Interlude III (Side Cadance)
The collection of unicorns stared at Zecora. Excited whispers filled the hall.
"A zebra!"
"I thought they were only a legend..."
"There hasn't been a zebra in Equestria in...in...I don't know how long!"
Cadance stepped forward, head tilted. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm just...a bit confused. Who are you exactly, and...and what are you? And what do you mean, we need your help?"
"Your Highness," the eldest unicorn stallion said, "this...this Zecora...she's a zebra."
"We only know rumors about them, mostly," a mare said. "They're...well, alchemists and mystics, or so the legends go."
"Some ponies even call them witch doctors," another stallion said sourly.
Zecora chuckled. "Alchemists, mystics, and witch doctors, too," she said. "As strange as it seems, these things are all true." She smiled at Cadance. "My life's passion is the understanding of all, be it magic that's great, or creatures quite small." She dipped a hoof into a pouch tied to her cloak and withdrew a small amount of green powder, which she blew into the air; it created a twinkling cloud, in which hazy images of a moving sun and moon could be seen. "With simple ingredients, I can brew an elixir of magic which will help you. But know this: even if you take my potion, you must learn inner focus to set the heavens in motion."
"Madame zebra, where did you even come from, if I may ask?" a wizened stallion asked.
Zecora glanced at him. "You may indeed, my good pony. Zecora's home is the Everfree."
A collective gasp rose from everypony.
"You...you live in that...that nightmare?!"
Zecora nodded once.
"By the stars," the wizened stallion breathed. He turned to Cadance, swallowing. "Your Highness...anypony who can live in a place like that...is nopony to be taken lightly."
Cadance gave Zecora a searching, almost pleading look. "You're absolutely sure you can...you can help me learn to move the sun and moon?"
"Indeed I can, if you follow my plan."
"Alright," Cadance said. "What exactly do we need to do?"
"First, I will need ingredients, but alas they are lacking. I fear the animals of the forest used all mine for snacking." Zecora turned to look at the guard ponies. "The herbs and flowers I need can be found in Canterlot's private garden grounds."
The guards looked to Cadance, who nodded. "It's an emergency, so unlock the private gardens."
As the guards rushed off to obey, Cadance turned back to Zecora. "What else?"
"The potion will take two hours to mix and seven to brew. While it simmers, I will meditate with you. I sense you have limited knowledge of magic. We must strengthen your skills, or..." She shook her head. "Well, it would be tragic."
"Nine hours? We're supposed to keep Equestria from descending into madness for that long?" a mare screeched. "When it's already been an entire night and morning with no sun or moon?!"
"Equestria will survive for a time without the sun," Zecora said impatiently. "I suggest you promote it as a holiday, for fun."
The unicorns murmured thoughtfully.
"Now if you will excuse me, I must make haste," Zecora said. "We have precious little time to waste." With that, she trotted off in the direction the guards had gone.
Cadance looked over the gathered unicorns. "Are...are you all certain this is the right thing to do?" she asked.
The unicorns conferred amongst one another; after a long moment, the eldest stallion coughed. "What choice do we really have?"
"Zebras are famed for being wise and learned," another stallion said. "Even Starswirl the Bearded had great respect for the zebras and their mystical ways. It's said that he once studied with a commune of zebras and returned to Equestria with new magic that had never been heard of before."
"Whether or not this zebra can actually help you take over Princess Celestia's job," the eldest mare said, "it can't hurt to try."
Cadance sighed. "Moving the sun and moon...on my own..." She swallowed heavily. "I don't know if I'm ready for this..."
Shining Armor took her hoof and squeezed it. "You have to be, Cadie. You have to be."
* * * * *
As Zecora worked on the potion, Cadance, the royal seneschal Kibitz, and a young noble named Fancy Pants worked on a campaign to mollify the citizens of Equestria. By the time Zecora had finished mixing the potion and left it to brew, guards, heralds, and pages had scattered to the corners of Equestria, promoting the First Annual Twilight Festival. Once the hastily-hatched scheme to convince the good citizens of Equestria that nothing was amiss was set in motion, Cadance sequestered herself in a quiet room with Zecora.
"I take it your plan to address the concerns of Equestria met with success?"
"We can only hope so," Cadance said. "We came up with the idea of a three-day 'Twilight Festival' and spread the word from Manehattan to Las Pegasus." At Zecora's raised eyebrow, Cadance added, "We thought it'd be a good idea to, y'know, give me plenty of time to get this right."
"A wise precaution indeed," Zecora nodded. "It is time you will most certainly need. To move the heavens is no mean feat for one so pretty and petite."
Cadance blinked. "Uhh...thank you?" She shook her head. "Anyway, we also let an 'accidental' rumor leak that this whole 'Twilight Festival' thing is just to cover Princess Celestia having the feather flu and being in no shape to raise the sun. Fancy Pants suggested it, he thinks it'll be easier to sell the whole thing if everypony thinks Her Majesty is bedridden."
