//------------------------------// // Act One: Chapter Two - Opportunity // Story: Turning Points // by Slatewings //------------------------------// Act One: Chapter Two - Opportunity “Wait wait wait... Was this before or after she put the bucket of water over your door?” asked Lily. “Before but I didn’t find out about it till I grabbed that towel full of glitter,” Tourmaline explained. Lily let out a peal of laughter, “Oh wow, how long did it take you to get it all out of your coat?” “Get it out? It’s been a week and I still sparkle!” The two walked side by side through the market, laughing at Tourmaline's misadventures in babysitting. In the past few months she had become Lily’s go-to sitter and close friend. In fact, Tourmaline had become quite fond of the little fillies and looked forward to their time together, no how much havoc Celestia might wreak around the studio. “So when is Silver Shield getting back?” Tourmaline asked. “Two weeks now...” Lily answered, “I’ll be hiring a carriage to take me and the girls to pick him up from his match. It’s a couple days round trip, but the girls can make it.” “You sure you don’t want me to watch them again for you? I’ll be going out to the quarry that week, Luna would love it.” “Oh I couldn’t ask you to watch them for that long,” Lily explained, “Besides, the girls miss him dearly. This way they get to see him a few days early.I think it’s harder on Luna, she is really close to her father. Won’t hardly talk to anypony else.” “Well the jousting season is almost over. He’ll be back soon. I’m sure he missed you and the fillies as much as you miss him.” Tourmaline winced at the price as she dropped a few bits on the counter and levitated her lettuce into her saddle bags. She tightened her scarf and continued to the next stall. “Hey girls, you want a treat?” Lily asked. Luna, always the quiet one, nodded emphatically. Celestia was nowhere to be seen. “Did she disappear again?” Tourmaline asked, “We’re never going to get done shopping if she keeps doing this.” “Celestia! Come out! It’s not funny anymore!” Lily called to her daughter. “Celestia do you hear me? Come out right now!” “Not going to work.” Tourmaline chimed, “She’s not coming out till she’s had her fun.” The two checked all of Tia’s favorite hiding places. They checked under clothing wracks, under tables, and behind every bin and sign. Still, no sign of the little filly. “Oh my my! Do you suppose she’s not playing! What if she’s hurt?,” worry crept into Lily’s voice. “I’m sure she’s fine, she just takes her little jokes too far sometimes. I have an idea.” She trotted over to a stall. “Can I help you?” snipped the earth pony attendant. “Um.. sure. I’d like two small bags of candied berries please.” “Small bags? Trying to watch your figure?.” “Hey!” Tourmaline was miffed “My figure is doing just fine, thank you very much!” “Woh there, it was just a joke. All you unicorns are so sensitive, I swear.” Tourmaline huffed, “Just give me my purchase and I’ll be on my way. How much?” She looked Tourmaline up and down, “For you.. call it twelve bits.” “Twelve bits?!” Tourmaline grumbled, “That exorbitant!” “What can I say? Ingredients are getting expensive. Besides a well to do unicorn like you can afford it.” “Not every unicorn is rich you know!” Tourmaline scoffed. “Then I guess you can’t afford the berries either.” Tourmaline grumbled and dropped the coins on the counter and snatched her purchase. “What was that all about?” Lily asked when she joined her. Tourmaline rolled her eyes, “Who knows, maybe she’s just having a bad day.” Another customer approached the stall as they walked away. “Hey dirt pony, you’re not gonna hold out on us again are you?” He asked. “I’d never! It’s not my fault my shipments are getting smaller, it’s been a bad season and winter is coming early this year.” shot back the sales pony. “Ya right, all you DIRT ponies care about is how many bits you can squeeze from us honest unicorn folk.” “Honest? I’ll have you know...” Tourmaline felt a pang of guilt, “Or maybe she’s got something to be upset about.” She shook herself and tightened her scarf. The salespony was right, It did look like winter is coming soon this year. “Okay Lily, watch and learn,” Tourmaline opened the bag and raised her voice, “Welp it looks like Tia’s not here anymore. I guess that means I get to eat her share of these delicious candied berries when I’m done with mine!” She popped one into her mouth, “Oh my it’s sooo good. Good thing I get to eat the BOTH bags by myself!” Ignoring the curious gaze of onlookers she dramatically ate the whole bag one piece at a time. Each time “mmmm”ing and “ahhh” ing after every bite. Soon she finished the bag and drew the second one out from behind her. “Hm.. still no Celestia? Oh well. Guess that means I get to eat hers too!” She opened wide