Turning Points

by Slatewings

Act One: Chapter Four - Attunement

Act One: Chapter Four - Attunement

Tourmaline smiled to herself as she walked with the crowd down the hall, the sisters riding lightly on her back. The fillies chattered excitedly among themselves as they went. Tourmaline found she was as excited as they were, something that surprised her. She hadn’t wanted to be here. If not for Celestia’s little prank, she would be at home right now doing her best to whittle and chisel down her ever mounting list of orders that had piled up over the last week. It seemed High Horse had gained some standing in the courts and his prestigious new friends had taken notice of her work adorning his home.

Even if she failed to meet the Choirs requirements she would still have plenty to be proud of. Lord High Horse’s influence had added many nobility to her clientele. Strangely, that thought didn’t bring her as much comfort as it would have just a few hours ago. For somepony who had spent their life giving form to old legends, seeing one take on new life for the first time in generations was a privilege beyond asking.

At the end of the hall’s long burgundy carpet a proctor stood at a small table beside an ornately sculpted door handing numbered slips of parchment to the prospective choir applicants. Tourmaline and her passengers approached the table.

“Good morning ma’am,” the uniformed stallion offered a numbered slip without looking up. “You can take a seat on a bench along the wall if you’d like.”

Tourmaline thanked him and took the slip of paper with her magic. Luna and Celestia each got their own.

“I guess we can’t all go in at the same time,” Tourmaline said to the sisters. “You girls going to be okay by yourself?”

“We’ll be okay Miss Tourmaline,” Luna answered, “We can do this.”

“No problem! At least we don’t have to wait long,” Celestia said as she held up her slip for Tourmaline to see. Her slip read fourteen. Luna’s read fifteen. Tourmaline’s own read thirteen.

Tourmaline held her number of for the girls to see, “Hey look girls. I got my lucky number.”

“Your lucky number’s thirteen?” Luna asked, making a face.

“Well, not really, no,” Tourmaline laughed, “But, at least I don’t have to wait for Celestia to finish talking the interviewer’s ears off - omph!” Celestia kicked her.

“Well that’s it. You just lost your riding privileges,” Tourmaline chuckled as she levitated Celestia off her back and placed her on the floor in front of her. Celestia responded by blowing a raspberry at her.

“NUMBER TWELVE! NUMBER TWELVE PLEASE STEP FORWARD,” bellowed a magically amplified voice.

“Sorry Luna you gotta hop off too. I better get myself ready.”

Luna hugged Tourmaline from her back then hopped down to the carpet, “Good luck. We’ll be right here when you get out”

“You sure you’ll be okay, girls?”

“Don’t worry about us, Miss Tourmaline. You’ll get in for sure.”

“Thanks, Tia,” Tourmaline fretted, “I hope so.”

“NUMBER THIRTEEN! NUMBER THIRTEEN, PLEASE STEP FORWARD.”

“Whoops! I better go!” Tourmaline waved as she trotted back up to the desk and showed her number to a proctor at the door.

“Hmmm. Here we are,” she said as she checked her list, “Miss Tourmaline is it?”

“Yes ma’am,” Tourmaline responded.

“You brought two small children with you correct?”

“Oh.. um.. yes, they are here to apply to the choir with me. Well, actually they were the ones who wanted to join the choir I just .. wanted... to... uh..” The proctor was staring at her with an eyebrow raised. “Uh.. yes. Yes ma’am I did.”

“If you wish, they can accompany you for attunement.”

“They can?” Tourmaline asked.

“We want you to be at ease during the procedure. We find having family there for support helps.”

“Well they aren’t REALLY family you know. I’m just a family friend but it would... be.. nice...to...,” the proctor had that same expression. “Yes, I’d love to have them for support.”

“Very good ma’am,” she checked something off her list, “Fetch them and come back immediately so we can begin.”

Tourmaline thanked her and ran off to get Celestia and Luna.

Together they walk through the door to the attunement chamber.

The chamber itself was beautiful. It was elliptical in shape with walls intricately carved in the image of a vast landscape all around them. Pedestals ringed the room, each topped with the bust of a unicorn, mares and stallions alike. The roof was divided. At one end it showed a brilliant sun and flowing clouds. At the other, the moon surrounded by a star dotted sky. At each of the eclipse’s two foci was a small rise in the floor where a small glittering sphere sat. At each far end, the wall was sculpted into a magnificent high relief image of Queen Aetheris, wings spread wide, eyes closed as she smiled.

“Beautiful...” Luna whispered.

