//------------------------------// // Act One: Chapter Six - Destiny // Story: Turning Points // by Slatewings //------------------------------// Act One: Chapter Six - Destiny “Know what girls?” Tourmaline pouted, “You’re walking home.” The room Tourmaline had been chased into was plain, though the marks on the floor around the walls suggested the furniture had been cleared out for the test. Aside from the high ceiling and a curtain obscuring most of the far wall, the only notable feature was the roped queue line and dozens of nervous looking ponies standing about the room. “Awww... but I think it’s cute,” teased Luna. “Walking... home.” “Attention please,” a proctor yelled through a levitated megaphone, “everypony queue up for the admittance test!” Tourmaline and the sisters dropped the banter and filed into line. Luna and Celestia did their best to look confident, and succeeded far better than Tourmaline was. A green mare behind them looked about ready to throw up. “When you reach the front of the line please wait for direction before proceeding through to the courtyard where the test will take place,” he yelled through the megaphone. The proctor pulled a rope, drawing back a curtain. It receded revealing a large featureless flat stone at least three pony heights tall and nearly as wide fit snugly in a door frame. The empty gap above the stone and empty pulley fittings in the ceiling made it clear that it was meant to be lifted into the wall. The proctor spoke to the first pony in line, “Ma’am, if you would please proceed through through to the testing room.” “Um... is there a door?” she asked. “Yes ma’am, of course. Please proceed,” the proctor answered. “Where?” The proctor tapped a hoof against the stone, “Why, right here, of course.” “That’s a door?!” “Yes Ma’am, please enter so we can begin your test.” “I... I’ll try...” the mare responded. The mare closed her eyes and focused. A moment later to horn glowed bright pink, matching a glow around the stone. She planted her hooves firmly and grunted with the strain and she put everything she had into it but no matter how hard she tried, it simply didn’t budge. A few moments pass before the proctor placed a hoof on the panting mare’s shoulder. “I’m sorry miss...” She teared up and walked back toward the dining hall, defeated. Tourmaline felt a tug at her mane and looked down to see a very worried looking Luna. “Is that the test?” she whispered. “No, I don’t think so, Luna,” Tourmaline answered, “I think you only get to take the test if you can get the door open.” “Why would they do that, make something like opening the door so hard?” Celestia asked. “There’s still a lot of ponies waiting behind us,” Tourmaline told her. “They can only accept so many, might as well take the best.” They watched in trepidation as the next pony also failed to make it through, as did the nest, and the next. The proctor didn’t look concerned. It was obvious they expected most everypony to fail. One pony, a dark grey stallion lit up his horn and disappeared in a flash of light. A voice from the other side called out, “Made it!” The ponies waiting in line erupted into cheers, even a few who hadn’t made it where stomping their hooves in applause. “Can he do that?” Luna asked. “Guess so!” Said the mare behind them, no longer seeming quite so nervous. “Very nice Mr. Cyprus! We do encourage creative solutions,” congratulated the proctor. “Thank you...” came the stallion’s muffled voice through the stone. Another stallion attempted to teleport through but couldn’t manage to complete the spell. One mare set her horn glowing and simply walked up the face of the stone and squeezed through the gap. Another levitated herself over the stone. All the while, despite the successes and cheers, Tourmaline could not help but keep a tally in her mind. For every pony who made it at least ten failed. She was confident in her magic but ten to one was daunting odds for the two fillies. Before she knew it she found herself standing at the front of the line. “Miss.... please advance through to the testing courtyard,” the proctor said as she gave a little bow. After a “Good luck,” from Luna and Celestia Tourmaline stepped forward and thought over her repertoire of spells. She kept coming back to the simplest of all. The one she was best at. She lowered her head and braced herself. A moment of concentration set her horn and the stone glowing a familiar sky blue. The stone ‘door’ was larger than anything she had lifted before, but Tourmaline was not going to let a chunk of rock stand between her and the choir. Horn blazing from a overglow, the stone began to lift. With the sounds of cheering behind her, Tourmaline walked under the levitating stone door to the courtyard other side. With a resounding thud the door fell back into place. Exhausted, Tourmaline plopped down on her rump panting. “An impressive, if not obvious, solution Ms. Tourmaline,” said the Proctor through the stone. Tourmaline found herself too out of breath to make a comeback. She looked around her surroundings. She and the other applicants who had made it through appeared to be in a tent set up against the door. Nothing of the outside could been seen. “I think they want us to be surprised,” said the stallion the proctor had called Cyprus. “Ms. Luna, please advance to the courtyard,” said the proctor’s stone muffled