and made to pour the contents in her mouth when an indigent,”Hey!!”called out from underneath a kiosk selling pots and pans. “Gotcha!” Tourmaline exclaimed as she levitated the kiosk, merchandise, and startled merchant straight into the air revealing a little champagne pink filly. Tourmaline laughed and scooped her up, “I knew you couldn’t resist.” She tousled the filly’s mane and set her on her hooves. “You really need to stop running off, Tia. You worried your mother that time.” “Sorry mommy...” Celestia scrapped a forehoof against the ground. “It’s okay sweetheart. Just please stop running off. You’re going to give me a heart attack.” “I promise,” Tia agreed. She might love to play tricks but she truly was sorry. A prank gone too far is no fun for anypony. “Tourmaline... don’t you think you should....” Lily nodded toward the floating kiosk. “Oh sorry,” she carefully set the stand back on the ground. “How in the world did you... that must weigh a ton!” asked the stammering shopkeep. “Oh that’s nothing,” she responded shrugging, “I spend a healthy bit of my day lifting big old stone blocks around. Your kiosk couldn’t have been more than half a ton.” Tourmaline apologized, waved goodbye, and flipped Tia the remaining bag of berries. “Just make sure to share with your sister,” she told her. Suddenly Lily went into full mommy panic mode, “Oh no! Luna! Tourmaline, where did she go!” The poor mare was growing frantic, Luna would never hide but she did have a tendency to wander off while day dreaming. “Celestia! Have you seen your sister!?” “No mommy... I was under that stand the whole time. I thought she was with you.” “This is why you don’t run off and hide, Tia!” Lily scolded. Lily started frantically running from pony to pony begging them to help her find her daughter, leaving a frowning Celestia standing beside Tourmaline. Tourmaline placed a hoof on her friend’s shoulder and bade her to calm down. “It’s okay Lily, she couldn’t have gotten far. Here, I’ll keep Tia with me while you go look. I’m sure once she bumps into something and comes back to reality she’s realize she’s wandered off and comes right back.” “Okay, okay.. you’re right. I’m sure she’s fine. UNLESS SHE’S NOT! But I’m sure she is. You two wait right here, I’m gonna go find her.” Lily ran off the direction they came calling “Luna! Luna!” into the crowd. Tourmaline wrapped a foreleg around Celestia, “Don’t worry about it Tia. Your mom worries about you guys. Let’s find a bench and wait for her to come back with your sister.” They located a bench with just enough room to squeeze in and sit down when they hear a colt’s voice rise over the din. “Why don’t you watch where you’re going, blank flank!,” the angry voice shouted, “We’re in the middle of a game here.” No answer was heard whomever had offended them.. “What’s wrong, blank flank? Can’t you talk?” somepony snickered, “Awww, I guess the little blank flank doesn’t know how to talk yet. Is the the little blank flank just a foal? Well then I guess somepony better put you on time out.” A timid voice replied, “I.. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to...” Tourmaline and Celestia shot to their hooves, “Luna!” they cried in unison. Dashing through the crowd toward the voices, they stopped at the edge of a dry stone drainage canal where several fillies and foals were standing around a foursquare grid. The group was an even mix of unicorns, pegasi, and earth pony fillies and colt. It would have been an encouraging sign if several of them didn’t have a frightened looking dark blue filly cornered against the wall at their hooves. “YOU STAY AWAY FROM MY SISTER!!” Celestia leapt from the edge before Tourmaline could stop her and landed between her sister and the small mob of angry fillies and colts. Her horn flared to life in a flash of pale gold light. “What’s going on here?” Tourmaline demanded from the ledge, “You just wandering around looking for somepony to pick on?” “What? No!,” a light grey unicorn colt answered, eyes glaring with indignation beneathhis green mane “We were minding our own business when THIS stupid little blank flank walked right into our four square game!” Celestia’s horn brightened and her eyes narrowed at the insult to her sister. “That’s it?! That’s what this is all about? What does her not having her cutie mark matter when older ponies like you still act like little foals?,” the colt gritted his teeth at that, “Grow up!” Luna turned away from the mob to Tourmaline, “I’m sorry Miss Tourmaline. I was daydreaming and I wasn’t watching where I’m going. I’ll be more careful.” “It’s okay Luna, just climb up here and lets get going.” “Oooh no. She’s not going anywhere” The colt’s horn light up, “See, when she walked in here the ball bounced off her stupid head and down the storm drain. Way I see it, she owes us a new