//------------------------------// // The Harsh Light of Morning // Story: The First Light of Dawn // by Cold in Gardez //------------------------------// Ponyville was not far from Canterlot by most measures. Twilight Sparkle had made the flight in a few hours in a hot air balloon during her first visit to the town. A fast pegasus could fly there in 30 minutes if the winds were good. Even the slowest method of travel – by hoof – took less than half a day if you kept a quick pace. Twilight knew all this intuitively. She had spent the previous evening meticulously planning for their trip, making checklists, packing supplies, consulting maps and checking with the weather patrol for the day’s forecast. She very easily could have estimated, down to the minute, when they would arrive in Canterlot. And yet, she pondered, travelling with Rainbow Dash somehow made the trip seem twice as long. “Ugh, can’t you two walk any faster?” the cyan pegasus said, floating alongside them with her forelegs crossed over her chest. “Celestia’s going to be old by the time we get there.” Twilight bit back the reply she wanted to give the pegasus. After all, Rainbow Dash was her friend and guest on this trip. Getting snippy wouldn’t help the situation. “Celestia is already old, Dash,” she said instead. “Today is a travel day. We are exactly on time.” “You made me get up early for this!” “Ten in the morning is not early, Dash.” She and Applejack had stopped by Dash’s cloud home on the way out of town, eventually waking her with their combined shouts. “C’mon Dash, bit of a walk never hurt anypony,” Applejack said. She seemed immune to the pegasus’s complaints. “You can fly around if you want. I doubt Twilight and I will git too far away from ya.” No sooner said than done. She snapped her wings down with a sharp clap, instantly lifting a dozen feet into the air, and then sped off like an arrow. Moments later she was a tiny blue dot starting a wide turn at the edges of their vision, streaking toward a bank of clouds in the distance. “Not the type for a leisurely stroll, I reckon,” Applejack said, adjusting her Stetson hat. “You alright, Twi?” Twilight smiled at her friend. “Just fine, AJ. This is going to be a wonderful trip, even if some ponies are a bit impatient.” “So what’s it like, the Summer Sun Celebration? Ah’ve only seen the one, and it didn’t end so well.” The unicorn tossed her head, refusing to be discouraged by thoughts of last year’s debacle. “Normally Nightmare Moon doesn’t escape and attempt to take over Equestria,” she said. “That was, uh, special.” Applejack chuckled. “It ended fer the best,” she said. “Say, why was it in Ponyville in the first place? I thought it was always held in Canterlot?” “It used to be, until about 50 years ago. Celestia decided to hold it in difference cities every fourth year. Last year just happened to be Ponyville’s year.” Applejack gave her a sidelong glance. “Doesn’t that seem a mite convenient?” she asked, her voice filled with doubt. “It just happened to be in Ponyville, which just happened to be next to the Everfree Forest and the Elements of Harmony?” Twilight shrugged. She’d already given the matter many hours of thought, and short of asking the princess herself there was no way to know how much of last year’s events had been arranged in advance. It wasn’t unreasonable to expect a thousand-year-old sun goddess to make complicated plans. “Like you said, AJ, it ended for the best.” She let out a sigh, a dreamy smile coming over her face. “Oh, but you have to see it in Canterlot! Imagine thousands of ponies, all gathered to see her raise the sun for the longest day of the year. It’s so beautiful.” “Welp, as long as we get good seats.” The two continued down the road in comfortable silence. When they reached the outskirts of Canterlot that evening Rainbow Dash was waiting for them, asleep on a low cloud on the side of the path. *** Luna was, as usual, waiting for Trixie when the kitchen staff released her for the evening. They exchanged a friendly nuzzle like they were sisters, ignoring the odd looks and whispers from the other ponies. “So, staying up all night for the celebration?” Luna asked. It was traditional for ponies to stay awake the night before the Summer Sun Celebration, waiting for the dawn of the longest day of the year. Long naps were also a traditional part of the festivities, usually observed a few hours later. “Only for a few hours,” Trixie answered. “Some of us have jobs, you know.” She gave the princess a friendly jab with her elbow as they walked to add some levity to her words. Luna pantomimed a grievous injury, clutching her hoof to her side. “Assaulting a member of the royal blood!” she said with mock outrage. “A year’s duty in the kitchens!” “That’s all? What can I get for five years in the kitchen?” “Hm…” Luna paused, rubbing her chin with a hoof. “Contemplating hard crime now, are we? Well, not that I would know, but five years sounds like a suitable punishment for despoiling a princess’s virtue.” Trixie puzzled over that for a moment, and then spluttered. Ahead of her the princess giggled and took off running to the gardens. When Trixie caught up the last light of evening was fading in the west, filling the gardens with a soft golden glow. The alicorn was sitting and staring at the setting sun with wide eyes as Trixie walked up beside her. “The problem with long days is short nights,” Luna said quietly. “Before I was banished I could stay up during the day if I wanted to. Now, unless I’m at her side I can barely rise an hour before sunset, or stay awake an hour after sunrise. I am tethered to the night.” Trixie frowned at the sad tone in her friend’s voice. “That doesn’t seem fair. I see Celestia all the time after the sun sets.” “She’s older, more powerful,” Luna replied. “She says that as I get used to this new body I’ll be able to do the same, but it might take a few years. Decades, maybe.” What could a scullery maid say to that? “I’m sorry,” she finally offered, the only words that seemed appropriate. Luna shrugged, her wings opening and closing silently. “Don’t be. It’s a small price to pay for being free of Nightmare Moon.” Around them the gentle glow of twilight slowly faded, yellows giving way to reds and blues as the gloom of night embraced the world. Luna inhaled deeply, her eyes wide and shining as the encroaching dusk empowered her. The clock tower in the town below chimed out the time, nine faint rings barely audible in the mountaintop castle. “Bit for your thoughts?” Trixie asked, in what had become a game for the two. Luna was silent for a moment before turning to the unicorn with a smile. “Just thinking