“Yes it is,” responded a pale gold stallion with a violet mane, as he entered through a door opposite them. “The ancients could form stone in ways I doubt even you could manage, Miss Tourmaline.”

“You’ve heard of me?” Tourmaline asked in surprise.

“Of course. Lord High Horse is the arcanium’s liaison to the Court. I daresay he loves to sing your praises whenever one of your pieces is delivered to his manor,” he told her. “Some have begun to joke that you must be cutting him a discount for the endorsement.”

Tourmaline a little blushed at the praise, “Well that’s very kind of him. I do my best.”

“Well, my dear, from what I’ve seen, your best is very good indeed,” he said with a little bow.

“Thank you very much, Sir...”

“Ah yes. I am Aster Skies and this,” he gestured to the emerald mare entering behind him, “Is Lady Noblesse Oblige. She and I are the Chairponies of the Lunar and Solar choirs, respectively.”

Tourmaline swallowed, “Very nice to meet you both.”

“Charmed,” answered Lady Noblesse. “Are these your fillies?,” she asked as she spotted Celestia and Luna.

“No ma’am. They are the daughters of a dear friend of mine who, unfortunately, could not be here due to an other important family matter.”

“I see. Well no matter. Shall we begin?” Lady Noblesse asked.

Tourmaline steadied herself and nodded.
Aster Skies began, “First of all, I would like to assure you that the attunement ritual is completely safe. We use the same attunement process the choir has been perfecting for thousands of years.” Tourmaline relaxed visibly. “That being said,” Tourmaline unrelaxed, “I do have to ask you a few questions just to be safe. Is that alright?”

“Sure, go ahead,” Tourmaline answered.

Aster Skies produced a quill and paper and began scribbling as he spoke, “Alright then. Miss Tourmaline, have you... suffered magical burnout in the last ninety days?”

“No.”

“Ever fractured, cracked, or otherwise severely damaged your horn?”

“No.”

“Ever suffered from a mental defect or disorder?”

“No.”

“Did you get your cutie mark before you reached eleven years of age?”

“Yes.”

“Are you currently suffering from any ailment, disease, disorder, or injury that might interfere with the attunement.”

“No... I don’t think so.”

“You don’t think so?:

“Well I don’t really know what’s involved.”

“Well are you currently suffering any of those things?”

“Well, no I guess not.”

“So... no?”

“Yes, no. Err um...” Tourmaline stammered, “The answer is no.”

“Have you traveled to any other land where magical ailment is common in the past five years?”

“No.”

“Very good... and finally... Are you or do you consort with those who practice the dark arts or are a practitioner thereof yourself?”

“What?! No, of course not!”

“Everything sounds good!” The parchment and quill POOFed out of existence with a flash of blue magic.

“So, what do I do now?”

Lady Noblesse stepped forward, “The attunement ritual is the among the oldest spell of it’s kind in the whole of the world,” she explained. “First created by Queen Aetheris, she used it to grant a few of her subjects the ability to move the sun and moon on their own. Thus freeing most of those tasked with bringing harmony to the heavens from their labor.”

“Good intentions,” Tourmaline interjected.

“Indeed, unfortunate that the other alicorns did not see it so. No magic could free them of their work. They thought it unfair.”

“I know the story,” Tourmaline told her.

“That is good. A learned mind is a wonderful thing. Do you know what happened next?”

“No, nopony does. Only that conflict erupted between each group of alicorns. The Great Fracturing,” Tourmaline shuddered. Getting to be a part of the Eclipse had provided her with a real connection to the distant past. It had brought new life to those old tales, but not everything in the past is pleasant to remember.

“Sad, but true. After that terrible conflict, the Queen’s Magus found the ritual still worked on those alicorns who retained their horns, though it took a great deal more of them to raise the sun and moon.”

“The first choir,” Tourmaline whispered as she looked at the unicorn busts in a new light.

“Wait... we used to be like her?” Celestia piped, pointing a hoof at the image of the Queen in the wall.

“Our ancestors did, yes, a very long time ago.”

“So why can’t we be like that again?” Luna asked.

“Because, their conflict broke their oath to harmony. Our bond to that primal force was shattered forever,” Aster skies explained. “Many unicorns have dedicated their lives in the pursuit of restoring that connection, but nopony has ever succeeded, there always seemed to be something missing.

“Clover the Clever believes her teacher, the old magus, Star Swirl the Bearded, was close to uncovering the missing element when he passed away, but if he was, he never passed it on to her,” Aster Skies added, “Although it would explain how she’s managed to live so long.”