Zecora chuckled. "Such a clever stallion."
"If it works, I'll give him a medallion," Cadance said.
Zecora stared at her, lips pressed into a thin line. Cadance smiled and winked.
Zecora snorted and shook her head. "Let us begin, young alicorn," she said. "We have much work to do to hone your horn..."
* * * * *
"My dear auntie is ill?" Blueblood, descendant of the Noble Line of Princess Platinum, pressed a hoof to his forehead as he lay upon a velvet chaise. "Oh, woe! I am not ready to ascend to the Throne! But Equestria must have a ruler, therefore—"
"Pardon me, Master Blueblood," Kibitz said, his moustache twitching in irritation. "In the first place, Her Majesty is not dead and is in no danger of dying. In the second place, even in the unfortunate event that were the case, the Throne would be succeeded by Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. She is an alicorn. You are not."
"She is an adopted pretender," Blueblood sniffed. "I am of pure noble lineage, dating back to the founding of Equestria..."
"You are a minor noble," Kibitz said gruffly. "And lack the most basic understanding of what it means to—" He paused, then shook his head. "Forgive me. It is a moot point, in any event. Her Majesty will return soon enough, the sun and moon will rise and fall, and everything will return to normal, as it has been for thousands of years." He cleared his throat. "In the meantime, Canterlot will be hosting the first ever Twilight Festival, and you will be expected to host a Twilight Ball here at the castle tomorrow night."
Blueblood sighed. "Oh, very well."
* * * * *
Applejack looked up at the sky, frowning. "Dang it all, why ain't th' sun comin' up?"
"Ah don't know, Applejack," Big Macintosh said, chewing on a grass stalk. "If you want mah opinion—"
"Now, y'all don't fret none," their father called as he trotted up to the farm house. "Ah jes' got word from Canterlot. This is some newfangled festival they decided t' have, that's all. They're callin' it a Twilight Festival." He spat off to the side. "Three days, they said. Three days of no sun nor moon. Said ponies should take a break, have some fun, enjoy it."
Applejack and Big Macintosh looked at each other. Applejack scratched her head. "Whut'n th' hay's there t' enjoy 'bout not bein' able t' tell whut time it is?"
"Well now, twilight is a magical time of day," Big Macintosh began. "Some say it's the most romantic hour for ponies to—"
"It's a load o' horseapples," their father grunted. "No sun for three days is gonna mess up our crops somethin' fierce, an' you can bet Ah'll be givin' Princess Celestia a piece o' mah mind. Why, Ah have half a mind t'—"
"Now, hold up there, Bright Mac," an older stallion said as he trotted onto the farm, a dark-maned colt at his side.
"Howdy there, Stinkin'."
Stinkin' Rich grimaced. "Yeah, well. I've got connections, you know, and what I'm hearin' is that this here 'Twilight Festival' is just a cover for Princess Celestia havin' the feather flu."
The Apples gasped. "Th' Princess is sick?" Applejack asked. "Th' Princess can GIT sick?"
"Reckon so," Stinkin' Rich said with a shrug. "Never heard of it before, but she's a pony too, so...anyway. Yeah, so she's down with feather flu, an' you know what that does to pegasi. What I hear is, her magic's up an' wonked out on her, so she can't raise the sun right now." He shook his head. "I'll have to send a proper get well gift to the castle, of course, but anyway."
The Apples looked around at each other. "But...but if Princess Celestia can't raise th' sun, then..."
"Oh, I reckon she'll be fine," Stinkin' Rich said. "Feather flu's pretty rough on a pony, but it ain't fatal. They say she'll be back on her hooves in a few days and everything'll go right back to normal."
"So this whole Twilight Festival thing is a cover for th' Princess bein' sick," Big Macintosh said. "Well now, that makes a ton o' sense. Why, if Ah—"
"Thank you for droppin' by an' tellin' us whut's whut, Stinkin'," Bright Macintosh said, shaking the other stallion's hoof.
"Much obliged. Come along, Filthy. We've got more ponies to visit."
* * * * *
Hours passed. While Cadance remained cloistered with Zecora, Shining Armor, Kibitz, and Fancy Pants managed the information coming in from all over Equestria. To their great surprise, ponies far and wide were buying it. Messages of concern and well-wishes, as well as lavish get-well presents for Celestia, were already pouring in, and Cloudsdale had already scheduled the Wonderbolts to perform a Twilight Festival Air Show. Ponyville had begun setting up a street fair, Manehattan was...not bothering to react to the news at all. Other towns were handling the news in their own way.
Evening arrived, and Cadance, looking thoroughly exhausted, emerged from the room in which she and Zecora had been sealed for the greater part of the day. Shining Armor trotted up to her; he was mildly alarmed when she collapsed against him for support. "Cadance! Are you alright?"