about tonight. Celestia asked me to host the celebration.” Trixie blinked. “She asked you to host the Summer Sun Celebration? That seems a bit…” she struggled to find the right word. “Counterintuitive?” Luna stood and walked forward a few paces, draping her forelegs over a railing that overlooked a lower section of the garden. “Long ago it would have been,” she said. “Before I was banished there was no celebration the night before the longest day of the year. It wasn’t until hundreds of years after I was gone that ponies finally started to celebrate the night.” Trixie joined her friend at the rail, having to stretch a bit to match the taller pony. Although not yet as large as her sister, Luna had grown substantially in the twelve months since being released by the Elements of Harmony, to the point that only the tallest of stallions looked down on her. “I think she wants me to feel welcomed,” Luna continued. “That even though this is her day I am still a part of it.” They were silent for a while. Behind them the usual sounds of the castle in the evening were gradually replaced by music and the hum of conversation as the first guests arrived. “I think that’s your cue,” Trixie said, turning to listen to the nascent party. “It is. Feel like accompanying me for a bit?” “As long as I don’t have to perform any tricks. I’m not sure I could stand another month in the kitchens.” Luna gave the unicorn a friendly head butt, careful not to use her horn, then giggled and raced to the castle. Trixie followed at a more sedate pace, the first smile of the evening lifting up the corners of her mouth. *** Luna was in the middle of an animated conversation with her sister when Trixie found her. The indigo alicorn was bouncing with excitement, a foalish grin on her face, while Celestia looked down with the same gentle smile she always seemed to wear. “…and after midnight we’ll serve the second banquet, right before the Wonderbolts start their performance!” she caught the younger princess saying. Trixie had known about the various feasts being prepared – she had helped make them – but that was the first she’d heard of the Wonderbolts demonstration. She stopped a discrete distance away, not wanting to intrude on the royal conversation. Luna would have none of it, though. As soon as she spied the unicorn she darted over, grabbing Trixie’s silver mane in her mouth and dragging her back to the sun princess. “Tia! You remember, Trixie, don’t you?” Luna said. “She gave that wonderful performance last month that everypony’s still talking about.” Next to her Trixie blushed furiously and attempted to sink into the floor. “I could hardly forget,” Celestia said, turning to face the embarrassed pony. She lowered her head so they were practically eye-to-eye. “I’m sorry we’ve had to keep you in the kitchens for so long, but my majordomo threatened to revolt if we didn’t find some way to recoup the repair costs.” All three glanced up at the freshly painted ceiling. “Trixie is, ah, that is, I am just happy no one was hurt,” Trixie managed to reply, barely able to keep herself from bolting out the room. “And I’ll be out of the kitchens soon enough anyway.” “Well, I hope your time with us hasn’t been an entirely negative experience,” she said, giving Luna a brief, sidelong glance. “Ah, not entirely negative,” Trixie allowed, ducking her head. Celestia rose back to her full height, covering her mouth with a hoof as she laughed. “So precious,” she said, and then turned to her sister. “Walk with me a moment, Luna?” The two trotted off, chatting quietly and leaving Trixie to digest what had just occurred. *** “We’re not s’pposed ta be wearin’ a fancy dress for this, are we?” Applejack asked, staring up at the tall gates of Canterlot Keep. The last time the three had passed through had been the Grand Galloping Gala, for which fancy dresses were considered de rigueur. “No, this is strictly informal,” Twilight Sparkle answered. “The Summer Sun Celebration was started by earth ponies, who live by the turning of the seasons and had reason to be thankful for the arrival of summer. The Gala, of course, was started by unicorns, who have always been more inclined to--" her history lesson was mercifully interrupted by a hyperventilating Rainbow Dash. “Look! Look! AJ look!” she squealed, half tackling the orange earth pony. “It’s the Wonderbolts! They must be performing tonight!” She pointed with both hooves toward one of the nearby gardens where, sure enough, a trio of costumed pegasus ponies were chatting amiably with guests. The largest, a blue stallion with a winged lightning bolt cutie mark, spied the frantically gesticulating Rainbow Dash and waved. “Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh! AJ, he waved at me! Soarin waved at me!” She squished her cheeks together with her hooves, eyes wide as dinner plates, looking for all the world like a love-struck filly. Twilight was almost embarrassed just to be seen next to her. “Ayup, he sure did,” Applejack drawled. “Why doncha go say hello? Don’t let him do any sweet talkin’ tho--" She didn’t get to finish her thought; the rainbow pegasus practically teleported over to her idol in a multi-colored blur. Applejack sighed. “That one’s gonna git her heart broken, I jus know it.” “Aw, I think it’s sweet,” Twilight said. “Besides, Soarin seems like a nice enough pony.” “Mhm, nice an’ clueless. I bet he’s left a trail of cryin’ fillies all over Equestria without even realizin’ it.” Twilight giggled. “Applejack, I had no idea you were such a cynical and calloused soul! So wise in the ways of the world, and yet so young!” She pawed at the ground, trying desperately not to snort with laughter. Never one to take offense easily, Applejack stuck her snout in the air. “Ah know trouble when ah see it,” she pronounced. Twilight recovered her poise, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. “Rainbow Dash is a big filly, AJ. I’m sure she’ll be fine. Come on, I bet the princess is somewhere inside.” A princess was indeed inside, though not the one they were expecting. Atop the main staircase just inside the gates, politely greeting ponies as they arrived, was Princess Luna. She spotted the two, excused herself from a small crowd of admirers, and trotted down to meet them. They each dropped to a knee, lowering their heads in supplication. Luna quickly tugged them to their feet. “Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, welcome to the Summer Sun pre-Celebration,” she said lightly. “And please, there is no need to bow, especially you. I am not my sister.” Twilight looked up at the princess. She seemed much taller than when they had last met, almost