voice. Tourmaline’s heart pounded in her chest as she silently willed the filly to succeed. For a few stomach twisting moments nothing happens. Suddenly there is a collective gasp from the hall followed by cheering. Still, for several seconds there is no sign of Luna. Tourmaline began to worry that whatever spell Luna has used at failed. Then she noticed it. A curious blue fog began to seep around the stone before pouring over the top. Tourmaline rubbed her eyes in disbelief as the mist pooled on the ground and coalesced in a very surprised Luna. “Very creative spell work Ms.Luna,” came the proctor’s voice through the stone. Tourmaline sprang to her hooves and scooped up the filly, “I KNEW you could do it, Luna!” she exclaimed while hugging the still stunned filly, “Come to think of it... how in the world did you do that?!” “I... I have no idea,” Luna stammered, “I didn’t know I COULD do that.” She gave a little shudder, “I don’t think I want to do it again either. It felt... weird.” “I don’t doubt it!”She gave the filly a hug before putting her down, “I wouldn’t want to turn into fog either.” “I turned into fog?!?” Tourmaline laughed, “Ya. Ya you did.” Luna just shook her head. “Ms. Celestia, please advance through to the testing courtyard.” “Guess it’s your sisters turn,” Tourmaline said to Luna. Luna stood on her hind legs and yelled over the stone, “You can do it Tia!!” Minutes pass and there is nothing. They heard the proctor say to Celestia, “I’m sorry miss, please return to the dining hall to wait.” “Wha? Wait! No, give me just one more chance! Please, I can do it!” Celetia cried desperately. The proctor sighed, “One more try...” Luna and Tourmaline held their breath. They could see the golden glow of Celestia’s magic shining over the stone. Still, nothing happened. “Gah!! Stupid rock, get out of my way,” they heard Celestia yell from the other side, “I’ll show you who’s boss, you dumb rock!” The stone thumped as if Celestia had kicked it. “I know I can do this. Why’re you picking on somepony smaller than you?! some pony ought to cut you down to size!” There was a moment’s pause, “Oh wait!!” The light of Celestia’s magic glowed brighter over the door as the center of the rock began to glow a matching gold. A network of lines began appear in the middle of the stone. Luna and Tourmaline watched in amazement as the lines blazed and the rock within them began to smoothly pulled out of the stone to form a filly sized tunnel. “Told you I could carve with my magic, Miss Tourmaline!” Celestia declared happily as she bounded through the newly formed tunnel to the awaiting hugs from her friend and sister and cheers from those other ponies who had made it. “Sculpt,” Tourmaline corrected with a laugh. “An impressive display of control, Miss Celestia,” the proctor said through the hole Celestia has left. The proctor restored the hole in a flash of magic and the test resumed. Most ponies failed to find a way around the stone but a few do make it through. Most had pretty creative solutions, one pony somehow manifested a door on either side of the stone and simply walked through, but Tourmaline noticed with pride that nopony else was able to lift the stone. Or turn to mist, for that matter. They talk, laugh, and cheer with the ponies who made it while they wait. “Hey everypony, the proctor said this is the last one!” somepony said. Everypony gathered to cheer the last applicant on. From the other side of the stone they could hear whoever it was grunting and straining with determination. The door shook and there was a sun bright flash of pink light from over the stone. Then another, louder and brighter this time. A single great blast that sent faint cracks through the now hot stone of the door. On the other side they could hear somepony panting loudly, out of breath. There was a scream like a battle cry and a final great pink blast that blew a hole straight through the wall beside the stone and sent dust and debris billowing into the tent. “Ha! Why didn’t I just do that the first time?” said a colt’s voice. “Very unorthodox not to mention messy, but not ineffective Mr Finish Line,” said the proctor’s voice through the dusty air. “Thank you Sir, I never let anything get one over on me” With another pink glow of the applicants magic a swirl of wind cleared the air of dust, and revealed a familiar grey and green colt. Luna gasped as their eyes met and whispered, “The bully...” “You!!!” yelled Celestia as she jumped forward to meet him, “What are you doing here?!” Finish Line glared, “They let You in too? Wait till my father gets a hold of you three!” he said, pointing and Tourmaline and the sisters. “You just left me there! It took an hour to for somepony to come levitate me out of there.” Tourmaline stepped between Celestia and Finish Line, “Well you needed a timeout, young colt! Although, it looks like it didn’t do much to improve your manners.” “AHEM!” huffed the proctor as he stepped through the ruined wall, “You can deal with your problems on your own time. For now let’s move onto the test.” Tourmaline levitated a fuming Celestia and withdrawn a Luna onto her back, “We’ll talk about it later, girls” she said to the sisters. “So is that it?” Somepony asked. “It?” answered the proctor, “No ma’am you still have a test to complete.” “But we just did the test, didn’t we?” The proctor