Stargazers

by Astarea

Interlude II - Hearth's Warming Eve

Stargazers

Interlude II - Hearth's Warming Eve

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A chill lingered in the air that even the warm sun shining in the sky couldn’t dissipate. The pegasi of the weather teams, tasked with controlling the climate of Equestria, blessed their brethren with clear conditions. But even they could not fend off the winter cold. The grand capital of Canterlot, nested high on the slope of Mount Canterhorn, was colder still. Normally, such an icy day would warrant that the ponies would stay inside, warming themselves in front of the hearth with a warm drink nearby. Instead, many ponies were outside, wrapped snugly in warm scarves and with heavy winter boots on their hooves. Today was a special day, after all: Hearth’s Warming Eve. To mark the occasion, a special pageant re-enacting the founding of Equestria – starring none other than the current bearers of the fabled Elements of Harmony no less! – was to be held in the Royal Canterlot Theatre.

In the theatre, hidden from the audience in a private viewing box, two special guests were seated: their Royal Majesties, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. The elder – distinctly the more calm and dignified of the two – patiently sat and waited for the act to begin. She had played a hoof in setting up the play and was looking forward to seeing the results. Of course, she wanted to surprise the younger – the self-proclaimed patron and enthusiast of arts and sciences – who was shifting restlessly with anticipation and anxiety, eager for the performance to begin.

The curtains opened and lights dimmed, signaling the start of the play. A young drake appeared in one of the spotlights, beginning the narration.

“Once upon a time, long before the peaceful rule of Celestia, and before ponies discovered the beautiful land of Equestria, ponies did not know harmony.” – Spike narrated, clearly enjoying the attention. – “It was a strange and dark time, a time when ponies were torn apart by hatred!”

“Is that Spike?” – Luna asked her sister. – “Isn’t he Twilight’s assistant? Does this mean Twilight is here?” – She continued asking. – “Also, why is only your rule mentioned?”

“Yes, that is Spike.” – Celestia replied. – “You will soon see where Twilight is. And I'm sorry to say that out of my eagerness to present this play I simply forgot to edit you in. Don’t worry, you will be featured in the next version.”

“I know she has to nearby. She rarely leaves him alone.” – Luna said, subconsciously scanning the room for the lavender pony.

This behavior did not go unnoticed by Celestia, who chuckled.

“Very well, I've held in long enough. My student is indeed nearby. As a matter of fact, she’s participating in the play as well.”
The white alicorn knew that information would get Luna’s attention. The younger sister tried to hide it, but Celestia knew how strong the feelings harbored by her sister were. It was impossible to ignore the clues hidden in the letters from her student. After that, it was just a simple puzzle to solve and Celestia finally understood that Twilight and Luna were secretly dating.

“She is in the play as well?!” – Luna exclaimed excitedly.

“Yes. To do something special for this year’s celebrations, I asked Twilight and her friends to star in the play.”

“What is the play about?”

“You will see very soon.”

Looking forward to seeing her secret marefriend’s performance, Luna calmed herself down and begun to pay attention to the play. Her change of behavior was witnessed by Celestia, who smiled and joined her sister in silent observation.

Rainbow Dash, playing the role of Commander Hurricane, had come onto the stage. “All I want to know is why the earth ponies are hogging all the food!” – she called out angrily.

“I don’t remember Hurricane being a mare. I think somepony forgot an important detail there.” – Luna teased her sibling.

“Shh!” – shushed Celestia. Luna poked her tongue out at her sister, who responded in kind. The mares giggled softly. It was not often they had time to be themselves. With their royal duties, they were expected to be dignified and stoic at all time and so they relished the opportunity to be silly with each other in the privacy of their booth.

“You’re not the boss of me, your royal snootiness!” – Rainbow was clearly enjoying her role.

“He was always impulsive and brash, was he not?” – Luna asked. – “He knew a lot, but never really stopped to think.”

“Yes, there was no denying he had a brilliant mind and I enjoyed his spontaneity.” – Celestia replied sadly. – “But in the end, it cost him everything.”

“Umm… Tia, I was talking about Hurricane.”

“Oh, sorry. I must have zoned out for a moment.”

Luna nuzzled her sister affectionately.

“Cheer up, sis. We are here to enjoy the play!”

“Clover the Clever! I need you!” – Rarity, playing Princess Platinum, called out.
“Yes, your majesty? Did the other pony tribes see reason as I predicted?” – Twilight Sparkle, playing the part of Clover the Clever, entered the stage.

“By the stars!” – Luna gasped with a sudden intake of breathe. – “The resemblance… it’s unbelievable… Is that… Is that her travelling cloak?”

“No. I do not know what became of Clover's belongings.” – Celestia told her sister. – “They were probably lost to the ages. This is a replica, created by the palace tailors to my specifications.”

“I see.” – Luna said, and her ears drooped a little.

By now, Twilight was carrying Rarity on her back with a makeshift saddle and rein…

Neither sister remembered this happening in the past, but they weren't sure Rarity would have agreed to perform on a dirty stage otherwise.