exactly a year before. Soon, she guessed, Luna would be nearly the same size as Celestia, and equally as powerful. That was an unsettling thought. She did her best to push it out of her mind, at least for the evening. “Princess Luna, it’s good to see you again,” Twilight said. “I have to admit I didn’t expect you to be here.” “Well, Celestia asked, and how could I say no to her?” Luna said. “She’s done a lot for me in the past year. This is a small way of repaying her kindness.” “That’s mighty kind of ya,” Applejack said. “I should bring you to meet Apple Bloom, maybe teach her to listen to her big sister.” “I can’t promise any magic,” Luna said. “Or can I? No, no, that wouldn’t be ethical. Still, I would love to visit Ponyville again.” She paused, glancing between the two of them. “Speaking of Ponyville, did the rest of the Elements come with you?” “Rainbow Dash is outside with the Wonderbolts,” Twilight said. “Everyone else had, uh, conflicts with their schedules.” Or conflicts with other ponies, she thought to herself, an image of Rarity viciously trampling Prince Blueblood springing unbidden into her mind. “That’s fine,” Luna replied. “As long as you all come to the next Grand Galloping Gala!” She didn’t notice the two suddenly going pale beneath their coats. “Oh, uh, absolutely!” Applejack said, a strained smile on her face. “Wouldn’t miss it!” Twilight added. Luna smiled and swept them both into a hug, her wings wrapping around to embrace the two. “I’m so glad you could make it tonight. Tia’s inside and I know she’ll be glad to see you again.” At the mention of her mentor Twilight perked up, straining to see over Luna’s shoulder. Applejack thanked the princess, and together the two ventured into the keep, leaving Luna behind to continue her greetings. *** Trixie wandered through the party with practiced ease, submersing herself in the growing crowd of ponies. Some recognized her from her disastrous court performance, but rather than ridiculing her like she feared, they seemed either awed or slightly afraid. A few of the braver stallions attempted to strike up conversations with her, but these she deflected with practiced ease. She wasn’t interested in making new friends at the moment. A small chamber orchestra was set up near the head of the hall, providing some light music to keep the crowd entertained. In front of the orchestra a dance floor had been cleared, but so far no pony was brave enough to put it to use. A serious-looking mare with a charcoal coat and treble clef cutie mark led the ensemble in a slow waltz, deftly wielding a bow across a large contra-bass taller than most ponies. Still no takers on the dance floor, Trixie noted; perhaps later she would offer a demonstration. She briefly wondered if Luna knew how to dance. The quiet hum of the party became a louder buzz behind her. Turning, she saw Celestia towering over a small crowd of ponies, engaging them in casual conversations as she circulated around the hall. More ponies flocked toward the princess, orbiting her like planets around a sun. Trixie moved against the flow, taking up a station near a well-stocked buffet table. She didn’t have anything against Celestia, but she needed some more time to think before confronting that gentle smile and probing gaze again. Still, she found her gaze occasionally wandering back to the monarch, to her faintly glowing mane, to her white coat tinted with the barest hint of pink, but most of all to the golden torc resting around her neck. *** “Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student! I’m so glad you and your friend could join us tonight.” Twilight and Applejack bowed for the second time that evening. Even as Applejack came to her feet Twilight had already bounded forward, pressing herself against the princess’s massive chest. Celestia lowered her head to give her student a friendly nuzzle, and they stood back, both smiling. The part of Twilight that had never grown up wanted to climb onto Celestia’s back and ride around with her for the rest of the evening, like she had as a filly. Fortunately for all present (but mostly Applejack) she managed to restrain herself, making do with conversation instead. “Thank you for inviting us, Princess,” she said. “It’s always a pleasure to return to Canterlot.” “Indeed. Things are always more interesting with you and your friends around. Especially formal occasions.” Memories of the Gala came flooding back. Twilight stammered while Applejack blushed. Desperate for a new subject, Twilight cast her gaze around the room, eventually settling on the ceiling. “Say! Aren’t those new frescoes up there?” she asked. “Those look new and completely unrelated to the Gala.” Celestia peered up at the ceiling, her snout easily twice as high off the floor as the next tallest pony in the room. When she looked back down there was an unusual twinkle in her eye. “Oh, I thought it was time for some redecorating,” the alicorn said. “In fact, we redid most of the hall about a month ago. I’m very happy with how it turned out.” Her words carried a sense of hidden laughter, though Twilight couldn’t imagine what was so funny about redecorating. “We saw Luna out front,” Applejack chimed in. “That was very nice of yer majesty to make her the host tonight.” Celestia’s smile widened as she looked toward the foyer and her sister. “She’s grown so much in the past year. I’m starting to get my sister back, thanks to you two and your friends.” She turned back to the two ponies, and leaned forward to whisper: “Can you two keep a secret?” They nodded together, confused but willing. Celestia’s massive wings stretched out and wrapped around them, forming a snug, feathery cocoon that sealed off the rest of the party. “I’m afraid I’ve been meddling a bit,” the princess confided, her eyes hooded with glee and satisfaction. “When you get to be my age, well, it comes naturally.” Twilight thought back to some of the more exciting incidents of the past year, many of which had Celestia’s stamp on them. The dragon she asked them to evict; the gala she used them to invigorate; the dying phoenix she introduced to an animal lover. “I had no idea,” Twilight said, diplomatically. Applejack looked like she was about to object until Twilight’s hoof found the side of her leg. “She’s finally coming out of her shell,” Celestia said, just to them. “Becoming the princess Equestria needs. Little things like this ball, or a new friend I’ve arranged to live here for a while, they’re all bringing back the Luna I knew.” The white wings retracted, folding into place against the princess’s back. She looked down at the two with her gentle smile again. “I think I’m going to retire for the evening,” she said. “This is Luna’s night. She should have it all to herself.” They bowed to her again. “We’ll see you in the morning, princess,” Twilight said, and stepped close for one more nuzzle. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world, my little pony,” Celestia said. “Now, go enjoy the rest of the evening with your friends.” *** Rainbow Dash wandered into the main ballroom with a dazed smile on her face. Although the hall was technically a no-flying zone (there were signs posted at the entrance warning pegasus ponies to stay on the ground), she didn’t hesitate for a moment to lift into the air, spying out her friends near the center of the crowd. “AJ! Twilight!” she cried, zipping up next to them and drawing annoyed mutters from the ponies she bumped into along the way. “Soarin asked me to go flying with him later! Alone!” Applejack rolled her eyes. “See, Twi? This is what I was talkin’ about.” Even Twilight seemed taken aback. “That’s, um, very nice, Dash.” She paused and glanced at Applejack before turning back to the pegasus. “Do you think that’s really a good idea, though?” “Well of course! How else am I supposed to show off my signature moves?” She jabbed her hooves at the air, making *whoosh* noises with her breath. Twilight cringed. Applejack shook her head. Rainbow Dash noticed neither, fantasizing over the upcoming flight. Suddenly she broke out of her reverie, a startled expression on her face. “Oh, he also asked for some pie!” she said. “See you later!” She took off toward the buffet tables, once again ignoring the no-flying signs. “This is how it starts,” Applejack said under her breath. Twilight massaged her forehead with a hoof, already imagining the worst. *** Trixie was still standing next to the buffet when a multi-colored blur came to a sudden stop beside her. She barely held in a startled shriek as she jumped back, bumping into the table and setting its desserts atremble. The blur resolved into a young pegasus mare, apparently oblivious to the near heart attack she had caused. There was something familiar about the mare, Trixie thought. A garish, uncombed rainbow mane and tail clashed hideously with her cyan coat. Sleek, muscular wings slowly folded back into place as she leaned over the desert table, sniffing at the various pies on display. After a moment she noticed the unicorn staring at her. She opened her mouth to say something – probably a smart remark – then stopped. “No way… Trixie?” The pegasus jumped back and settled into a fighting stance, her head low, wings spread wide to make her appear larger. Trixie peered down her snout at the young mare. Something about that mane… “Rainbow… Rainbow Flash?” she took a guess. “Dash!” The pegasus stomped a hoof for emphasis. Her voice was rough and scratchy, as though she spent most of her time shouting. “What are you doing here? Let me guess, lied your way past the guards? Told them you were a ‘great and powerful’ magician?” Other ponies in the crowd were turning to stare at them. Conversations trailed off into whispers. Trixie drew herself up, placed a hoof over her chest and summoned her best stage voice. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has no need to lie, little filly,” she said. “In fact, Trixie is a personal guest of none other than Princess Luna. So if you know what’s good for you—" she was interrupted by a sudden voice behind her. “Trixie, thank goodness!” The kitchen door behind the buffet was partly open, and an older mare in servant’s garb had stuck her head out. “We need some help setting out the next course. Can you lend a hoof back here?” The head vanished back into the kitchens, the door slowly swinging shut behind it. Dead silence. Trixie stared at the closed door and then slowly turned back to the pegasus. Rainbow Dash stared at her, confusion and puzzlement slowly fading from her face, replaced by a wide grin. “Oh… oh this is too good…” the pegasus was starting to shake with suppressed laughter. “The Great and p-Powerful Trixie is here… ha ha… as a servant!” Her forelegs finally buckled and she fell to the floor, rolling onto her back as she laughed uncontrollably. “Bwa hahaha! A servant!” A small crowd was now staring at the spectacle, looking back and forth between Trixie and Rainbow Dash. Trixie felt her ears and face burning. Unable to form a coherent reply, she did what she always did in the face of ridicule, the one foe she had never been able to defeat. She turned and fled, bursting through the door into the kitchen. Rainbow Dash eventually recovered and realized the subject of her mirth had vanished. Still giggling, she got back on her hooves and, oblivious to the stares of the crowd, grabbed a particularly delicious looking apple pie with her mouth. For the third time that night she broke the no-flying rule, and soared through the hall back to the moonlit gardens. *** One hour and a few tears later, Trixie felt ready to return to the party. If nothing else this was Luna’s special night, and she didn’t want to ruin it by acting like a silly filly. The rainbow pegasus was nowhere to be seen when she stepped back in. Taking that as a hopeful sign, she slipped into the crowd, heading toward the dance floor. The lights overhead had dimmed in an approximation of night, with tiny flickering candles all along the walls playing the role of stars. Somepony had apparently taken the plunge, and there were now several couples on the dance floor, moving in time with a slow waltz being played by the ensemble. Far more ponies stood on the sidelines watching than actually dancing, but she knew the floor would be crowded with bodies as the night wore on and alcohol loosened inhibitions. Inhibitions, of course, had never held much sway over Trixie. A brief search discovered a handsome, athletic looking stallion standing by the side of the floor. She slipped up beside him and waited until a new song was about to begin, and then lightly brushed his shoulder with hers before stepping onto the dance floor. If the stallion was startled he didn’t show it – a heartbeat later he was at her side, his tan coat and blonde mane nicely complementing her own colors (another reason she had chosen him). Without a word she extended a hoof, which he lightly touched to his own, and they began to move. It was a simple dance, by her standards, She let him lead, stepping lightly through a quick polonaise that reminded her of the earth pony village dances she sometimes attended on the road. Her partner knew the steps well enough, but it was the extra taps and flourishes she added that drew the crowd’s attention. By the time the song finished a small open