laughed, “That wasn’t the test, ma’am. I told you in the beginning, that was the door.” Somepony else who obviously hadn’t paid attention said, “Just the door?! You have to go through that every time you want come out here?” “Of course not!” the proctor chuckled, “We would have just pulled the lever.” “The lever!?!” everypony cried at once. He shook his head, smiling, “Come on everypony, follow me so we can explain the test.” Tourmaline ignored the angry colt’s eyes boring into the back of her head and followed the procter out of the tent into the open outside. She had seen most of the palace during her visits but had not seen this particular courtyard, although she did recognise several of the adorning sculptures as her own. She examined one, an image of a unicorn set against the moon, as she passed it and noted the ‘on loan’ label on its descriptive placard. She smiled as she realized that High Horse had probably lent it to the arcanum from his personal collection of her work. They crossed the courtyard and were met on the far side by a few ponies in proctor uniforms standing behind a row of smooth stone spheres about half a pony in diameter. One of the proctor raises a megaphone with her magic. “Attention everypony. I’d congratulations for making it this far,” she began, “Before we continue I’d like you to know that you’ve all done very well and we are proud to have each and every one of you here. “Before we begin the final test we will divide you teams of two. This will be the pony you will be taking your test with so pay attention. And no, you cannot switch partners.” The proctors divided the applicants up into pairs. Celestia and Luna stood close to each other in hopes that they would be placed together. Instead, Luna was placed with Tourmaline. “Um.. excuse me Mr. Proctor sir?” Tourmaline asked. “Yes ma’am?” he answered. “I know you said no switching but my friend here was really hoping she could be with her sister and...” the proctor stared at her, deadpan. “No switching... got it. Sorry.” The proctor moved on and Tourmaline turned to the sisters, “Sorry girls... I tried.” “It’s okay Miss Tourmaline,” Celestia said while patting Tourmaline on the shoulder, “You could use the help anyway.” Luna giggled and gave her sister a hug, “Good luck.” “You there,” the proctor said while checking his list. “Celestia and... Finish Line. Partner up.” “NO WAY!!!” they cried in unison. “Yes way, indeed,” the stallion said, peering over his notes, “You are both very talented and despite YOUR aggressiveness,” pointing at Finish Line, “and YOUR mischievousness,” pointing at Celestia, “the chairponies feel both of you would be valued additions to the choirs. Furthermore... you are both attuned to the sun.” Celestia’s lip curled at that, is if he didn’t have the right. “Given your talent there is ample reason to suspect you will be working together.. on the same team.... for the rest... of.. your.. lives. So, yes way.” “But...” Finish Line started to argue. “But nothing. If you can’t work together... the exit is back through there.” He pointed at the tent. “Yes sir...” they acquiesced. The two grumbled and stood next to each other unhappily. “Now,” the proctor with the megaphone continued, “Allow me to explain how the test will be conducted. The test is quite simple, all you have to do is move a stone sphere from one end of the courtyard to the other using nothing but a simple rod. You may use any means necessary to move the sphere from one end to the other so long as you do not roll is and use no tool other than the issued rod. Please note, you may not use magic on the sphere itself. Aside from these, there are no restrictions. “Is everypony ready?” A few applicants managed a nervous assent. “Then please proceed to the starting line.” They do as they are told and line up. Celestia and Finish line refused to look at each other. A proctor issued each pony a simple metal staff about a pony height in length. The proctor spoke once more, “This test is meant to show your capacity for teamwork. The choirs require members who can work together to perform their duties. Failing to move the sphere from one end to the other will not necessarily result in disqualification. However, crowding out your partner, refusing to cooperate, and simply giving up will. “On the count of three you will begin. One. Two. Three. Begin!” Tourmaline and Luna press the ends of their staffs hard against their spheres and lift it into the air above them and move toward the finish line, they manage to get it a few feet before dropping it. Celestia and Finish Line start arguing the moment they begin and fail to even budge their sphere. The third time Tourmaline and Luna dropped their sphere Luna spoke up, “Miss Tourmaline? Can I try something?” Tourmaline wiped her forehead with a hoof, “Please do. We’re never going to make it this way.” Luna nodded and closed her eyes. She pressed the end of her staff to the stone and concentrated. The staff glowed blue with her magic and dissolved into a blue vapor that sank into the stone before returning to normal, leaving it firmly wedged in place. “Hey! It worked!” she exclaimed, smiling and levitating the whole thing like a giant stone lollipop. “Good idea, Luna!!!,” Tourmaline praised the filly, “Hang on, let me try. Might want to cover your eyes, I’m going to have to do this my way.” Tourmaline