“Well, I believe we are holding up the line, so to speak,” Lady Noblesse interjected. “Shall we begin?”

Tourmaline nodded.

The chairponies took their places on each rise behind the shimmering spheres.

“These stone spheres are the Sun and Moonstones,” Noblesse Oblige began. “Each is infused with the magical essence of its respective celestial sphere.”

“Are they... actually pieces of the sun and moon?” Celestia asked

“What do you think, Miss Tourmaline?” Lady Noblesse asked.

She looked them over, “No I don’t think so. The look like ordinary feldspar. Very well oiled and preserved though, and obviously enchanted. How old are they?”

Noblesse Oblige smiled, “These were newly created only last month, specifically for this event. It’s a very difficult ritual to perform, almost a month of solid spell casting is required to properly enchant them. Working, in shifts of course. After they are ready they are set in the light of the sun or moon and trap it’s emanations within them like a rainbow caught in a prism. Its quite beautiful to behold actually. Only one of each can exist in the whole world at a time. If another is created the older one simply stops working.

“Before we go any further it’s imperative that you also know that you may never, under any circumstances, use magic on one of the Stones outside of this ceremony. Do you understand?”

Tourmaline agreed.

Lady Noblesse nodded to Aster Skies and directed Tourmaline to stand in the center of the room. Two attendants entered the room and gave each chair what looked like a staff with a woven silver basket hanging from one end.

Noblesse Oblige and Aster Skies gently picked up their stones and placed them in the basket. They then used their magic to levitate their staffs with the sun and moon stones hanging below, untouched by their magical aura.

Aster Skies explains, “Tourmaline, in a moment you’re going to light up your magic. Don’t levitate anything or cast any spells, simply allow your horn to glow. When you do, Lady Noblesse and I will suspend our respective stones above your horn in turn. The stones respond to magical telluric harmonics and resonate audibly when they encounter magic. If your telluric harmony is close to that of the moon, the moonstone will hum a tone. If you are close to the sun then the sun will hum instead. Do you understand?”

“I think so,” Tourmaline answered, “What if I’m not close to either?”

“That does happen sometimes. The cacophonic harmonies will cause the stone to resonate violently and the test must be halted. Unfortunate ponies such a these are considered untenable,” he explained, “Don’t be worried if the stone buzzes a somewhat when it is brought near you. You are not yet attuned to a sphere and so it is to be expected. Any other questions?”

Tourmaline told him that she was ready. With just a glance back at the fillies, who gave her a ‘you can do it’, she lit her horn and nodded to Aster Skies. She closed her eyes for a moment and calmed herself. With a familiar ‘push’ her horn began to light, flooding the room with a sky blue glow. Tourmaline opens her eyes.

Lady Noblesse stepped forward and lowered the Moonstone over Tourmalines horn. A faint ring filled the room, nearly pure in tone. Lady Noblesse smiled and bowed her head to Tourmaline as she backed up. Tourmaline herself smiled widely.

So it’s the moon then, she thought to herself as emotion welled in her heart.

Aster Skied stepped forward with the Sunstone. He caught Tourmaline's puzzled look, “Tradition my dear, both stones are always tested.” Tourmaline relaxed at that as the sunstone was lowered to her horn. But, instead of the disharmonious tone she was expecting, the Sunstone rang pure.

Aster lifted the stone and looked to Noblesse Oblige in confusion.

“What is it?” Tourmaline asks in concern.

“Honestly, my dear, I’m not sure...,” Aster answered.

“A pony cannot hold a natural attunement to both the sun and the moon Miss Tourmaline,” Lady Noblesse told her, “If we cannot determine which sphere a pony is most suited for then... I’m afraid that we cannot continue.”
Tourmaline’s jaw dropped as she fell back on her haunches, she heard Luna and Celestia Gasp behind her, “But...the moon...the stone sang for me.”

“As did the Sunstone,” answered Aster as he and Noblesse returned the Stones to their bases, “We must be careful, a dissonant note cannot be permitted within the choir.” Tourmaline felt as if her heart would break. “It seems your telluric harmony may not run counter to the sun or moon, but neither does it harmonize with them.”

“But the Sunstone wasn’t the same,” she wept, “Please.. I didn’t realize how much I wanted this until...”

“I’m sorry Tourmaline. We cannot attune a pony who cannot form a natural bond with either stone.”

Tourmaline closed her eyes and began to cry. She honestly did not realize how dear joining the choirs had become to her. She thought about the chairponies’ words.