area had formed around the pair, and a few ponies even clapped their hooves in appreciation. She exchanged a polite bow with the stallion, and turned to find another partner for the next dance. One quickly presented herself – an older ivory mare who moved with the rare grace and assurance that marked her in Trixie’s mind as a fellow performer. The ensemble struck up a moderate gavotte, and they began. *** Many dances and partners later, Trixie reluctantly bowed off the dance floor, followed by a round of enthusiastic applause. Several stallions and not a few mares looked disappointed not to have had their chance. She felt refreshed, the incident with the crass pegasus nearly gone from her mind as she walked back to the buffet for a drink. Shunning the alcoholic drinks, she selected a simple apple cider and turned back to the crowd. Most of the attention was still on the dance floor, but a few ponies were gathered around the foyer and the tall, dark form of Princess Luna. She should have asked Luna to dance, she realized. Did the princess know how? What would be more enjoyable, partnering with her for a flamboyant routine to set the crowd ablaze; or slowly teaching her how to move, how to set her hooves in time with the music, how to slide her body alongside her partner? Such thoughts would have continued more or less indefinitely, had not a quiet voice next to her drawled, “Some fancy moves there, partner.” A tall, orange mare with a ridiculously large hat was lounging against the wall. Something about the tone of her voice warned Trixie that this was not a friend. “Just some simple country dances,” she said to the mare cautiously. “Trixie is capable of much grander performances, to be sure.” “Ah’ve seen yer performances, Trixie,” the mare said, pushing off the wall and walking toward her. “Thought you mighta learned sumthin’, but ah can see ah was wrong ta expect anythin’ better from you.” What was this, a reunion? Trixie took a step back, putting some space between her and the orange pony. “What do you know of Trixie?” she demanded. “Ah know yer a liar,” the pony said, stepping forward. “Ah know all about the ‘Ursa Major’ you s’pposedly defeated. Ah know you travel from town ta town, bilkin’ ponies outta their bits.” Around them the party rolled unabated. Their conversation was too quiet, too personal to draw more than a passing glance, for all the heat and intensity in the earth pony’s words. Trixie took another step back, her legs shaking as she recognized the mare from the same disastrous town as the rainbow pegasus. “If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s lyin’,” the earth pony continued. “And yer the queen of dishonesty, Trixie. I never got ta say it before, but yer a fraud, and you should be ashamed.” The mare turned up her head and spun, disappearing back into the crowd. The orchestra started another song, a low, somber nocturne whose melody was the night itself. Trixie sat back on her haunches, wondering if she would ever escape that damn town. Quite some time later she found the strength to return to her hooves. There was one pony in the crowd, at least, who didn’t care about her past, who treated her like a friend. Stepping back into the crowd, she went looking for Luna. *** “Lose your friends?” the princess asked. Luna’s smile was wider than Twilight Sparkle had ever seen on her; apparently the pre-celebration was going well. “Not as such,” Twilight said. “Applejack went to get something to drink, and Rainbow Dash is, uh, preoccupied.” “Preoccupied?” Luna tilted her head. Twilight tried to answer, but blushed before she could contrive another euphemism. “Oh, ‘preoccupied.’” The princess giggled, covering her mouth with a hoof. “Doing some research of her own into the magic of friendship?” Twilight pondered. “Something like that,” she eventually allowed. The two wandered through the crowds, enjoying the laughter and happiness around them. Luna positively glowed, looking happier than Twilight could ever recall. “Oh, speaking of friendship, I have someone I want you to meet tomorrow,” the alicorn said. “A very good friend of mine, and someone I think you already know.” That brought Twilight up short. All her friends lived in Ponyville – she had acquaintances from her years in Canterlot, but aside from Celestia, no one she was close to. “Who?” she asked, genuinely curious. “I’m not supposed to tell you yet.” Luna said. “’Tia said it would be a surprise.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “You know, Princess Celestia certainly likes to make things more complicated than they need to be. One of these days somepony’s going to turn the tables on her.” Luna laughed quietly, drawing curious glances from the ponies around them. “I wish that pony the best of luck. You need to get up pretty early in the morning to outsmart her.” Their wanderings eventually took them near the dance floor. Luna glanced at it, a small smile on her face. “Say, do you know how to dance?” she asked the smaller pony. “I’ve read about dance theory. I’m sure the application of theory into practice is a fairly simple matter of--whoa!” she trailed off as the princess, laughing, dragged her onto the dance floor to the cheers of the crowd. *** Trixie was an unhappy pony. She watched them, the princess and the unicorn, from a safe distance. They were deep in conversation with each other, giggling and laughing, and far too preoccupied to notice her staring. She recognized the purple unicorn instantly. Twilight Sparkle, the third pony from that same damned town where everything fell apart. The one who showed her up, humiliated her, took her life and stomped it into the dirt in front of everyone. Apparently they had put together a special group tour to come and humiliate Trixie. But the unicorn wasn’t the worst of it. The worst part was seeing Luna with her, laughing and smiling as they stepped onto the dance floor. She felt something she had never felt before. Hollow, like a giant ice cream scoop had taken out her insides. Detached, like she was viewing the world through some other pony’s eyes. Some inconsiderate soul had wrapped a thin wire around her heart, and with every beat it drew tighter, squeezing the life from her. Every bit of happiness the last month had blessed her with evaporated. Her dreams of staying in Canterlot vanished like morning mist. Silly, foalish illusions of friendship died within her. She turned, unnoticed, and walked out of the hall into the dark corridors beyond. *** The rest of the keep was quiet by comparison. Only a few torches were lit at this time of night, casting isolated pools of light in the dark corridors. As a kitchen servant