“You really cared for her, didn't you?”

“She was my best friend. Given a little more time… we may even… have…” – Luna sighed, steeling herself to ask a question she had been dreading since she was freed. – “What… what happened to Clover… after I… left?” – Luna asked, fearing the answer.

This time, it was Celestia whose head and ears drooped.

“I… I do not know. She came to me distraught, not long after… you had to leave. We had an argument; she accused me of not caring for you enough and said that if I had been a better sister, you would still be there.”

“’Tis a lie!” – Luna suddenly interjected. – “You are the best sister anypony could ever ask for! It was not your fault – it was the Nightmare…” – She stopped suddenly as Celestia held a hoof up.

“Unicornia!” – Rarity called out from the stage. Clearly Rainbow wasn't the only one having a great time.

“Neither of us were in the right state of mind. I retorted, and told her that if she had been a better friend, I‘d still have my sister” – Celestia sighed, continuing wearily. – “Then she told me that I hurt anypony that gets close to me and doom befalls those who love me. Friends, family, Sombra, Discord, Luna… I tried to silence her with a spell, to stop her from saying any more hurtful things, but she beat me to it. She had cast a spell and it hit me, sending me flying across the room.”

“She didn't! She couldn't! She wouldn't!” – Luna was genuinely shocked, that a gentle soul like Clover would harm another pony, let alone one of the rulers of the Everfree Castle.

Clover the Clever! Throw that brute into the dungeon!” – Rarity levitated Twilight in front of Rainbow. She was yelling her lines again. Just as a past magician would not stand a chance against a commander of the pegasi, there was no hope of Twilight throwing her friend Rainbow anywhere…

Luna had one eye and ear focused on the theatrics and one on her sister.

“The guards didn't try to stop her as she left. If she could throw me like that, they knew they would not stand a chance. I instructed them to not pursue her and to leave her be. I never saw her again after that day. Those events, combined with your… absence, shattered my resolve and I left Equestria to fend for itself for ten years. When I came back, Clover was long gone… I later learned that she continued her studies, becoming a powerful mage and inventing a great many new spells. Everypony knew the name of Clover the Clever.”

“How is she related to Twilight, then?”

“After you… err… left us, Clover found comfort and solace in the hooves of a stallion. He was an intellectual, just like her. By the reports, the two had a long and happy marriage. They had two foals together, first a colt and then a filly. Their family vanished into the pages of history, though. I always suspected the Sparkle family was the main line of Clover’s descendants. When Twilight first came to my school and I witnessed her magical display, my suspicions were confirmed. I asked the Sparkles about their lineage. Twilight is descended from Clover’s second foal, the filly. It seems those descended from Clover are always blessed with a filly as their second foal. Twilight Sparkle was the second to be born of her mother, Twilight Velvet, who in turn was the second to be born to her mother, and so on.”

Satisfied with her sister’s explanation, but still hurting for her lost friend, Luna fully directed her attention back to the play to distract herself from her thoughts. On stage, Pinkie, Rainbow and Rarity argued, keeping to their roles.

“Wait a minute… where’d all this snow come from, anyway?” – Pinkie wondered aloud, portraying Chancellor Puddinghead.

As the ponies continued to argue, the stage frosted over, courtesy of unicorn magic. Pegasi above were shaking snowflakes onto the stage. The curtains closed, indicating the end of an act.

“Everypony was forced to seek shelter. They searched high and low, but the only shelter for miles was a cold and desolate cave.” – Spike narrated.

When the curtains opened, the argument had shifted into an icy cavern. With nowhere else to move to, the three continued yelling at and insulting each other. As the arguments grew more heated, the stage grew colder. Some ponies in the front rows started to shiver, the cold air spilling over them.

“Look everypony! The entrance!” – Twilight was pointing to the cave door.

Ice then started to creep inward, eventually covering the leaders of the pony tribes. Pinkie, Rarity and Rainbow – playing the leaders of the three tribes – were temporarily frozen inside. Everypony knew it was just a spell and they were perfectly fine, but the effect was very believable.

A quiet sniffle interrupted Luna’s concentration. She looked to the side, finding her sister at the floor, her eyes glistening.

“You really miss him, don’t you?” – She gently asked her sibling.

“Yes.” – Celestia replied quietly. – “It’s just… I can’t stand to think about anypony being encased like that. I know it’s just an act and they’ll be fine, but… I'm sorry, I'm being silly. Please go back to enjoying the play.”

Luna put a leg around her sister to console her. Even after a millennium had passed, Celestia was still clearly upset about what had transpired.

The ice continued to creep inward, eventually consuming Fluttershy, then Applejack and finally, Twilight. Just as she was about to be fully encased, Twilight activated her own magic, creating a large, flaming heart. The spell simultaneously melted the ice, gradually freeing her friends, and illuminating the audience in a warm pink glow.

“You really care for her, don’t you?” – Celestia asked, noticing Luna’s fixation on Twilight.

“I care very deeply for Twilight.” – The younger sister agreed. – “She has done so much for me. When I am with her, I feel different. I feel… happy. Like it’s just her and me, and nothing else in the world matters.”

