Act One: Chapter Eight - Sun and Moon
Tourmaline’s hooves tapped quietly on the courtyard flagstones as she walked side by side with High Horse as they inspected the preparations for the evening’s Eclipse. They stopped to look over a face painting booth somepony had set up for the foals coming to the celebration.
“I want you to know how much I appreciate what you’re doing to Luna and Celestia,” she told him. “I know it means alot to them to be here.”
“Oh it’s the least I could do,” the gentlestallion responded while looking over a row of ‘official’ eclipse merchandise. “Clover may not be thrilled about it but she can hardly tell me who I can and cannot invite as my personal guests.”
“Well I hope you don’t get in any trouble.”
“Oh don’t worry about me, Tourmaline,” High Horse answered with a chuckle. “The old mare hasn’t lasted as long as she has by being spiteful. She’ll understand.”
Tourmaline gazed upward. High up, far above the lights and spectacle of the Vernal Eclipse celebration grounds, beyond the forcefield that kept the snow at bay, the moon and stars maintained their vigil. She sensed a familiar magical stirring and turned her eyes to the Choral Tower. The western balcony had begun to glow.
“Moonset,” Tourmaline whispered sadly as the forcefield flickered away to allow the Lunar choir to reach out and touch the moon. She and High Horse stood together and watched the great silver disk settle below the horizon. For a moment the sky was at it’s darkest before the east balcony of the tower began to glow, it’s light soon met by the sun rising over the horizon. Another dawn concluded, the forcefield rose back into place and a flurry of workers appeared to sweep up the snow that had fallen in that short time.
“I know you’re disappointed, Tourmaline,” High Horse comforted, “I would be too. Did you know I was selected for apprenticeship when I was a colt?”
“Really?”
“It’s true,” he answered, “Unfortunately, I’m one of those ponies they call ‘unattunable’. I was devastated. My father though was rather happy about it, and made little effort to hide it. Seems associating with the choir was beneath my station.”
“I’ll never understand that attitude. Most of the choir is noble born anyway.”
High Horse smiled, “Oh it had nothing to do with that,” he explained. “The nobles think they are the only group to deserve that level prestige and respect. They see something special in somepony else and it makes them feel threatened. A lot like that colt, Finish Line, I’d imagine.”
Tourmaline cringed inside, “Please don’t mention him to Celestia or Luna when they get here. He’s put them through enough.”
“Oh I wouldn’t dream of it. I know better than to put myself in the path of Celestia’s wrath, I’d hate to wake up one morning and find my mane half shaved.”
Tourmaline smiled at the thought, she wouldn’t put it past her. “I almost quit you know...”
“Really?” He said with honest surprise, “I thought you wanted this.”
“I do,” she answered, “I just thought that after missing out on the eclipse that it wouldn’t be the same.
“What changed your mind? Not that I wouldn’t mind having my favorite sculptor back,” he joked.
“Honestly? Luna threatened to kick my flank if I quit.”
High Horse laughed, “She’d probably pull it off too. I do hope you don’t hold any resentment toward them.”
Tourmaline sighed, “I guess I was mad at first, but it wasn’t their fault. Finish Line set Celestia up to fail and Luna... well I suppose I would have done the same if I was in her position.”
“Well, I am glad to hear it. Those two really do look up to you, you know,” Tourmaline smiled and nodded, “Oh speaking of which, your guests have arrived,” he said with a nod past her.
Tourmaline had just enough time to turn to look when a pair of blue and pink missiles tackled her to the ground.
“Girls! You promised to be good!” Lily begged as she and Silver Shield approached, “Now you help poor Tourmaline back up and say you’re sorry.”
“No no it’s fine,” Tourmaline groaned as she tried to rise to her hooves, “I’ll get them back later.”
“Ha!,” Celestia laughed, “Like you could ever pull one over on me.”
“I managed it,” High Horse said as he helped Tourmaline up.
“Not the same thing,” Celestia conceded, “You’re a prankster. She just doesn’t have it in her.”
“Stop that Tia,” Lily told her. “Lord High Horse, I really want to thank you for inviting us. It means so much to our family.”
“It’s nothing ma’am. I’m glad I could help.”
