Pressure tends to make people crack. Usually. However, that isn’t always the case. Sometimes they can wear a mask of disturbing calmness. Today was the day, and Starlight was surprisingly calm. Oh, she knew that her work with her new… friends (Honestly, that was still a bit odd for her to even think about) would be put on display for King Eclipse to judge. But, Starlight was confidant that everything would go quite smoothly. The stage was ready, and all of Ponyville had gathered in front of it. The stalls had been set up, and ponies from all across Equestria were piling in. They were buzzing about the town, commoner and noble alike, not really caring for titles and such for once in their lives. This was a day for the common ponies to see something extravagant, and a day for the nobles to “kiss-up” to the King. Starlight knew that King Eclipse often complained about how, in the 5000 years he’d ruled Equestria, nobles never truly changed; they always sought opportunities to get in the good graces of the ruling body. It was nice to know that even the immortal ruler of Equestria got aggravated sometimes. It made Starlight feel a little better about herself. The festivities, however, were not to start for some time yet. She had some time to… chat. With friends. Huh. Starlight blinked. It’s certainly going to take some time to get used to even think about the concept of having friends again. Especially with one of them being one of the Enigma Three. The Enigma Three were a group of half-siblings that were incredibly famous across Equestria, but nobody knew where they were from. The Enigma three consisted of Chessmaster, Chess Champion of Equestria, Maestro Spectrum, Traveling Artist Extraordinaire, and Janice Dazzle, Prime Jeweler of Las Pegasus. All three were unicorns, but there were many rumors as to what the Enigma Three were hiding under their masks. Some even thought that they weren’t even truly ponies, but aliens from another world in the guise of ponies. Starlight scoffed at that. Other worlds. As if. Next thing they’ll be muttering about will be fur-less, hornless minotaurs with flatter faces and inverted hocks that always wear clothes. The thought was quite absurd. I mean, imagine a world filled with such creatures! It was utterly preposterous. Starlight shook her head. That was odd. I thought I just heard a cry of rage from… somewhere. She put the odd thought out of her head, and decided to do one last overview of the preparations.
It was time. Everything was ready, and absolutely perfect. The stage was beautiful, toned in brilliant platinum whites and steel grays. The arch above had the cutie mark of their King- a total solar eclipse alongside a total lunar eclipse- displayed proudly. Crescendo was warming up her choir to be ready to sing the national anthem, Mighty Equestria, at a moment’s notice. Thunder was up in the sky, looking out for stray clouds that might come this way from the Everfree. Berry was doing last-minute tweaks to some of the Extravaganza’s games. Cherry was over by a gingerbread house building- one Starlight recalled was called Sugar Cube Corner- and was chatting with Pinkie as the food that Cherry’d made was cooling down a bit. Serenity was nodding to herself as she looked over the decorations one last time. Maestro was chuckling to himself as droves of ponies piled around the entrance of his Art Emporium. Then, onto the stage, came out Mayor Ivory Scrolls- a tan Earth Pony mare with gray mane and tail that Starlight swore must’ve been dyed. The mayor cleared her throat into the microphone, which caused everyone to stop what they were doing, and look to the stage. The mayor then spoke. "Today is a momentous occasion, that marks the 10th Eclipse Extravaganza!" The ponies cheered until the mayor raised a hoof. The crowd quieted down, and then she continued. “And now, for the moment we have all waited for with great anticipation! May I present, the Mover of the Sun and Moon, the Bringer of the Eclipse, the Shield of Equestria, King Eclipse Equestris!” The national anthem started, and from the sky descended the King in all of his glory. His platinum crown gleamed in the sunlight, and his coat shimmered like steel as his three sets of wings flapped. He touched down on the stage, and his wings folded at his side. He stood tall, and the crowd cheered. He held up his dragon claw, and the crowd quieted. He then spoke.
“Oh my people, it is a great honor to be here in your presence this day. I always enjoy my time during the festivities at these Extravaganzas. I hope that you do as well.” The crowd cheered, and King Eclipse smiled. “It is nice to see such enthusiasm from you all. It warms my heart to see all kinds of races in this crowd today. Equsetria is not a place for inequality to fester, so it pleases me to see that this town is open to all types of people.” The minotaurs, griffons, diamond dogs, and dragons in the audience cheered at this, and the ponies stomped their hooves. “Now, I could go on, but I believe that you all want to begin.” The people cheered, and Eclipse’s horn lit up with platinum light. “Very well! Let the Eclipse Extravaganza begin!”
A dark circle then started to cover the sun, and the people cheered. Then, the circle stopped when it reached the center. Then, the festivities went into full swing. Ponies mingling with those of other races, and playing many of the games. All of the people in town were enjoying themselves, and Starlight smiled to herself. I guess I should at least try to enjoy myself. After all, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Little did she know that eyes were gazing from afar. Eyes that were cold as ice. The owner of those eyes turned away, and wandered off. It was time to begin.