A Star Pony Tale

by BlondeSky

Thousand Year Wish

Chapter 39

Thousand Year Wish

It was around one o’clock the day of the summer solstice, Astro’s favorite day of the year. Every year prior she had spent the day with her friends and this year would be no different. They had taken the time to plan out what they all wanted to do and made sure to work in everypony’s suggestions. It was going to be quite the event and she was very excited for it. This was probably the most effort that they had ever put forth for one of these days and her hopes were very high. She already had her saddlebags packed and they were leaned up against the door waiting for her. When it was time for her to leave all that she needed to do was pick them up and head out. She was too excited to lay down to rest and there was the fact that she hardly needed it at her age. While she waited for the time to pass she worked on a project that she had been developing recently.

It was while she was working that she heard a massive ringing reverberating through the building. She stopped what she was doing and stepped back in shock. It was very apparent that it wasn’t just coming from her room. Whatever it was could be heard everywhere. Never once in the decade that she had been there had she heard such a noise and it alarmed her greatly. She walked worriedly over to her door to see what was going on outside of her room. As she poked her head out into the hallway she saw almost all of the other ponies to either side of her. It didn’t appear that anypony there knew quite what was going on. That only heightened her anxiety as the majority of them had lived there for their whole life.

Quickly she found Sail’s form standing in her doorway not too far down. She looked just as confused and concerned as all of the others, but she still looked to her for reassurance. Sail quickly turned to look for Astro and the two locked eyes. Just as they met each other’s gaze an announcement simultaneously reached all of them. ‘All ponies are to return to their rooms and remain there until further notice. No exceptions.' A momentary silence followed before the magnanimous ringing broke it once more. Sail gestured for her to return to her room with a reassuring smile and she did reluctantly. As she turned she saw others follow some more willingly with others. They did still all return eventually. Orders were to be followed not questioned.

Sail remained standing in her doorway until everypony else had disappeared behind their doorways before she did as well. She didn’t appreciate the lack of information that they had been given. Nothing like this had ever happened before and all they could do was tell them to stay inside like children. She wanted to go and see Astro to check on her, but didn’t want to get her in trouble for her actions. She stood still and silent glaring furiously at her wall. She had a half a mind to march down to the managers’ offices and interrogate them as to what it was all about, but she knew that acting brashly would get her nowhere.

For a moment her angry thoughts faded as the ear shattering noise stopped. It was followed quickly by another sound echoing in her head. ‘I’m afraid we require your services for this matter. Come to the back hall as quickly as you can.’ She frowned as she received the mental message.

‘What is going on here? And what happened to no exceptions?’ she questioned.

‘Come down here like I asked and you’ll see. And right now we don’t need ponies roaming the hallways. The message needed to come across.’ came the reply.

‘I should be there shortly.’ she responded begrudgingly.

She exited her room as her stomach churned with uncertainty. While she did not understand what was happening she knew enough to decide that she didn’t like it. She walked down the hallway towards the one that lay in the back. She passed by an assortment of closed doors each of which with a name on them that she recognized. These were not just names that they were playing. There was a pony behind each one of them. A pony she knew. As she reached the end of the hallway she felt her anger growing as well as her anxiety. Her worried mind created all sorts of images as to what she might find, but none of them matched what she found waiting for her.

As the base had five managers there were ten doors on the back wall of the back hallway, an office and a bedroom for each one of them. All ten of the doors had been placed equidistance apart from each other. In the very center of the hallway stood an eleventh door that had never been there before. It had been opened, but the last pony inside didn’t appear to have closed it. She could see a staircase spiraling downwards surrounded by claustrophobic earthen walls. ‘What is this supposed to be?’ she questioned looking the area over in distrust.

‘The answer to that is at that bottom of the stairs. I’m down here with the rest of the managers.’ Mint Drift replied.

‘I’m on my way down to you.’ she responded uncertainly before heading into the doorway.

The stairs were made of rough hewn stone that her hooves sounded loudly against. It smelled of must and mud and earth in the darkened space. The walls were nothing but bare compressed dirt that pressed close on either side of her. No lights guided her as she walked downwards, but her own light guided her down well enough. She was glad that she had it as well. The spiraling stairs had not been well made and she had to take the steps carefully to ensure that she did not trip. Without light the journey would’ve been far more dangerous. As she got closer to the bottom she saw the others' glow faintly. The staircase stopped curling and led down the last steps in a straight line.

The room was made completely of grey stone and torches hung on the walls that must have been lit recently. A strange magical light sat pulsing on one side of the room while on the other side an old decaying wooden desk sat with five ponies gathered around it. A yellowed envelope that had been opened sat on the desk. The seal on the front looked similar to that of The Wish Division, but it wasn’t exactly the same. The letter that had been inside sat on the desk next to it. What was written on it concerned her greatly.

“You called for me.” she declared as they turned to greet her.

“I’m sure that you were just as surprised this night as we were.” Mint Drift stated simply, “When we went to investigate we found the extra door that had appeared on the wall in the back and followed the staircase here.”

“And found that envelope and opened it before proceeding to read it and call me down.” she completed hurriedly, “Forgive my bluntness, but I know what happened, I would like to know why.” She was given the letter in response.

She looked down to read it feeling uneasy. The calligraphy was elaborate and it was obvious that the page was old, but it wasn’t difficult for her to read.