Lily flustered a minute before remembering, “Oh, uh, Lord High Horse, I’d like you to meet my husband, Silver Shield.” She waved a hoof toward Silver as he stepped forward.
“Ah, Silver Shield! I’ve been looking forward to meeting you!” High Horse accepted Silver’s outstretched hoof. “The infamous ‘Tower Shield’ of the second circuit. I’ve seen you compete before, very impressive.”
Silver bowed graciously, “Thank you, milord. It brings me great pleasure to know that one such as yourself has heard of me.”
Lily and Tourmaline laughed, “Relax Silver, he isn’t going to throw you into the dungeon if you don’t bow low enough.”
“Oh I don’t know,” High Horse said with a chuckle, “If we toss him into my personal dungeon I could show him off to the other nobles.” Silver blanched, leading High Horse to laugh again, “Really, you must relax. You and yours are here as my personal guests at the palace and moreover you are friends of Miss Tourmaline and therefore friends of mine.”
Silver looked over to Tourmaline who nodded and mouthed, “It’s okay.”
He forced a nervous smile and nodded, “Thank you Milord, er, sir. Most nobles I meet are usually mad at me beating the jouster they bet on.”
“Well they shouldn’t have bet against the Tower Shield then!” High Horse said. “Miss Tourmaline, shall we show these ponies around? I don’t think I’ve ever seen the girls stand in one place this long before. Poor Celestia looks about ready to explode.”
“Yeah, come on. I wanna look around!” the filly said, prancing in place.
Tourmaline smiled, “Well let’s go then. I’ve got to see you try out the junior jousting game.”
They turned to enjoy the games when an announcement rang out above the growing din of the courtyard calling all choir personnel to the Arcanum.
“Sorry everypony, I have to go,” Tourmaline told them with a wince, “Mind playing tour guide, High Horse?”
“I’ll show them the time of their lives,” he answered with a flourish, “Well until I have to attend to duties of my own.”
Tourmaline thanked him and galloped off.
Several hours later Tourmaline found herself standing at the entrance to the palace greeting dignitaries arriving for the royal reception while wearing a dress she was hardly sure she could walk in. Several minutes later she was joined by High Horse.
“Sorry I’m late, Miss Tourmaline,” he said as he took his place by her side, “One of our friends managed to get cotton candy on my coat.”
Tourmaline tried to hide a smile, “Let me guess, Celestia?”
“No,” he answered while bowing to an arriving earth pony envoy, “Silver Shield. I challenged him to a game of toss and he was so nervous after he beat me that he knocked down a display of treats right onto me.”
“Oh no, he must have been terrified.”
“I think he was about to start writing his will.”
Tourmaline giggled, “Well I’m glad you’re here, it’s bad enough they're making me dress up for greeter duty.”
High Horse offered one of his trademark charismatic grins, “My dear, if it’s any consolation, it suits you as well as a stone dust coated work apron anyday.”
Tourmaline blushed at the compliment and the two of them went back to greeting each pony as they arrived. Some time, and a great many bows, curtsies, and hoof shakes later, Tourmaline came to a conclusion.
“High Horse,” she said as she closed the door behind the last of the dignitaries, “I think I just realized something. You may be the one single upper class pony I’ve met who isn’t stuck up, full of themselves, or just plain rude.”
“Well I do try to sympathize with you common ponies,” he said with a wink, “just incase you ever storm the castle with your torches and pitchforks.”
“Let’s not give Celestia and ideas.”
“Quite,” High Horse answered, “Speaking of which, should we not rejoin her and her family?”
Tourmaline nodded, “They’re probably still out enjoying themselves. We might have time to squeeze in a few games before the ceremony starts.”
“I’ll bet you a berry tart I can beat you at ring toss,” High Horse teased.
“Oh you are on,” responded Tourmaline before taking a step, tripping on her dress, and falling face first onto the floor, “Maybe after I change out of this ridiculous thing first.”
Tourmaline carefully walked to the changing room and removed the frilly froo froo frock and rejoined High Horse. The two of them headed out together into the happy throng enjoying the carnival atmosphere of the eclipse celebration. They found the fillies and their parents playing a dart throwing game.
“Woo!” Luna yelled happily as her dart struck it’s mark, “I win again!”
