return. Celestia didn’t pay attention to her parent’s conversation any further, or notice that her sister had begun to peer over the edge of the ship next to her. She had spotted a whitetip reef shark. She was going to need to remember to thank her parents once they got back to Voltenice. ~~~ Celestia looked at herself in the mirror a few hours after she had returned back to Voltenice with her family and gave time to take appreciation in the mask her mother had given her. She wore a half face mask, allowing for other ponies to see her lips, that was colored in a glistening gold color and richly embroidered with diamonds all along the edges of the mask and around the eyes. The top of the mask had been decorated in a rich array of light purple and pink feathers along the top of the mask that went very well with her wavy mane and purple eyes. “So, how do you like your mask?” Celestia’s mother asked, stepping into view in the mirror and lowering her head to be level with Celestia’s. Her mother wore a beautifully colored silver mask that glimmered off of the light from the many candles in the room. An enormous imperial topaz shined from the middle of her forehead just below her horn while much smaller topazes lined around the edges of the mask similar to Celestia’s mask. She also had orange feathers that decorated her mask but they were only set in the places where her temples were. Both ponies wore thin silk dresses that could easily be seen through in any sort of lighting, allowing ponies to catch the silhouette of their slender forms. The dresses were both white and had a very gentle train that flowed loosely over both of their tails. Some embroidery lined along the edges of the dress that matched the colors of the respect ponies’ manes. “It is so beautiful, mother. How did you make it?” Celestia said, still staring at her mask in the mirror. “Well, I actually took the time myself to make it, gathering all of the materials from one of the finest shops in Everfree. The jewels come from the Canterlot mines themselves. I hoof sculpted and painted these masks for months. I also made Luna’s and your father’s masks too.” “Oh, where are Luna and Daddy? I haven’t seen their masks yet.” Galactica brought her daughter over into the bathroom that they were sharing while they were staying at the Doge’s Palace. Inside Sol was lifting Luna up to a mirror so that she may be able to take a look at herself and the mask that she wore. Celestia could see that Luna wore a similar dress to that of her and her mother’s as it was also very thin and silky with purple amethyst embroidery. Luna must have seen Celestia in the mirror as she quickly turned around in her father’s grip. Celestia saw that Luna’s mask was painted a very dark blue, darker than her coat and was edged with tiny sapphires as well as larger sapphires that were placed all along placed above her eyes to mimic eyebrows. Purple amethysts shaped in the form of tear drops were placed along both of the cheeks of the mask and a beautiful array of blue and purple feathers decorated the top of the mask. “’Tia! Look at my mask!” Luna exclaimed, break free of her father and galloping over to her sister to show off her mask. “Wow, that is really pretty, Luna. Look at mine!” Celestia said back, looking over Luna’s mask. She then turned to see that her father was now looking at the both of them through his mask. He wore a mask that covered his whole face instead of just half of his face and it was colored a black as dark as a dark night sky. Purple amethysts lined all along the chin of the mask in intricate swirling patterns that drew a pony’s attention to his eyes. He also had blue feathers decorating the top of his mask but they were much shorter than what Celestia, Luna, or Galactica had. To go with the mask he wore a very nice suit along with a dark blue tie to complement his coat. “Well, it looks as though we are all ready for the Carnival tonight.” Sol said, exiting the bathroom with Galactica and walking out to the balcony with her. Celestia and Luna followed closely behind and together all four of them stared out to the Grand Canal and watched as gondolas with beautiful lanterns glided along the water and fireworks echoed and shone brightly in the sky. Celestia’s face was beaming with excitement for the coming night that she could barely suppress a squeal as her father finally spoke. “Alright, let’s head on over to the carnival!” ~~~ The alicorn family left the Doge’s palace and started to head over to the Cannaregio Canal where a boat precession was being held to celebrate the start of carnival. As they stepped out onto the streets of the Piazza San Marco they were met by ponies who were dressed in intricate and beautifully flowing traditional wear and gorgeous masks over all colors and designs. They were chatting and idling in the streets, waiting for the signal for the carnival to