she was allowed access to most of the keep. The few guards she encountered simply nodded as she passed, recognizing her from her arrest and subsequent service. The upper levels were a different story. Although Equestria was a peaceful nation and threats to the royal family were virtually unknown, the guards in the personal quarters would not be so lax as to simply let anypony wander in, particularly at night. Trixie, of course, was not any pony. She stopped halfway up the stairs to the royal quarters, where no one could sneak up on her, and worked her first spell of the night. Her horn glowed with a brief silver light, then suddenly snuffed out as the night’s darkness covered her like a shroud. It was a simple trick, one she used on stage to mask her movements. At night, in a dark hallway, it was as good as being invisible. None of the guards saw an odd shadow sweeping by. The marble beneath her hooves was absolutely silent, thanks to a simple cantrip that dampened sounds. Even the currents of air she stilled with her magic, lest a stray breeze alert the guards to something unusual. The end of the hallway was taken up by a massive pair of golden double doors, stamped with a stylized sun. Two armored pegasus guards stood alert in front of them, oblivious to her presence even as she strode close enough to touch them. Faint sounds of music and laughter bubbled up from the party far below, the only hint of any waking life in the castle beyond the dark corridor. Opening the doors would be impossible to mask, even for her, so she didn’t bother. She had been in the room beyond many times as a servant, delivering and collecting dishes, and it took no effort at all to form an image of the room in her mind. Her horn flashed again, invisible behind its spell, and when she opened her eyes she was no longer in the corridor. Celestia’s personal quarters were surprisingly sparse. The goddess apparently didn’t feel the need to stuff her room with treasures, instead filling it with comfortable furniture, rows of bookcases, and tasteful paintings of scenes and ponies from Equestrian history. The anteroom she found herself in was virtually empty, decorated only with an ornate golden armillary hung from the ceiling -- a collection of concentric rings twisted into a sphere, representing the motion and locations of the heavenly bodies. If she hadn’t looked up to check for traps she would have missed it completely. She could sense magical alarms tingling, on the verge of tripping and alerting the castle to her intrusion. Reaching out with her magic, she calmed them, muting them like vibrating strings. Although elaborately crafted, the alarm spells were ancient, and had never been designed to stop a true magician from entering. The bedroom lay beyond a large archway, which was tall enough for the alicorn princess to stride through without having to duck her horn. The room was decorated with soft, dark colors, so unlike the sun and day she epitomized. Midnight blue drapes concealed windows; azure rugs felt soft and luxurious beneath hooves. The only artwork was a small, framed painting of the Princess Luna, so old the colors had faded and the paint cracked like dry earth. Trixie spent several minutes in silence, going over the room and its contents. The massive bed was shrouded with translucent curtains, hiding its occupant. Next to the bed was her target, a tall wood rack on which hung a large golden torc and a pearlescent crown, both removed from their bearer for the night. Perched atop the rack was an unwelcome surprise – a large, sleeping phoenix with its head tucked under its wing. She had mistaken the creature for a lantern when she entered, but the bird itself filled the room with a soft, mellow light similar to a candle. There was no way to remove the torc from the rack without lifting it completely over the phoenix as well. Again, what would have been a challenge for most ponies barely caused Trixie to break a sweat. She levitated the torc delicately away from the pegs it rested on, and lifted it up the length of the rack. The phoenix didn’t even stir as she lifted the torc over it, and then across the room into her waiting mouth. It was larger than she expected, but fortunately folded along several concealed joints, and she was able to fit it into her saddlebag with some difficulty. The next part was far harder. Walking back into the anteroom, she focused her magic on the golden armillary, insinuating her will into the fabric of its being. The sculpture shuddered and popped as she gave it a few mental twists, and with a final flash it vanished, replaced by a mirror image of Celestia’s torc. She levitated the forgery back into the bedroom, carefully sliding it onto the rack over the sleeping phoenix. A simple imitation might fool most ponies, but probably not Celestia, and Trixie couldn’t take that chance. Her horn glowed again as she probed at the real torc in her saddlebags, letting it press against her magical senses. It felt… heavy. Far heavier than it should. Even though she knew its mass and could carry it around without difficulty, it gave the impression of immense weight, of mountains and glaciers and deep, deep oceans. That was unsettling to the unicorn, but her illusions were up to the task. She laid another spell on the false torc, carefully twisting it to manipulate the impressions of its wearer. When she finished she was certain that it could withstand anything but the deepest inspection by the princess, or another powerful magician. Her prize firmly in her grasp, she turned to leave the bedroom. She paused for only a moment before teleporting back into the corridor, a single melancholy thought penetrating the fog in her mind. Forgive me, Luna. *** Less than an hour later Trixie was on a train heading to Appleloosa, the furthest station she could afford a ticket for. She tried convincing herself that she was elated, thrilled with her theft and the untold power the torc in her saddlebag promised. A lens, Luna had called it, perhaps the last one in all of Equestria. And it was hers. She tried to imagine the glory and adulation she would soon win, with the power of the lens augmenting her own magic. Who knew how great she might become? Who knew what heights she could conquer with its aid? But for some reason her thoughts always returned to a single point, a smiling, laughing face, the only pony who had shown her kindness or friendship. She did her best to push those thoughts out of her head. It was late and there was no celebration for her to attend in the morning. Better to get some sleep. Her cabin was empty of other passengers, so her restless dreaming disturbed