“Aww... How’d you get so good at this game?” Celestia asked, “I’m older I’m suppose to win.”
“Then maybe you should try hitting the target,” Luna stuck her tongue out at her sister.
Celestia grumbled, “Next time I pick the game.”
“Fine by me,” Luna smiled, “Here you go, Daddy I got another one.” Luna levitated her stuffed smiley-faced moon prize over to her father who was already well loaded down with his daughter’s take for the day.
“Oh hey, Tourmaline!” Silver said as he tucked the prize into his swelling saddle bags, “Hello again, um, High Horse... Sorry about the...”
“Not at all,” High Horse interjected. “I rinse right out.”
“Where’s everypony going?” Celestia asked.
Tourmaline looked over the crowd, everypony was heading to the palace. “I guess it’s time for the ceremony.”
“Well come on! I wanna see stupid old Last Place’s face when he sees me in the crowd,” Celestia said while tugging on Tourmaline’s leg.
“Oh please don’t do anything to him, Tia,” Tourmaline pleaded, “Not today...”
“Oh don’t worry, Miss Tourmaline,” she rubbed her hooves together mischievously, “He’ll get himself kicked out soon enough... and then he’s fair game.”
Lily rolled her eyes, “Let’s just get to the ceremony before she starts plotting.”
As they approached the Choir Pavilion Tourmaline looked up in wonder. She was a talented sculpture, one of the best produced in generations, one of the best of all time if High Horse was to be believed, but even she was amazed by the work wrought by the earth ponies in such a short time.
The decision to allow the earth pony clan to construct the Pavilion had caused quite a stir in the court, it was quite the coup by Clover. A ‘concession for unity’ she called it. Whatever her reasons, magic or no, the earth pony artisans had worked wonders. Constructed solely of wood, the Pavilion was constructed of two parts, a raised central dais where the choir would stand while they conducted the eclipse, and an encircling ring to enclose the area where the nobility and esteemed guests would gather.
High Horse led the way as the approached a pair of guards ponies stationed at the pavilion gate. He simply smiled and nodded to the guards as they bowed deeply and allowed him through. Tourmaline was similarly let through, though without the bowing. Silver, Lily, and the fillies however had to show their gilt invitations and submit to a quick magical search.
Once through, Tourmaline gazed up in admiration at the craftsponyship of the earth ponies. The entire Pavilion ring was one enormous work of art displaying scenes of verdant fields attended by earth ponies, clear skies patrolled by earth ponies, and over the walkway unicorns suspending the sun and moon in the sky. Along the top were beautifully worked alicorns holding aloft the stars of the night sky. Ringing the inside were tall ebony statues of alicorns, with wide spread wings.
The dias, however, was relatively plain, but no less wondrous to a trained sculptor’s eye. About three times as tall as a pony, the dias was crafted to look like a flattened mountaintop. Wooden boulders and rocks lined a winding staircase to the top. Moreover, no matter how Tourmaline looked she could not find so much as a single seam. So great was the craftsponyship that it appeared to be carved from a single enormous piece of wood.
Despite the nagging sadness that she would not be taking part in the eclipse, Tourmaline could not help but smile. She was glad she came. She looked around for her friends. High Horse was nowhere to be seen, probably off preparing himself for his speech, he was still the choirs liaison. Lily was busy trying to coax Silver to try and talk to some of the other attendees but the poor stallion was simply too nervous with all the nobility about, despite the generally, and rare, amiable mood the Eclipse celebration had put them in. Celestia was busying herself by trying to eat her own weight at the refreshment bar that completely encircled the enclosure. Luna, as usual, had found a stool to sit on and was lost in her thoughts.
A silver bell rang out marking the beginning of the proceedings. Wearing robes of dark blue or gold the Lunar and Solar choirs entered the pavilion in two single file lines and proceeded up the stairs to the top of the dias. Tourmaline spied Finish Line among them. After they took their places High Horse ascended the stairs and stood behind the podium. He was soon flanked by Princess Platinum as well as Chancellor Puddinghead, and Commander Hurricane, the leaders of the Earth Pony and Pegasi clans, respectively.
From the dias, High Horse cast a smile down to Tourmaline before clearing his voice. He looked out over the ponies within and beyond the pavilion. His horn glowing with it’s silver aura, High Horse raised his magically amplified voice and greeting the crowd.