one.” “Maybe she does owe you a ball. When your parents ask me for one I’ll be sure to buy you a new one. Right after you tell them how you treated Luna.” “How about no! She doesn’t leave until I get my new ball!” The colt’s horn flashed and Luna lifted off the ground, wrapped in a pink glow. Luna cried out and Celestia leapt forward. A burst of golden light sent the colt sliding backwards on his rump. The Celestia scooped up a stunned Luna on her back and ran back toward Tourmaline. “Oh no you don’t!!” Called the enraged colt as he got to his hooves. His horn lit up again as he prepared a spell. Suddenly, the stones around the colt’s hooves began to glow with a soft blue light. He whinnied in surprise before yelling at the concentrating Tourmaline standing above him on the ledge, “Ha! Was that suppose to be something? Some unicorn YOU are.” Tourmaline threw back her head and at once the glowing ring of stone jerked upward forming a three pony high ring of solid rock around the bully. “Hey! Let me out!! You let me out right now!” Cried the enraged voice behind the stone wall. “Sorry, no can do,” Tourmaline answered while levitating the sisters out of the drainage canal, “It’s time somepony put YOU on a time out.” Tourmaline and Celestia wrapped Luna up in a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” said Tourmaline, stroking the sobbing little filly’s head, “You can’t wander off like that okay?” The filly wiped her eyes and nodded. The trio turned to walked back to the bench, leaving a furious colt behind. “Ya!” chimed Celestia, “Next time I might not be around to save you.” Celestia stuck out her tongue at her sister Luna laughed a little and suck her tongue out back, “I’ll be more careful next time. I just don’t know why that colt was so mean.” Tourmaline smiled sympathetically, “Sometimes when ponies have something difficult happen in their life it’s easier for them to make themselves feel better by putting others down than it is it face what happened.” “But why does putting others down make somepony feel better at all?” Tourmaline shrugged, “I don’t know. Maybe if somepony else feels worse than they do their problems don’t seem as bad,” Under her breath she mumbled, “Or maybe they’re just a bad apple.” They arrived where Lily was suppose to meet them to find the girls’ frantic mom pacing back and forth. “OH MY GOSH LUNA!!” She rushed forward and wrapped the filly up in her forelegs and spun a full three times before setting a dizzy Luna’s hooves back on the ground. “Are you okay?! What happened?! I told you not to wonder off! I’m so glad you’re okay!” Tourmaline placed a sympathetic hoof on her shoulder and told her what happened and that Luna was very sorry and had learned a very important lesson about wandering off. Lily looked about ready to scold Luna for getting herself in danger but Tourmaline’s glance held her back. She took a deep breath and stroked Luna’s cheek. “I’m just glad those bullies didn’t hurt you, sweetheart.“ Luna’s smiled sweetly and hugged her mother. “Thank you Tourmaline.” Tourmaline waved it off, “Don’t worry about it Lily. Your girls are more than capable of watching out for each other.” “Well it’s getting late...,” hinted Lily, “I’m sure Tourmaline has lots of work to do back at her studio.” “Well...” she shrugged, “I guess I do have a little bit of work to get done.” Meaning about three days worth. “Maybe we should get...” DING! DING! DING! DING! A crier’s bell cut her off. “Hear Ye, Hear Ye!” the crier called, “All Unicorns are hereby cordially invited to attend a grand announcement to be held in the Palace courtyard in one hour! Hear Ye, Hear Ye! All Unicorns are invited to the Palace courtyard.” “I wonder what that’s all about,” asked Lily as he walked on, repeating his message, “Does everypony want to go?” “YAH! I wanna see the palace!!!” yelled a bouncing Celestia. “Uh.. sure,” answered Luna. “I, uh,”stammered Tourmaline as she thought of the mounting pile of work awaiting her back home. She was about to decline when she caught Luna pouting at her. “Oh... fine. Let’s go.” To save time, Tourmaline waved down a carriage and the four of them rode off to the Palace. “Wow! It’s beautiful!”exclaimed Celestia. Tourmaline had been here plenty of times to deliver her artwork to High Horse. She had forgotten how magnificent it was. As she looked up at the soaring walls and towers she smiled at the thought of how used to it she had become. Even the normally daydreaming Luna was enrapt. They were ushered through a large gate into in open courtyard filled with hundreds of other unicorns. Large banners emblazoned with the crest of the Unicorn clan hung from the walls. Members of the Royal Guard in their shining silver armor stood around the battlements at attention. A chorus of horns sounded and a regal stallion with a beige coat