"Just...tired," Cadance said woozily.
"A hot meal and a long rest is what would be best," Zecora said. "I must tend the special brew, then I too must sleep. Good evening to you." With that, she retreated to the castle laboratory.
Shining Armor looked Cadance over. "What happened in there?" he asked quietly.
Cadance's eyes were glassy and dull. "Mareakis...Dune...desert planet," she whispered. "Put your right hoof in the box...what's in the box...pain."
Shining Armor tilted his head, his brow furrowing. "Are...are you alright?"
"Magic...surrounds us...penetrates us...binds us all together..."
Shining Armor frowned. "Uhh...yeah...let's get you something to eat, then get you to bed..."
"The spice must flow..."
"Yeah, we'll get something spicy. Come on now, one hoof, the other hoof, the other other hoof, that's the way..."
"I am Thou...Thou art I..."
* * * * *
Morning dawned...
Well, morning didn't dawn. But after several hours of rest, Cadance awoke refreshed, had a simple, filling breakfast, and joined Zecora on the tower balcony where Princess Celestia traditionally raised the sun and moon.
"So now what?" Cadance asked nervously. "I learned so much yesterday, but I'm still not sure I'm ready."
Zecora held out a flask of purple potion. "This is a brew which will give you second sight. You must first use your magic to change it from purple to white. Once you drink it, you will learn how Celestia forged her connection to the sun, and moon, in turn."
"R-really?" Cadance asked.
"Indeed," Zecora said with an incline of her head.
"O-okay," Cadance said. She took hold of the flask in her magic and directed a pulse through her horn, willing the potion to change. The fizzy, cloudy purple brew lit up and shone a brilliant, milky white. Licking her lips nervously, Cadance unstoppered the flask and tilted it up, gulping down the potion...
light and color and sound and wind and
Dark. The sky above was dark. A crescent moon hung in a cloudy sky with stars sprinkled hither and yon.
A young white alicorn with no Cutie Mark and a pink mane and tail stood on a rock outcropping over a gnarled, twisted forest, staring up at the blank, purple-black sky. Her kind eyes were full of apprehension, worry, and a kernel of determination.
"Can we do this?" she asked softly. "Far wiser and more learned unicorns burned out their magic doing this."
"We are not unicorns, Sister," a gentle voice said. Cadance couldn't see the speaker. "Starswirl said it himself. We were drawn to this place, drawn to the Tree of Harmony, for this very reason. This is our destiny, and we must embrace it."
The white alicorn swallowed. "You're right," she said. "I'm just...nervous. This is..." She trailed off. "You realize the gravity of this moment," she said. "What we're...what we're doing here. If we do this, if we succeed...this is our duty until the end of time."
"I am aware of that, Sister," the other voice said. "After all, you are the one who told me all of this. You are the one who made this decision for both of us. Are you telling me that now, at the moment of truth, you are growing cold hooves?"
"N-no, of course not," the white alicorn said. "It's just..." She sighed. "Alright. Enough stalling. It's...it's time."
A silvery-blue glow drew Cadance's attention. She looked past the white alicorn and saw a dark shape, smaller but decidedly equine, hovering nearby with steady beats of broad, feathery wings. The glow limned a horn which cast sparkly light upon a pair of eyes focused on the sky in concentration.
"Gently," an old, raspy stallion's voice said. Cadance blinked. A third pony had appeared on the outcropping. In the light from the second alicorn's horn, she could make out robes, a hat, and a scrub of beard. "Gently. Feel the warmth it borrows from the sun. Feel the coldness and tranquility. The moon watches over the night, giving ponies peace and security in the dark. You are the moon. The moon is you. You will watch over the ponies, grant them safety from the things that lurk in the dark."
High above, the moon seemed to glow a little brighter.
"Yes...that's it. Now, morning has come. The end of the darkness, the end of the night. It is time to surrender the sky to the sun. You are the warden of the moon. Embrace it. Sing it to sleep with your magic."
The second alicorn's horn flared brightly, and Cadance could see more details: a dark coat, a blue mane.
Slowly, the moon began to dip below the horizon, darkening the sky further as its wan sliver of silver light faded from the heavens.
The alicorn's eyes lit up a brilliant silver, and bands of moonlight swam around her body. Her wings ceased to beat as the magic itself held her aloft. She hung motionless for a long moment, then sank gently to the rocks, dropping to her belly, her barrel heaving. Twinkling points of glittering light winked into existence in her mane, which rippled in the early morning wind.
"Good," the stallion said. "Now...Celestia, if you would, please."
"Of course," the white alicorn said. She rose into the air, spreading her broad, angelic wings wide. Her horn lit up a brilliant gold as she looked off into the horizon.