“Welcome everypony to the Vernal Eclipse celebration. It warms my heart to see so many ponies here from every clan, joined in friendship in celebration of this once in a lifetime event. Thank you all for joining us here at the palace. Before we begin I’d like to tell you a little about the Eclipse. In the past few months I’ve had the pleasure of learning a great deal about it’s past from a dear friend of mine.” He winked at Tourmaline sparking an embarrassed blush.
“Each clan has it’s own stories of our ancient past. Despite the debates of scholars more interested in clan prestige than truth, I am inclined to believe that most of them are true. What we can all agree on is that untold generations ago our ancestors, the alicorns, allowed their jealousy and selfishness to rule over them. They bickered and quarrelled over which flight carried the heaviest duty, those that cultivated the land,” he said with a nod to Puddinghead, “those that managed the skies,” Hurricane puffed out her chest proudly as High Horse gestured to her, “or that ordered the celestial spheres,” the Princess smiled gracefully. “As time wore on, rivalry gave way to conflict, and eventually hate. In the conflagration that followed, we lost our place among the stars, our immortality, and much of our power.”
Tourmaline saw Commander Hurricane whisper something from the side of her mouth, eliciting a giggle from Chancellor Puddinghead and a touch of a scowl from the Princess.
High Horse continued, ignoring or unaware of the royal antics behind him, “Sometime after that terrible conflict our ancestors came together as one one once again. That day they held the first eclipse, restoring the sun and moon to their proper paths and renewed their ancient pledge to maintain harmony in the world and vowed to undue the damage they did during the conflict and restore harmony.
“The generations that followed were no long alicorns, we have kept to that pledge. Though not always as harmonious as our forebears may have wished we have done our best to preserve what they gave us. Even now through this unnatural winter, the three clans have gathered here together to observe the ordering of the sun and moon and I have no doubts that if we work together, we can soon bring the long overdue spring to our lands.
“So without further ado, I present to you the Unicorn Clan’s greatest workers of harmony, the Celestial Choirs,” he finished with a florish, bowing first to the crowd and then to the Choirs before leaving the stage. The Princess, Chancellor, and Commander followed behind him.
“Very nice, High Horse,” Tourmaline greeted him when he descended from the dias. “How did you manage to convince the Princess to let you give the address?”
High Horse chuckled as he stood next to her, “I didn’t. Those three spent a full hour yesterday arguing over who was going to get to speak. Clover suggested I do it just so that they didn’t come to blows.”
“Shh! It’s starting,”said Celestia as she appeared beside Tourmaline with her mother, father, and sister.
Clovers walked to the podium and closed her eyes, not saying a word. A moment later her horn flared to life and sent a sun bright beam of light into the air to strike against the inside of her force field. Instantly it fell away and the snow began to fall on the palace again. From the east a veritable flock of pegasi flew in low, in perfect formation. They passed over the Pavilion and the formation shifted into a ring as the pegasi began to circle about the courtyard, faster and faster rising as they go. The ponies below ‘oohed’ and ‘ahhed’ as the rising whirl wing drove back the snow laden clouds and revealed the blue sky beyond for the first time in weeks.
Across the Pavilion Tourmaline saw the Princess, the Chancellor, and the Commander standing together by the refreshment table.
“Well I gotta give it to you earth ponies,” Hurricane said through a mouth full of mini quiche. “If nothing else, you guy’s can cook.”
Princess Platinum rolled her eyes and ignored her fellow ruler’s rough manners.
“Well thank you, Commander,” Puddinghead answered, “I’m glad to see somepony knows good food when she tastes it.” She made it clear that somepony was the princess.
“Well I’m very sorry if I offend but I daresay my palate may be a bit more refined,” said Princess Platinum.
“And what is THAT suppose to mean,” the Commander shot back with a stomp, and a few crumbs.
Tourmaline shook her head. This was the event of their lives and they were at it again. She did her best to tune them out.
Tourmaline felt a familiar hum as the Choirs began their spell. She looked down at Luna and saw in her face that she could feel it too. The thought brought a pang to her heart; did she have to sense the moons rise and setting every day knowing she couldn’t take part?