and a magnificent burgundy mane steps out onto the balcony. A stallion that Tourmaline was quite familiar with. His horn glowed softly as his magic amplified his voice to a volume beyond what it could have otherwise obtained. “Greetings, fellow members of the Unicorn Clan! My name is Lord High Horse and on behalf of our city, the Court, and Our Lady, Her Highness, Princess Platinum, I’d like to thank you for attending this most auspicious gathering on such frightfully short notice. You honor your Princess with your visit.” The crowd cheered at the praise. Even Tourmaline, who was somewhat used to the pomp at the palace thanks to Lord Horse’s patronage, found herself swept up in the applause. Little Luna and Tia were beside themselves with excitement. “I requested you all come to hear an announcement of great import. As I’m sure everypony knows, the end of winter is always a time of celebration. Feasts are held. Lively parties to mark the end of the season fill every hall in the land. But this year is exceptionally special.” He paused for effect, “I know it seems a bit early to begin celebrating the end of a season not yet upon us, but you see, my dear ponies, this coming spring marks a once in a lifetime event. The Vernal Eclipse!” The ponies chattered among themselves, not even the eldest were familiar with the event. “To better explain the great importance of this event allow me to introduce a dear friend of mine. A pony who has served this Court for longer than any other alive today. I present to you the Court Magus, Clover the Clever!!!” A silver and blue mare walked to High Horse’s side, cutting off the blast of music, just as it began, with a flick of her hoof. Without pomp she began, “As my host explained, the Vernal Eclipse is held only very rarely. The celebration to mark the passage of an event. As everypony knows, it falls to us, the unicorns, to guide the sun and the moon across the sky each and every day. To that end, our forebears created an Order. The Celestial Choirs.” “For all their long existance, the Solar and Lunar choirs have dedicated themselves to perfecting their craft. Yet, despite their labor their control of the celestial spheres is imperfect. Year after year, the sun and moon drift from their paths slowly.So once every great while, when the conditions are right, the choirs gather together in the spring and raise the sun and moon high in the sky together and through great effort bring them together in an eclipse.” “This great ritual aligns the sun and moon back on to their proper path and ensures the orderly passage of day and night for another age. It is a great undertaking, and an effort most difficult, but in all the ages past since the choirs ordaining by Queen Aetheris herself never have the choirs failed to return the sun and moon to their proper place in the sky.” More murmurs from the crowd as the magus continued. “It has been the tradition of the Choirs for each member to go out and seek an apprentice to tutor in the art of the Choirs but every hundred years, in remembrance of the first Choir who tamed the spheres and set them in their place, the Choir seeks its members in another way.” “Therefore, it pleases me greatly to be able to announce that two weeks from now the palace will host the traditional open auditions, for any and all unicorns, for the honor of apprenticeship in the Celestial Choir!!” Celestia went crazy. “OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYGOSH OHMYGOOOOOOOOSH!!!” The little filly pounced on her mom and firmly attached herself to her mother’s neck, “Oh PLEEEAAASE mommy! Can I try out for the Choirs! I’m a great singer!” “Tia..” Tourmaline commented (seeing how Lily is currently being choked by a frantic filly, “I don’t think it’s that kind of choir. You have to be really good at magic.” “But I AM really good at magic. Isn’t that right Luna?” Her sister nodded in agreement, “Remember the statue me and Luna carved? Aaand I handled those bullies all by myself.” Tourmaline rolled her eyes, “All by yourself?” “Close enough!” Lily managed to free her throat from Celestia's grip, “I’m sorry Tia, we can’t.” “Aww why not? It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity!” “Remember? We’ll be picking up your dad,” Lily explained, “We already paid for the carriage and everything.” “Awww.....” “Maybe Miss Tourmaline could watch us?” said Luna. “Oh I can’t do that to her. Besides, remember how excited you were when I told you he was coming home?” “Ya...but Daddy would be really proud of me if I got accepted.” “Oh sweetheart,” Lily hugged the filly, “Daddy is always proud of you.” “Please mom? It’s something really important and I really want to try.” Not even her own mother could withstand the shear heart wrenching power of Luna’s puppy dog eyes. “Oh I dunno...” “I don’t mind, you