nopony else. *** “You know, I haven’t watched Celestia do this in well over a thousand years.” Twilight Sparkle gave Luna a curious glance. They were standing on the side of a wooden platform, so similar to the one she saw from a distance as a child. At the center of the stage a large, sun-shaped ring rose high into the air, ready to frame the rising sun as Celestia worked her magic. “But I thought you were banished exactly a thousand years ago? That’s what the legend said,” Twilight responded with some confusion. Luna nodded, her eyes on the frame above them. “I stopped coming many years before that. It just seemed like Celestia was trying to rub salt into my wounds, to prove how much more the ponies loved the day and summer than the night and winter.” She paused for a moment, her gaze softening as she remembered events that had been forgotten long before Twilight’s birth. “Did you know I once held a Winter Moon Celebration? To mark the longest night of the year?” “You mean Winter Solstice Day?” Twilight asked. “We still celebrate that. It’s one of the biggest holidays of the year, especially for foals.” She grinned, remembering the presents her parents hid around their house on solstice day. One time she had taken to telepathically dismantling the walls in her searching. After that her parents just left the presents in a large pile for her to find in the morning. “No, Celestia started that holiday after I was gone,” Luna said. “There were no presents, no families or parties as part of my Celebration. It was just me, inviting all of ponykind to watch me raise the moon on the coldest, darkest night of the year.” She sighed. “Only one pony showed up.” “Who?” Twilight asked, though she suspected she knew the answer. She leaned in close, resting a hoof on the princess’s shoulder. “Celestia, of course.” Luna’s voice was soft, almost a whisper. “Even though she knew how much I resented her, she still showed up to offer her support. “It was a terrible winter that year, Twilight, and Canterlot wasn’t like you see today, with these streets and buildings.” She took a breath, and continued. “It was just a large town outside our keep. The streets weren’t lit and nopony went out at night, especially not in such terrible weather. “But she came,” Luna finished. “She sat in snow nearly up to her neck while I raised the moon. She said it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.” The princess slumped as she recalled the memory, her head hanging below her shoulders and the tip of her horn nearly touching the platform. “And I hated her for it.” She closed her eyes before any tears could escape. “She showed me more love on that one night than I showed her in an entire year, and I hated her for it.” Twilight was silent. Around them the Solarium was filling with ponies; already thousands crowded close to the stage, and more streamed into the plaza from the surrounding city. “I was such a stupid filly, Twilight.” Her words were blunt and even, with no more emotion than if she had remarked on the weather. Nothing in Twilight’s studies of friendship had prepared her to deal with a melancholy goddess. She looked across the platform to her friends, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, but both were occupied with other, happier conversations. “Luna,” she finally said, “I haven’t known Celestia as long as you, obviously, but she practically raised me from a filly. I think I know her pretty well. And I can tell you the only time I’ve ever seen her happier than last night at your party was the day we freed you from Nightmare Moon.” Luna, princess of Equestria and goddess of the moon, sniffled. “Really?” she said. Twilight nodded. “Uh huh.” The princess sniffed again, then straightened, a weak smile on her face. “You’re a good friend, Twilight.” She blushed. “Well, I’m learning.” *** The rose tint of dawn was coloring the eastern sky when Celestia appeared, striding up onto the platform. She paused long enough to give her sister and Twilight Sparkle a smile, then moved to the center of the stage, just beneath the ornate sun sculpture. The crowd was silent as Celestia gazed to the east. Although she could technically raise the sun any time she wanted, she never seemed to be in any particular rush to do so. Instead she waited, letting the sun continue on its appointed path. Finally, as the sky whitened and the clouds began to glow with the sun’s light, she leapt into the air, her massive wings easily lifting her into the empty center of the sun sculpture. Behind her the tip of the sun peaked over the mountains, and the rays of dawn washed over her and into the wildly cheering crowds. And then the sun princess did something Twilight had never seen. She froze in mid-air with her wings outspread, no longer flapping to keep herself aloft. For a moment she seemed to defy gravity. But only for a moment. Before Twilight even realized something was wrong the princess plummeted back to the platform without attempting to land properly. Ponies shouted in alarm as the structure shook under their hooves, and several planks buckled and broke beneath the force of Celestia’s crash. Luna recovered first. “TIA!” she yelled, and darted toward her sister. She pressed against the larger mare, helping her back onto her hooves. Twilight was at her side next, her eyes wide with alarm. “Princess, are you alright?” The cheers of the crowd were beginning to die off as those ponies not on the platform realized something was happening. The huge alicorn shook her head, as though trying to clear it. “I-I’m sorry,” she said, stumbling over her words. It was the first time Twilight had ever seen the princess in any sort of distress. “I just felt a little light-headed there for a moment.” Luna pressed her muzzle against her sister’s neck, then drew back in alarm. “Stars, ‘Tia, you’re burning up! Why didn’t you say you were sick?” Celestia rose to her full height, fluttering her wings to settle her feathers before relaxing them against her body. The crowd began to calm down, some of their initial alarm passing as they saw their princess recover. “I didn’t think I was, beloved sister,” she said. “Something about the sun just felt odd, something I haven’t felt in a long time…” She turned to the east, where the rising sun finally illuminated the platform itself. Celestia stood transfixed, staring at the orb as though she had never seen it before. Twilight stepped toward her mentor. “Princess, perhaps we should go back inside and…” she trailed off. The air around the princess was beginning to shimmer, like heat rising off of hot cobblestones in the summer. “’Tia, you’re scaring us,” Luna said, stepping up