Suddenly light poured down onto the Pavilion. Far above, the sun and moon begin to pass over the hole in the clouds created by the pegasi. The light was at once both the warming radiance of the sun and the peaceful silver of the moon. As the light washed over Tourmaline, she felt the choirs’ song begin to change. As the sun and moon approach, she felt the music of the solar choir sing through her. She let out a little gasp as she felt it for the first time, amazing by how different it feels.
All around her the ponies were transfixed as they stared up at the sky with wide, fearful eyes. The edges of the Sun’s and Moon’s disks touch and there was an explosion of light like a mythical sonic rainboom. The expanding wave of prismatic energy washed away the clouds from horizon to horizon and despite the icy wind, Tourmaline felt the warmth of spring radiating down from the sky.
The joined song of the Solar and Lunar Choirs soared and reached a crescendo as the moon slipped in front of the sun. For a moment the sky went dark, but then the light of the sun seemed to shine through the moon and the very air around the Pavilion came alive with color and a magic palatable to unicorn, earth pony, and pegasi alike.
Through the enraptured cheering of the crowd, Tourmaline heard a nearby filly’s voice.
“Awwww...” Luna cooed as she taped her sister and pointed to Tourmaline.
Tourmaline looked down and realized that she and High Horse were holding hooves. She smiled happily and scooted closer to him so that they stood side to side.
“And another thing Miss Chancellor Chowderhead!!” Commander Hurricane’s cut through the excited noise of the crowd. “If you have something you want to say to me why don’t you just say it?! Are you too intimidated or something?”
“Intimidated? By a blowhard like you? Ha!” Puddinghead responded. “It should already be obvious, just look around you! This weather is crazy! Pretty clear you pegasi are just lazing around, you wouldn’t know hard work if it booped you one the nose.”
“Ha!” The princess let out a not quite ladylike laugh, “As if either of you have any idea what real responsibility is! Why, all YOU have to do is stick seeds in the dirt and all YOU have to do is push around the clouds, and really, how much could a cloud weigh.”
“You know what!” Hurricane yelled, “You’re nothing but a stuck up, overstuffed...”
There was a blast of bitter wind that drove across the courtyard and struck the pavilion. The gust ripped a flag from one of the poles. The flag flew over the outer ring and wrapped itself around one of the heavy ebony statues. It fluttered for a moment in the harsh wind before flaring open like a sail.
Ponies scattered in fear and the statue began to tip. Before Tourmaline could catch it in her magic it toppled over and struck the side of the dias. With a crunch it smashed through the wooden facade and struck the supports within.
Tourmaline watched in horror as the dias shifted and tilted, spilling the choir onto the flagstones below. Only Clover managed to keep her footing on the polished wood.
“Catch them!” the ordinary self composed magus practically screamed. “We cannot let the spheres set!”
Tourmaline looked upward. High in the sky the sun and moon were slipping away from each other to the east and west.. Each still shining with the resplendent magical energy of the eclipse.
“What’s going on?!” Lily cried.
“They Choir dropped the sun and moon,” Tourmaline explained as her friends stared in horror, “if they set with all that energy infusing them the choirs won’t be able to raise them again for at least a month.”
“Well that doesn’t sound so bad...” Lily answered, relieved.
“Do you know what a month without sunlight would do to our crops? We’d lose everything. That is if we don’t all freeze first.”
Lily gasped.
“Everypony to your hooves NOW!” Clover yelled from the dias.
One by one the Choir members shook themselves off and stood, ignoring their bruises and, in some cases, possibly broken bones, and continued their spell. Guards ponies began hurriedly clearing the pavilion of everypony not in the choir.
“I am the Choir Liason good sir,” High Horse, said when the guard briskly directed him to the exit, “I am staying. As are my guests.”
The guard looked about to argue before deciding he had better things to do.
Most of the choir had were back on their hooves again and casting their spell with all their might, but the sun and moon did not slow. They fell, faster and faster across the sky toward opposite horizons.
With a groan of indecision Tourmaline jumped forward and joined them in their effort. With Tourmaline’s strength the sun and moon began to slow and eventually stop. The crowd cheered as the Choirs held the spheres just above the horizon but despite the effort of the choir, they did not return their places in the eclipse.