levitated her staff directly over the sphere. She lifted it a few yards into the air before plunging it straight down and into the stone as hard as she could with a resounding crack. “Well that’s one way to do it,” Luna laughed. The lifted their skewered sphere with ease and cross the courtyard and place it deftly on ground on the ground past the finish line. The two friend’s cheered and hoof bumped. Across the yard they see Celestia and Finish Line still haven’t moved their sphere so much as an inch. “Come on you dummy!” Celestia yelled at the colt. “We have to work together if we want to do this!” “Why don’t you just get out of my way and I’ll do it myself, blank flank!” he shot back. “I could already be done if you would just do what I told you.” “I told you, that’s against the rules. The proctor said ‘no rolling’.” “It’s rolling if we slide it! Is your brain as blank as your flank?” Finish line scoffed. “It’s hair splitting and you know it!” Celestia ignored the insult, “What’s the point if we get disqualified?” “What’s the point in doing nothing then? I seem to remember hearing that giving up will get you disqualified too!” Celestia yelled in frustration and said, “I almost hope we DO get disqualified! It would almost be worth it just to keep a jerk like you OUT of the choir!” Finish Line raised his staff to Celestia in anger before yelling in anger and blowing the rod in half with a magical blast. “Now look what you made me do!!!” He yelled. Celestia was on the verge of screaming when she realized something, “Ha! That’s it! You’re a genious! You’re a jerk but you’re a genious!” Finish Line just stared at her like she was an idiot. “Here watch,” he told him. Celestia focused her magic and cut her staff in half. “Grab your two halfs and do like me.” She braced the broken ends against her side of the sphere. Understanding what she was doing, Finish Line did the same. Together they carried the sphere across the courtyard and set it down beside Tourmaline’s and Luna’s sphere. Luna and Tourmaline hug Celestia in celebration. “I knew you guys could do it!” Tourmaline told Celestia. Celestia broke away and walked over to Finish Line. She offered him a hoof, “Thanks, Finish. I couldn’t have done it without you.” Finish Line scoffed, “No, you couldn’t have.” He turned his back on Celestia and walked away leaving Celestia’s hoof, and offer of friendship behind him. Tourmaline puts a foreleg around the filly, “Don’t worry about him Celestia. Aster Skies must have seen something in him. He’ll come around.” Together the three of them watched the rest of the applicants struggle to complete the test. They cheered those who struggled along and celebrated with those who made it. When the proctor with the megaphone announced that time was up, they consoled those whom the proctor’s didn’t pardon. At the end, perhaps one in four succeeded. After the failed applicants had been lead back to the dining hall Clover came to address them. “Congratulations everypony! You all did wonderfully!” she announced happily,”I saw some very creative solutions and no short order of teamwork. If you make it through training, and I hope you all do, there will come times when a choir mate slips and fails. We need ponies who are not afraid to work together and step in and help. Ponies we can depend on.” Tourmaline nudged Luna at that, “Ponies who know that the important thing is completing the task, not personal glory.” Clover raised a hoof to the crowd, ”Today is a day of celebration. I hope you will all be my personal guests tonight at dinner here at the arcanum. We have rooms available tonight for everypony so you can return home well fed and rested.” Clover grew serious, “Tomorrow you will have a chance to meet with your instructors before you leave. In three days time you will begin your training. Don’t worry about transportation, you are all apprentices in the celestial choirs now.” The crowd cheered. “We will ensure you have passage befitting that responsibility. “I bid you all a good day. Enjoy yourselves and get plenty of rest tonight, you’ve earned it. Please take the time to explore and enjoy the arcanium before you go. It belongs to you now.” The applicants, now apprentices, erupted into applause. Luna jumped up and down cheering at the top of her lungs. Celestia sat down on the flagstones and wept happily about how proud her father was going to be. Luna pat her head and kept cheering. Tourmaline smiled at the sisters role reversal. Over the din, Clover spoke again, “You all have great promise and we will enjoy teaching you everything you need to know. Know that the lessons will be hard. We must do everything we can to prepare you for the eclipse. But do not fear, the hardest learned lessons are often the most rewarding.” Tourmaline and Celestia heard a scoff behind them. They turned to see Finish Line walking away alone from the crowd. “And they’re the lessons you won’t soon forget,” he said over his shoulder without turning. Tourmaline and Celestia look at each other. “Don’t worry Tia, it’ll be fine,” Tourmaline told Celestia. “Hey,” Celestia answered, “The choir’s my destiny. He’s just a meanie. He’s the one that should be worried.” Celestia rejoined her celebrating sister, who was currently giggling herself silly with joy and excitement. Tourmaline looked back at the retreating colt, “I hope so, Tia.”