know,” Tourmaline offered. “No no. I’d feel bad asking you to take them for so long.” “It’s really okay, I’d love to take them. You can pick up Silver Shield, I’ll take the girls to the audition.” Lily sighed and Celestia cheered. “YAY! We’re going to be in the Celestial Choir!!!,” Celestia cheered, “They HAVE to let me in. I’m Celestia! It’s my DESTINY!” Lilly mouthed ‘thank you’ to her friend who smiled in return. They pushed their way through the crowd to the sign up booth to register the fillies. “Well, well, well, is that you, Tourmaline?” said a haughty voice that cut through the din. Tourmaline looked up to find Lord High Horse surveying the registration booths. “Your Lordship, it’s nice to see you. Quite the exciting announcement,” Tourmaline responded with as much respect as she could muster for her most important patron. “Exciting indeed. Are you here to register for the audition?” He asked. “No, Your Lordship, I could never abandon my calling as a sculptor. I’m here to assist my dear friend Lily Pond in registering her two fillies,” Tourmaline explained apologetically. “Ahh, so much the pity. Though, one must follow one’s heart. I dare say the Choir is no place for somepony whose heart isn’t in it.” He smiled warmly, “At least I won’t lose my favorite sculptor.” “There’s little sense in fighting against your special talent, Your Lordship.” “Indeed,” High Horse agreed, “Oh! Well this must be your friend.” Lily simply stammered as the stallion accepted and genteelly kissed the back of her offered forehoof. “You have a very talented friend, Miss Lily Pond. Best sculptor in the land, if I do say so,” he told the wildly blushing mare, “I wish yours the best of luck.” He turned away from the beet red mare, “Miss Tourmaline, I cannot wait to see your newest work.” “I’d be happy to show Your Lordship.” She answered with a curtsy. As the noble turned, Lily, who was still blushing, whispered to Tourmaline, “Not a word to my husband...” Tourmaline laughed and made a zipping motion across her lips. A chill wind whipped through the courtyard and Tourmaline, Lilly, and the fillies all shivered in unison. “Wow it’s getting cold early...Let’s get these fillies signed up and back home before they freeze,” chattered Lily. Tourmaline agreed and helped Luna get everything filled out right. Celestia insisted on doing it herself, so naturally she took twice as long. That finished, the friends made their way back to their respective homes with Celestia smiling widely. Luna, as always, was lost in her thoughts. As soon as she got home Tourmaline threw herself into her work. She labored to coax form from stone until she fell asleep on her hooves and stumbled to her bed. She flopped down in a puff of dust and scarcely moved again until morning. She woke to an insistent knock at her door. Tourmaline rolled over and tried to bury her head in her pillows to escape the rapping but relented and crawled to her hooves. She plodded to the door and opened it to reveal a very prim unicorn stallion in a palace uniform. “Miss Tourmaline I presume?” he asks. Tourmaline squinted her eyes against the unwanted sunlight, “Um..ya thats me. Can I help you?” “Yes ma’am, I’m here to deliver your ticket to the Celestial Choir auditions. May I have your signature?” he said, offering her a quill. “What? No, I’m sorry. There seems to be some sort of mistake. I didn’t sign up for the auditions,” she explained, confused. “Are you quite sure? Is this not your registration form?,” the stallion shows her an ornate parchment bearing her name and information, written in what is clearly a fillies penmanship. “Why that little...!” she calmed herself, “ I’m sorry sir. It seems I’ve been the victim of a prank.” She explained, “A certain little filly I know has some explaining to do.” “Miss Tourmaline, It matters not who filed the paperwork. Your name is on the list. Will you be needing your tickets?” “I’ve very sorry for the inconvenience. I’m working on a very important project for Lord High Horse and I simply don’t have the time,” she explained. “Ah, well that would explain why he knew your name,” the stallion nodded. “So you see why I can’t make it. I’d hate to let His Lordship down.” “Well that is too bad. The Lord seemed pleasantly surprised to see your name on the list. He mentioned that he was glad you had ‘a change of heart’, as he put it”, the stallion started to make a note, “I’ll make sure to let him know you won’t be able to make the appointment. He will be most disappointed. Tourmaline grimaced, High Horse was her most important, and wealthiest, client. And though he had introduced her to several other clients among the nobility in the past few months, she could not afford to risk losing his favor. She levitated the quill he had offered her, “On second thought, I might just be able to make the audition.”