That’s it!

Tourmaline sprang to her hooves, “What if that’s the problem?”

“What do you mean dear?” asked Aster.

“My talent,” Tourmaline explained, “I do have a natural bond with the Stones, with All stone.” The chairponies considered as she spoke. “My special talent is to reveal the shape within the stone and to bring life to life to the ancient tales. I have a magical kinship with all stone, no matter how enchanted.”

“Especially one enchanted so as to continue the legacy of the elder times,” spoke Lady Noblesse.

Aster Skies looked at his fellow chairpony, “Are you sure, Noblesse?”

The Lady nodded solemnly.

“Very well then,” Aster agreed. Tourmaline heart soared with hope.

Lady Noblesse approached Tourmaline, “Miss Tourmaline, do you speak honestly, without selfishness or greed for this honor and truly believe the Moonstone sang for you, as you said?”

She could only nod.

“Then I am willing to give you the chance.”

Despite herself, Tourmaline let out a “squee” of delight and hugged Lady Noblesse before she know what she was doing.

“Oh! Oh my I’m so sorry. I’m just so happy and I...”

“It’s quite alright,” Noblesse smoothed her coat as Tourmaline let her go, “honest happiness is nothing to be ashamed of.” She smiled at the embarrassed mare, “But do try to keep the solemnity of this event in mind.”

Tourmaline nodded and promised.

“So Miss Tourmaline,” Aster began, “Are you ready to begin?”

“I’m ready.”

“Are you sure about this Miss Tourmaline?” asked Noblesse Oblige. “I am quite happy to give you the chance you deserve but I cannot know if the Stone will accept you.”

“What will happen if it doesn’t?”

“If it doesn’t,” Lady Noblesse looked Tourmaline squarely in the eyes, “you may lose your magic, indefinitely.”

Tourmaline’s stomach did a backflip. To lose her magic meant her career was over. Every hope and dream she ever had would never come true. Every client she had made promises to would be let down. But... to become a part of those tales she loved so much, could she take the risk?

Tourmaline nodded and tried to look braver than she felt.

“Very well then. Aster Skies? Would you be so kind?”

Aster bowed his head, “Of course, my lady.” He backed out the door he came in, whispering, “Good luck,” as it did.

Lady Noblesse beckoned Tourmaline to join her by the Moonstone. Her magic glowing brilliant white, Noblesse lowered her horn to the Moonstone. The magical glow spread out to the stone which continued to shine with a magic of its own even after Noblesse’s horn had stopped glowing.

“Lift the Stone, Tourmaline. With your magic.”

Tourmaline wrapped the stone in her magic and lifted it off the floor. The simple glittering stone continued to glow with a cool light of it’s own, plainly visible through her magic.

“Now, please hold the Stone as tightly as you can. Use every fiber of magical strength you possess.”

Tourmaline gritted with effort as the magical pressure in her head built up higher and higher before a sudden release as an overglow formed around her horn. Though nearly blinded by the light of her own horn, Tourmaline opened her eyes. Before her, Lady Noblesse stood holding a long thin silver staff in her magic. The far end of the staff formed a small hammer.

The ring of magic filling Tourmaline’s ears beyond hearing, she saw Lady Nobless’s lips move, “Are you ready?”

Tourmaline did her best to nod as she kept her grip on the Stone. The Chairpony swung the staff high, straight over her head and struck the Moonstone squarely. The Moonstone rang like a tower bell. Tourmaline held tight as her horn and every bone and fiber in her body reverberated with that pure tone.

She opened her eyes to see as the pale silver light from the stone began to swell and spread through her magical aura surrounding the Stone. When the whole of Tourmaline’s blue glow around the stone was overtaken by the Stone’s light she could feel and see the same happening to her horn, despite her clenched closed eyes. A touch of fear flitted through her as the cold silver light progressed down her horn, from tip to base.

Tourmaline’s eyes snapped open as that light reached the base of her horn. Instead of their normal pale blue, her eyes shone bright lunar silver. Her magic flared and the stone dropped to the floor a moment before Tourmaline too collapsed to the ground.

For a moment she saw nothing.

She woke to find Celestia shaking her, “Miss Tourmaline! Are you okay?! Wake up!”

“Wha? huh?” She mumbled in response.

The relieved sisters jumped on Tourmaline and wrapped her in a hug as best as they could, “Oh Miss Tourmaline! We were so worried about you!,” cried Luna.

“You did it! You’re in the choir!” exclaimed Celestia.