begin. As the royal family walked past the ponies each one of them gave a slight nod towards their way as an acknowledgement as well as respecting their wishes to not be bothered by royal formalities. Celestia stared up in awe at the colorful lamps and streamers that decorated the Voltecian streets. The mix of reds and yellows and oranges went well with the brick colored or white plaster buildings that lined their path towards their destination. They passed by booths that were set up for all sorts of games that were traditional to the carnival itself. Celestia could see the games keepers behind their booths, polishing up a ball for a game or setting up some objects that were to be knocked down later when the carnival began. They passed by open plazas that were squared away specifically for the dancing and music that would be playing nonstop for the entire time the carnival was going on. Tables were set up along the edges of the plaza for those ponies who needed a break for food or beverages or talk amongst themselves. The elder princess occasionally saw a few musicians setting up their instruments, them too wearing decorative masks that were unique to themselves. Then finally they reached the Cannaregio Canal. It wasn’t quite as wide as the Grand Canal that she could stare out from the balcony at the Doge’s Palace but was still wide enough to allow for four gondolas to glide along together. All four alicorns took up seats along the edge of the canal under one of the lanterns that shone over them. It had gotten plenty dark by the time they reached their destination which would make the boat precession even more of a glorious spectacle. Celestia was giddy with excitement as she turned to her father. “Daddy, have you ever seen the beginning boat precession.” “Indeed I have, Celestia. I have seen it more than one occasion to tell the truth and I am always amazed with what these ponies can put together on these gondolas. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.” Sol said, looking down at his daughter. Celestia turned and looked down towards the direction in which the boat procession was going to come from. She didn’t have to wait long for the first boat to come around the corner and into view of all the ponies watching the parade at the end of the canal. The first boat was beautifully decorated in reds and yellows and had a pony in a golden mask who was pushing it along. He drove the boat up to one of the steps that lined the canal and stepped off the gondola, carrying a large cage with a single dove in it to an outcropping that overlooked the rest of the gondolas that would be passing by. During the procession there were gondolas dressed in all sorts of colors that ranged from reds, to yellows, to greens, and even to blues. Sometimes the colors were mixed in beautiful patterns on the gondolas that specifically caught the attention of many ponies. Occasionally there would be two or three gondolas gliding side by side and carrying entertaining objects that would entertain the eye with bright, twirling patterns and lights. On some of the gondolas there were ponies dancing to the music that had started to play at the beginning of the boat procession. Their movements were fluid, their clothing flowing in the wind they managed to kick up under their hooves, and the sparklers they held in their mouths only added to the mesmerizing effect. Celestia stared in utter awe at the performance that was put in place for the beginning of this carnival. And then came the last boat, decorated in the most beautiful colors and patterns compared to the rest of the gondolas before it. A single lantern was lit up in the front of the boat as a sort of guide while the rest of the boat was impossible to see in the dark. As it drew closer to the pony who had the caged dove she could see that the pony on the outcropping moved down to open the cage and grab the dove in his hooves. Waiting for the pony to finally pass him, he released the dove into the air, watching as the dove flew away over the tops of the roofs. This signaled for the dark yet beautiful gondola to release a single bottle rocket into the air, quickly being followed by other assortments of fireworks to be launched and create a beautiful display in the night sky. Celestia stared up at the patterns and colors before her, and listened to the sounds of the popping ringing through the city. “Let the Carnival of Voltenice begin!” ~~~ I do apologize for the amount of time this chapter took to get out. I've had a hectic week and every time I tried to write this chapter I was always met with complications or things I had to do. Also, there is a reason why I even wrote this chapter, and there is a reason why I wrote about their visit to the coral reefs. Remember everything! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Get ready for the next chapter: Chapter 9: A Rollercoaster Ride