“It sounds like you love her?” – The elder sister asked, a warm smile on her face, in stark contrast to her still glistening eyes.

“I… don’t know. How can you tell? She wished upon a falling star that things between us could never change. What if she doesn't love me? What if she’s only with me because the night granted her wish?”

Celestia patiently waited for Luna to finish her questions. Then Luna asked the question that Celestia had been expecting and new the answer for certain.

“What if she dies? Is it ever possible to move on and love another? Do you regret the time you had with… him?”

“Never.” – Celestia stated firmly, ending her sister’s questions. “I would trade those times for nothing!”

“The three leaders agreed to share the beautiful land and live in harmony forever afterwards. And together, they named their new land...” – Spike trailed off, prompting the others to finish.

“Equestria!” – everypony on the stage called out.

Satisfied with the answer and remembering the joy they had so long ago, the two alicorns smiled and hugged each other. Then they joined in singing the play’s finale – a song both of them knew very well, for it was a song they had written a long time ago.

“The fire of friendship;
“Lives in our hearts.
“As long as it burns;
“We cannot drift apart.
“Though quarrels arise;
“Their numbers are few.
“Laughter and singing;
“Will see us through.
“We are a circle of pony friends;
“A circle of friends we'll be to the very end!”

Wild applause started as the play concluded and the stars and crew bowed to their audience. The two sisters joined in, stomping their approval and cheering wildly. If anypony could see them, they’d probably be horrified of the lack of decorum the two were displaying. But neither cared. For despite the sad conversations they had that night, they were truly happy again. They felt closer together after enjoying the play. It was not long before they were laughing at the good times they had in the past with their old friends and discussing their favourite sections of the performance.

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The Hearth’s Warming Eve play was over. Ponies poured en masse from every exit of the theatre into the still-busy streets of Canterlot. The sun was setting. Unseen by the gatherings, the two alicorns stood on a high balcony and watched the crowd intently. Not wanting to cause a fuss, they remained out of sight to perform their twice-daily duties.

Not only that, each of the sisters was anxious to hear how the play was received – Celestia because she had written the play (this fact still unknown to Luna) and Luna because she wanted to see if Equestria still appreciated the art of performance. So far, their ears had caught only praise for the pageant, pleasing both of them.

Watching the crowd, Celestia recognized some, but not all, of the ponies. The guards were doing an admirable job directing the large crowd and helping those unfamiliar with Canterlot to the train station or to hotels where they could spend the night.
She could hear the whistle of the train as it arrived. She vowed to take Luna on a train ride one day – she knew without doubt that Luna would love to see the inner workings of the train and view the countryside. Not to mention the company! The pegasi pulling their chariots were often too focused on flying to engage in conversation, but aboard a train, fellow passengers were always happy to talk. Of course, Luna was more likely to be interested in the technology of the train than those who were on it, but Celestia knew her sister couldn't avoid society forever.

Glancing to her side, she saw that Luna had flown off and hovered next to an open window, through which Celestia could hear Twilight and her friends. The younger alicorn clearly looked distracted by the byplay inside of the rooms. Celestia saw this as a perfect opportunity to play a joke on her sister and at the same time, confirm her sister’s feelings. She silently flew to join Luna.
“Do you love her because she’s Twilight Sparkle? Or do you love her because she reminds you of Clover?” – Celestia asked, taking advantage of Luna’s preoccupation.

“I love her because she’s Twilight Sparkle.” – Luna replied without thinking.

Suddenly realizing she was no longer alone, Luna gasped loudly and landed near the back entrance. She realized what exactly she had just said.

“Then go to her.” – Celestia told her sister with a smile, landing next to her. – “Be with my student and be happy. Love her in the time that you have together.”

“Thank you, Tia. It means a lot to me that we have your blessing.”

With a hug for goodbye, Luna entered through the back entrance. She went up the stairs and stood in front of the doors, hesitantly raising her hoof to knock.

‘Get yourself together, Luna. You are the Sovereign of the Night, the Dreamwalker. If Twilight’s wish is to be with you, then you should gladly grant her wish – with all your heart!’ – She thought as she rapped on the doors twice. The entrance opened, revealing Twilight, who immediately jumped to hug Luna.

Celestia returned to the balcony, smiling that her subjects – including Twilight and Luna – were so happy. She took flight, intending to return to the Canterlot Palace to get some sleep.

With Celestia at peace with the past and Luna confident in her love for Twilight – unknown to both sisters – they both then thought the same thing:

“It will happen soon.”

Author's Note:

A chapter, this time co-authored with 90Sigma.

Happy Easter!

Comments

[ultra1437]

“Clover the Cleve! I need you!” – Rarity, playing Princess Platinum, called out”

Typo. Clever.

Also has a quotation for the ending punctuation, which should probably be a period. It wraps into the next paragraph too, which doesn't appear to be actually a separate paragraph, just an accidental enter.

play was receiver – Celestia

Another typo. Supposed to be received.

Other than those few things I picked up, I loved the piece.