“I am? I did it?” Tourmaline asked, looking up at Lady Noblesse and Aster Skies standing over her.

“You did very well Miss Tourmaline,” Lady Noblesse agreed with a nod. “You have impressive talent and ability.”

Tourmaline’s smile positively glowed as bright as bright as her eyes had a moment ago.

Lady Noblesse placed a hoof on Tourmaline’s shoulder, “Welcome to the Lunar Choir.”

Tourmaline leapt to her hooves and wrapped Lady Noblesse in another hug. Noblesse stiffened for a moment before relaxing and giving her a hug back, “Congratulations, apprentice Tourmaline.”

Tourmaline self consciously let her go and apologized.

“No need to apologize, apprentice. I was as excited as you are now once.”

“I don’t know how to thank you,” Tourmaline said, wiping her eyes on the back of a hoof.

“Finishing your apprenticeship and joining us for the Vernal Eclipse is thanks enough. Can you do that for me?”

Tourmaline nodded.

“Then I hold high hopes for you Miss Tourmaline,” said Noblesse with a smile, “Now as to the fillies...”

“Oooh! Oooh! Can I go first?” Celestia cried as she bounced like a ball.

Aster smiled at the bouncy filly, “Of course, my dear. You’re Celestia, correct?”

Celestia nodded vigorously, “Yep! That’s me. So which stone am I gonna try out first?

“I believe we will start you with the Sunstone,” answered Aster, “As energetic as you are I’d be shocked if it was any other way.”

Lady Noblesse stepped forward, “Now Miss Celestia, are you sure you want to do this?”

“Well... ya! It would be soo great to be a part of something as big and important as the Choir,” she answered, “Besides! My name is Celestia! You HAVE to let me join the choir.” She struck a pose, “It’s my destiny!”

Aster snickered behind a hoof, “Well I’d hate to stand in the way of destiny.” Lady Noblesse ignored him.

“I simply want to ensure you know what you are doing. The changes to your magic will be irreversible, you will always feel stronger whilst the sphere you are attuned to is in the sky and diminished when it is hidden away,” Noblesse explained, concerned, “You are still so very young and this is a lifelong commitment.”

“Hey! The invitation said that anypony could apply if they want to! Nopony ever said anything about being too young to join!”

Lady Noblesse was taken aback a bit, unaccustomed to being so spoken too.

Aster stepped in, “And nopony is saying that now little Celestia. Lady Noblesse is just trying to make sure you know what you are doing.”

“I do know, I want to join,” came Tia’s answer.

“As long as you’re sure, Miss Celestia,” Noblesse began “Did you have any questions before we start?”

“Nope! Let’s get this going!” Celestia trotted to the center of the room, “Come on in with the basket poles!” She called to the attendants in the next room.

“Celestia!,” snapped Tourmaline, “Try that again!”

Celestia winced, “Sorry Miss Tourmaline.” She turned back to the chairponies, “ I mean I’m ready to start.”

Hiding a smirk, Aster skies called the confused attendants, who set the basket staffs beside the Stones.

“Do just as Miss Tourmaline did. Light your horn but do not cast any spells,” Aster instructed as he lifted the Sunstone in his staff’s basket.

Celestia took a deep breath and lit her horn.

Just as Aster began lowering the sphere over Celestia’s horn she cried out, “No! wait!”

Aster stopped and lifted the sphere, “You are okay Celestia?”

“Ya... I’m okay... I’m just kinda...” she stammered nervously, “Do you think we could do it at the same time?”

“I suppose so...” he looked to Noblesse who nodded, “Miss Luna? Why don’t you go stand with Lady Noblesse.”

Luna trotted over to the chairpony happily and lit her horn.

“We can conduct the examination together but, should you both be found to be attunable, we will have to perform that part of the ritual separately. Ringing both stones at the same time would shatter them.

With a shared nod, Noblesse and Aster lowered their Stone’s over each filly’s horn. Both stones begin to ring pure and true.

“Never a doubt in my mind,” Aster Skies remarked, “I guess it was your destiny after all.”

Celestia reared up and clapped her hooves in excitement.

At the chairponies direction, Celestia and Luna changed places to be tested for the opposite sphere. As the Stone’s were lowered, Tourmaline cringed, anticipating the cacophonic sound of dissonance, but there was none. No sound at all.

“Another anomaly?” said Lady Noblesse, “This is impossible.”

“No wait, listen,” answered Aster.