Through gritted eyes, Tourmaline looked around for Clover. Surely the old Magus had something, some spell that could help. She spotted her at the refreshment bar. Snacks and drinking glasses littered the ground where Clover had hastily cleared them from the table as she poured over an almost pony sized book on magical lore.
The strain began to grow. The sun and moon wanted to set. They pulled down ever harder and despite the tremendous effort of the choir they began to set again.
The unicorn to Tourmaline left’s magic flared and went dark as she burned herself out and collapsed in exhaustion. Tourmaline felt the extra weight settle on her as the unicorn’s magic went out. Then another unicorn’s horn flared and went out. Then another and another.
“Nooo!” Clover yelled as she tore through the book, hoping for an answer.
One by one each choir members magic burned out. Tourmaline couldn’t even bring herself to feel satisfied when Finish Line’s over-glowed horn flashed with enough force to send him sliding backward on his rump as his horn burned out.
Soon Tourmaline found herself standing alone. Her body seemed to shake with the force of her magic as she tried to stop the sun and moon from setting. As they touched the horizon Tourmaline looked down at Celestia and Luna.
In every story this is when the hero manages to summon up the strength to win, she thought. But this... I can’t.
“I’m sorry...” she whispered as her horn flashed with incandescent brilliants, and went out. Everything went dark as the sun and moon set at once.
Cries of dismay and confusion filled the courtyard as the ponies were plunged into unnatural night. Ponies crawled over one another, frantically searching for any light source they could find. A few unicorns were trying to shine their horns as bright as possible, but this was no normal night and the darkness seemed to swallow up the light.
Suddenly there are two faint lights from the stop of the dias staircase. One, pale blue. The other, brilliant gold.
Barely illuminated by their own horns the two fillies stood silently, hoof in hoof, as everypony gazed on in hope and wonder. The sisters closed their eyes and the light from their horns swelled. Brighter and brighter it shown until waves of blinding light poured from the young foals. The sisters flashed gold and blue as their magic wrapped itself around their their bodies as they rose from the ground. In perfect unison Luna and Celestia’s eyelids snapped open, revealing eyes shining as orbs of purest white. Brilliance cascaded from the sisters and for a moment that magical light was all anypony could see.
Tourmalines vision began to clear. She saw the fillies had collapsed to their knees in exhaustion at the stop of the stairs and rushed to their side with their parents. High above them, light blazed down as the sun and the moon shined down the energy of the eclipse from their rightful place in the sky.
The sisters, trembling, rose to their hooves. Their flanks, blank just a few minutes before, were now emblazoned with the fillies’ very own cutie marks. Celestia squealed with delight as she saw the a spectacular image of the sun she now bore. Luna bounced with joy for her crescent moon.
The crowd exploded into cheers. High Horse hoisted the fillies up on his back. Unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies alike all scrambled to shake the fillies hooves.
“Hurray for Celestia! Hurray for Luna!”
“Thats one for the history books!”
“I’ll bet we won’t even need the choirs anymore when you to grow up!”
“Good thing you were here, can’t believe the pegasi’d let something like that happen!”
“Excuse me?!” Commander Hurricane yelled back at the unseen speaker.
“He’s got a point, you know,” defended Chancellor Puddinghead, “If you’d been doing a better job of controlling the weather that gust of wind would have never knocked down those banners.”
“HEY! We’ve done all we can to counter this freaky weather we’ve been havin’. Maybe if you earth ponies hadn’t cheaped out on the construction that statue wouldn’t have gotten knocked over by a little breeze”
“Cheaped out? GASP! We’d never do such a thing. It’s just a good thing those two were here to catch the sun and moon!”
“Ya... about that” Hurricane answered swinging to Princess Platinum, “How do we know this whole thing isn’t a setup to make the rest of us look bad?”
The princess balked and shot back.
Tourmaline heard the argument over the crowd’s praise and couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
“You think they have any idea what they just witnessed?” High Horse asked, leaning close so he could be heard through the din.
Tourmaline laughed, “I doubt it.”
Tourmaline and High horse lifted the fillies high over their heads in celebration as the three rulers turned their backs on one another in disgust and walked out into the deepening snow.