To whomever is reading this,

If all has gone as it should identical hidden chambers have been placed under each of The Wish Division’s bases containing identical copies of this letter. As The Wish Division it is our job to grant the wishes that are made upon our stars, but only within proper discretion. Recently one particular wish was made that we deemed out of our jurisdiction, but after seeing it repeatedly in ever growing frequency I question the validity of this decision. It is a time of trouble for us and the rest of the world and we are only just starting to recover. Squabbling among ourselves over such an administrative matter would do nothing to help. It is my wish however that the decision be overturned. As the leader of The Wish Division I now make an executive decision that this wish shall be carried out under a special set of circumstances. The world could not handle what just happened once more, at this moment its granting would spell complete disaster. Once the world has had time to heal from this scar these two ponies' identical wishes shall be granted. Each of the underground rooms will be set to open in exactly one millennia, at which point the base will be alerted to its presence. Once you have read this you will start to prepare this wish to be granted and do so before the end of the longest day of the year. You will bring the moon princess back to her home and end her banishment.

She looked up from her reading in confusion as she finished. “I am afraid that I do not understand.”

“It is an old tale not believed to be true. On the longest day of the thousandth year the stars will aide in her escape and she will bring about nighttime eternal. Or so the legend says. Due to the wording of it tabs were kept on it, but it was still believed to just be a fairy tale.” one of the five ponies standing before her replied.

“And now we are to fulfill this prophecy? It would bring about our own destruction if it is true. Nighttime eternal would end this organizations work for forever. You read through the letter as well. It is a time of trouble and we are only starting to recover. We would experience the same.” she argued.

“Possibly, but it’s safe to say that it spawned from this letter and all this letter confirms is one thousand years, the longest day, and that we would aide her. It says nothing of eternal night. That was only added when the tale was stretched and exaggerated.” another responded.

“That does not mean that it was an undue exaggeration.” she retorted.

“Then we should hope for the best. This is not a request it is a command.” added a third voice.

“Why have you called me down? I fail to see why I am relevant to this situation.” she questioned realizing that she was getting nowhere.

“You know how our process here works. The stars receive wishes, sorters assign them, and runners carry them out. You are for all intents and purposes the leader of the sorters in Division 1. Rally all of your sorters together and think hard about this one, but think quickly. You only have so long.” Mint Drift told her. She frowned as she realized what was expected of her.

“You honestly mean for me to take this as I would any other assignment that comes my way.” she stated curtly.

“No, we expect that you treat this with the weight that it deserves, but we also expect you to do your job just as you always have. You have been given your orders, now go.” she finished in an authoritative manner.

She spun around and walked to leave a steely glare on her face. When they had replied to her in that manner she had half a mind to throw their order back in their face, but she had resisted the temptation knowing full well that such an action would get her nowhere. She did as she was bid to and knocked on the door of every sorter, pulled them out, and sent them to their station. For some it was easier than others due to the announcement that had been made, but she was still able to gather most of them. She went to Astro’s door last so that she might walk with her to the sorting room. It mattered not to her that Astro was not recognized as a sorter as she had yet to take her assessment, she wanted her out of her room and by her side. She was also plenty talented enough at what she did to be allowed among their ranks in her eyes.

She walked up to her door and knocked quietly. She could imagine how the young mare must have tensed up when she heard that after the sudden silence. She spoke to her telepathically, ‘Dear, it is me Sail. Could you open the door please? I know that we were told to stay inside, but I am afraid that the no exceptions rule has been broken. The managers want the sorters working and I was sent around to get everypony. I am aware of the fact that you do not hold the title officially, but I would like to have you out here with me.’ There was a moment of silence before the door inched open and Astro’s concerned face appeared in the doorway. She smiled reassuringly at her, “Thank you dear. I already grabbed everypony else so we can go straight there.” She exited the room nervously and shut the door behind her.

“W-what’s going on?” she questioned worriedly.

“I am afraid that I was tasked to make that announcement for all of them.” she replied crossly.

“Right.” she mumbled keeping her eyes towards the floor. Her tail was flicking about nervously and when Sail did catch the look on her face she looked like she was about to be sick.

“Dear, look at me.” she commanded seeing the evident distress displayed throughout her. Astro looked up and met her eyes, but her head was still hung low. “This is not the end of the world. While I cannot see the favor in what they do I can tell you that what happened this morning was not the beginning of our end. A hidden door opened when the ringing began and this is what was found inside.” she informed her as she offered her the letter. She took it with an uncertain look on her face and read through it. As she finished her reaction was less than favorable.

She looked over and said in confusion and concern, “But… I don’t understand-”

“You aren’t supposed to understand unfortunately, you are only supposed to do as you are told. Right now for us that means select a runner for this just like we would anything else.” she finished before they entered the room full of solemn ponies all awaiting her arrival.

Silence dominated the area as she walked into the center of the circle that the ponies had formed into. “Right now I am to tell you of what occurred not too long ago, why it has, and what it means to us that are here right now. I’m sure that all of you can understand the anomaly that the noise was, but here I have what it was meant to mean.” she told them as she displayed the letter, “It was meant to alert us to the presence of a travesty that happened long ago today, a millennia to be exact, to us and the rest of the world alike. Now that the world has had its time to heal from what has happened we are meant to return that which was lost all those years ago. It has been wished that the mare in the moon be released and it falls to us to choose a pony to complete that task alongside others chosen from all over The Wish Division.”