Everypony strained their ears and listened. Just barely audible, a faint ring could be heard, pure but muffled as if somepony had wrapped the stones in damp cloth.

“Perhaps we should consult with Magus Clover the Clever?” Aster suggested.

“Agreed,” answered Noblesse as she nodded to an attendant who left on the errand.

“What’s happening?” asked a worried Luna.

“The stone’s reacted oddly to you and your sister,” Aster explained, “Such anomalies are rare, to have three such cases standing in the attunement chamber at once can’t be just a coincidence.”

“Perhaps an act of fate,” suggested Lady Noblesse quietly.

“Don’t worry girls,” Tourmaline extended a foreleg to each sister, who accepted the hug. “You heard how the stones reacted to you the first time. I’m sure they are just being careful.”

“We must be,” explained Lady Noblesse, “Such a case as these sisters has happened before. But not since before the Great Fr...”

“Why have you called me?” interrupted Clover as she walked into the chamber.

“Magus...,” Aster bowed deeply in honest respect, “we have an anomaly. Three infact. One, Miss Tourmaline, has just undergone attunement to the Moon. The others, these two sisters, have just been examined.”

“What is the nature of the anomaly?” Clover asked and she inspected Tourmaline from a bit too close.

“We are not sure,” answered Aster. “Each stone reacted strongly to one sister but the other barely reacts at all, either harmoniously or disharmonious.”

“Each sister is then has a degree of natural attunement to the sun or moon?” Clover asked as she moved to inspect the sisters.

“Yes, Magus.”

“Do they meet the criterion for attunement to that stone?”

“Yes, Magus.”

“Do you propose we attempt to attune these sisters to both spheres?”

“Well, no. Of course not Magus, nopony can move both the sun and moon.”

“Then continue. The anomaly should have no bearing,” with that the Magus simply turned and left, trusting the chairponies to their duty.

“Can I go first?” Luna asked.

“Celestia, is that okay with you?” asked Noblesse.

Celestia nodded and Luna joined Lady Noblesse near the Moonstone.

The ritual proceeded just as Tourmaline’s had. Luna gripped the stone in her magic as it was rung by Lady Noblesse, the Stone’s silver light infused her magic and her eyes flashed brilliant before the Stone fell to the floor. Tourmaline felt a surge of irrational fear that it would shatter as it did.

Luna joined Tourmaline and watched Celestia’s ritual performed by Aster Skies as Noblesse waited outside. Only the Stone’s gold glow betrayed the difference in the ritual.

Afterword, both chairponies joined them in the attunement chamber again.

Aster spoke first, “I want to thank you all for your bravery. Allowing a stranger to permanently alter your magic is no easy task, yet you all stood to the challenge.” He turned to Celestia, “Celestia. I hope to make myself worthy of that trust in the coming months and if this choir truly is your destiny, and I hope it is, then in the years that follow.”

“To find a pony so naturally attuned to the spheres is a great rarity. Perhaps a hoof full have been found in all the ages since we unicorns assumed the mantle of our forebears and began guiding the sun and moon across the sky,” Lady Noblesse Oblige told them. “To meet three such ponies in my lifetime, let alone at once, is a great honor, and I thank you for it.

“Luna, Tourmaline, I could not be happier for the chance to have you join in Choir with us. I trust you to do great things here. But fear not, even if this place isn’t your fate, you need never worry about being alone. Never again will the dark seem so empty, ” Tourmaline began to tear up despite her best efforts, “As long, now, as you live, you will have the moon.”

Tourmaline dried her tears and went to hug Lady Noblesse again, managing to stop herself just in time. Noblesse simple stood, looking directly at Tourmaline, before rolling her eyes and surprised her with a hug.

“Welcome to the family, Tourmaline. Good luck,” she said with a smile. “Please follow the proctors, they will lead you to the Arcanum’s dining hall where you will wait for your interview. I suggest you three find something to eat and rest. I’m am sure Magus Clover will have much to ask.”

Before turning to walk through the ornate stone doors to the hall, Tourmaline stopped a moment to look over the intricate and ancient sculptured walls of the room where her life and dreams changed so completely. Here was something real, a piece of the past painstakingly preserved through the ages to bring those old legends to the modern world, legends that Tourmaline could not help but think she had just become a small part of.

They they left, they heard Aster and Noblesse again wish them luck as they walked out into hall.

“Luck? I don’t need luck,” Celestia blustered, “I have destiny!”

Tourmaline rolled her eyes, scooped Celestia and Luna up in her magic, deposited them on her back, and followed the roped path to the dining hall.