next to Twilight. Applejack and Rainbow Dash followed behind her, staring at the princess with alarm and confusion. “No… no, this is wrong,” Celestia said, almost whispering. She stared at the sun until the smell of smoke caught her attention. A glance at her hooves revealed the wood platform beginning to smolder beneath them. She jumped back, her wings fanning out in alarm. Twilight stumbled back with her friends. The blast of air from Celestia’s wings was like standing before an open oven. Only Luna seemed unaffected. “What’s wrong?!” she cried, her voice starting to break. “’Tia, what’s happening?” She ignored the burning air and stepped toward her sister. The crowd began to rumble again as those closest to the stage shied away from the heat. Tiny flames began to lick at the wood under Celestia’s hooves. She danced away but the flames followed, forming a trail of burning hoofprints around her. The air around her began to crackle ominously. After a few alarmed steps she stopped and ignored the fires, instead turning again to the sun as she realized, too late, what was happening. She was in the middle of a city of nearly a hundred-thousand ponies. In a few minutes all of them were going to die. There wasn’t enough time to fly away. She tore her eyes from the sun long enough to give her sister a final, aching look, and began to weave the largest spell she had ever attempted, her horn glowing like a second sun. Twilight saw none of this. The heat pouring from Celestia’s body was like standing next to a blacksmith’s forge. She covered her eyes with her forelegs as the temperature began to spike, and felt the hairs of her coat curling as they started to burn. There was a final flash, visible even through her clenched eyes, and suddenly the heat was gone. When she looked around, she was no longer in Canterlot. *** When the glow of her spell faded Celestia was alone on the platform. Every living pony in Canterlot had been wrapped in her magic and sent miles away. She considered teleporting herself out of the city, but quickly discarded the idea. A blind teleport could drop her anywhere, and probably kill anyone or anything she landed next to. The wood platform was fully engulfed in flames. A column of smoke visible throughout the city was starting to rise from the Solarium. A moment later the stage buckled beneath her hooves and collapsed. Her thoughts, which had seemed so clear just moments ago, were beginning to unravel. The merciless rays of the sun hammered at her mind. Teleporting all those ponies away should have been impossible, she thought absently as she kicked her way out of the ruined stage, scattering burning wood for hundreds of feet around. The spell should have taken more power than even she could wield; instead she had hardly noticed the drain. But at least they were safe, even though she could barely remember their names now, with the sun’s brilliance drowning her thoughts. They had been important to her. She glanced around the plaza, annoyed by the smoke pouring from the dozens of small fires she had just started. The cobblestones beneath her hooves started to glow a dull, cherry red. She looked up at her home, the keep perched far above the city on the side of a mountain. Her horn flared, and she was gone. *** The keep was fortunately empty when Celestia appeared in her throne room with a flash. The same spell that evacuated the city below had reached far enough to remove everyone from the castle as well. The moment she materialized the tall glass windows lining her throne room, replaced just a month ago, exploded outward as the air in the room superheated and violently attempted to escape. Her huge throne, dozens of feet away, blackened and burst into flames after just a few seconds next to her brilliance. Tiny rivulets of gold were running down her chest, she realized. Her torc, which should have been able to survive unharmed inside a volcano, was beginning to melt like wax. She tore it off with a hoof in a sudden rage. It flopped to the crackling floor at her feet with a wet *plop*, already halfway to becoming a puddle. She stomped on it furiously, screaming as the spells around it collapsed and it turned back into a ruined, melted version of her armillary sphere. Somepony had stolen her torc. Somepony had stolen her torc, not realizing what it was for, and because of their foolishness the world was going to burn. Fires raged throughout the keep, carried by currents of air that were nearly aflame themselves. Within minutes of her arrival every organic item in the castle was burning. Dozens of acres of gardens, among the finest in the world, began to ignite. The trees turned into massive torches, their crowns lighting the mountainside for miles around. Carefully manicured topiaries twisted in cruel mockeries of the forms they had been carved to emulate. Above the roaring fires a series of deafening cracks sounded, as tiny pockets of air trapped in the stone sculptures expanded and burst. Thousands of animals screamed or shrieked or remained silent, each according to their natures, as they burned. There was another flash from within the keep, and every living thing still in the gardens mercifully died. In her throne room the being that had once called itself Celestia looked around in confusion. Still shaped like an alicorn, it bore only fragments of her personality and thought, all crowded out by the brilliance of the star burning inside her. The marble beneath her hooves liquefied and flowed away from her in streams. There was no more fire around her, for there was nothing left to burn. The stone columns holding up the roof sagged and finally surrendered the fight; no longer supported, the ceiling attempted to simultaneously collapse and explode. One thought remained in the tumult of her mind: her torc. It was still out there, she could sense. Far to the west, and moving further away with every passing second. Below her the marble ceased to melt and instead simply evaporated. Tiny flickers of ghostly light surrounded the few solid objects remaining in the room as their composition broke down into thin tendrils of plasma. She could still fix this. With the torc, she could again be whole. She fanned her wings, flapping them to no effect. The superheated air around her was thinner than the void between the stars, and nowhere near dense enough to support her weight. But that was fine – alicorns had never needed wings to fly. She continued to flap, entirely out of habit, as she rose into the air. Once she was clear of the ruins of the keep she began flying west, slowly picking up speed. Like the stars’ own spear she lit a burning trail through the skies.