"Warmth and light," the stallion said. "Search for it, beyond the edge of the sky. Life itself, the promise of joy. Birth and renewal. Laughter and love. Find these things and bring them forth, lift them high into the sky. The night gives way to the day, and the day gives us life, light, warmth, and love. Everything begins with the break of dawn."
And slowly, ever so slowly, the sun began to rise. The sky lit up in hues of pink and purple and orange and all the lovely colors of daybreak as the shimmering red disc of the morning sun crested over the dark, twisted expanse of forest below.
Morning had come to Equestria.
The white alicorn's eyes shone with a blinding golden light as fire and sunlight surrounded her. She slowly landed on her hooves, wings folded at her sides, as her eyes and horn dimmed. Her mane, once pale pink, now shone with pastel hues of the breaking day, billowing behind her and sparkling in the morning light.
And on her flank, a large, blazing sun appeared.
Beyond her, the dark blue alicorn with the rippling, ethereal mane that looked like the night sky took to her hooves. Her flank sported a white crescent moon.
The ancient unicorn standing between them smiled. "Congratulations," he said as motes of magic sparkled and shimmered in the air, streaming into his horn. His voice and posture became stronger, more firm; the bells on his hat jingled. "Princess Celestia, Princess Luna...from this day forward, you alone will be responsible for the motions of the heavens. All of Equestria depends on you to bring forth the day and the night."
"We will not fail, Starswirl," Celestia said in a confident tone, so different from the trepidation she expressed earlier.
"Our subjects may rest assured," Luna said, "that we two sisters will not fail them. Now and forever more, we are the watchful stewards of Equestria."
The scene shifted and blurred...
Celestia stood atop a tall tower. Rubble lay strewn about, and the castle below bore scars from a terrible battle. Cadance hovered above, watching Celestia stare up at the night sky. Tears glimmered in the moonlight, streaming down her face and falling to the cold stone floor below. "Luna," she whispered.
Cadance's gaze turned to the moon, and she gasped. There, across the surface, was the familiar shadow of the Mare in the Moon. It looked raw, angry; it reminded Cadance unsettlingly of a fresh wound that had only just closed.
Below, Celestia dipped her head. "Why, Luna? Why did you...why did you forsake our subjects? Why..."
Cadance flew down to stand beside her. Celestia took no notice of her presence, but she didn't expect her to. This, after all, was a memory of the past, and she was no more than a shadow without substance here.
A familiar, wizened stallion appeared at Celestia's side in a shimmer of magic. "I...am sorry, Celestia," Starswirl the Bearded said roughly.
"You knew," Celestia said.
"I knew," Starswirl agreed remorsefully.
"Why did you say nothing?"
"You know the answer as well as I."
Celestia was silent for a long moment. "What am I to do now?" she asked plaintively.
"What you have done for a thousand years," Starswirl said. "What you have sworn to do until the end of time."
"But...!" Celestia looked up at him. "Without Luna, I—"
"You must take control of the moon," Starswirl said. "It will be difficult. It will not wish to accept you. But you must."
Celestia looked up at the moon. "I must..."
Her horn lit up. She squeezed her eyes shut. "Please," she whispered. "I know I am not your mistress. But you must obey me. You must...you must surrender the sky..."
It took several minutes for the moon to budge. Slowly, ponderously, it descended. Sweat dripped from Celestia's mane as she buckled to her knees. "Just...a little more..."
And with a brilliant white flash and a roar of sound, the past faded into distant memory, and Cadance once again stood upon the tower balcony, the frozen twilight sky above and Zecora at her side. She blinked and shook her head. "That..." She looked at Zecora. "Was that...real?"
Zecora dipped her head. "Visions of the past, of times long ago. I trust that you have seen what you need to know?"
"I...I think so," Cadance said. "I'm not...I'm not sure how it helps me do Celestia's job, but..." She looked up at the sky, then out over Equestria below. "She was scared too, the first time..." She bowed her head. "And...and she had a hard time lowering the moon when she..."
"I have herbs that will calm your nerves, elixirs that will aid your focus," Zecora said. "But the determination to do what must be done...that can only come from inside each of us."
Cadance nodded. "Two days," she said. "I will meditate for two days, and...and study anything in her notes and Starswirl's research that can help me. Then...then I'll try."
"No," Zecora said. "Do. Or do not. There is no try."
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Correct.
Correct again.
You have any better ideas?
Smart move.
Heh.
Who has no idea how to run a country.
Oh. You're alive.
... Yeah, you need sleep.
I am once again impressed by your talent with words.
Zecora is Yoda. I am OK with this.
...Huh. There are a lot of reference jokes here.
That aside, I still think the Cadance stuff is the most interesting part of this story. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, I just feel...I just feel bad saying that! AUGH! Stop messing with me story!
Oh, I see what you did there. These interludes are just as interesting and investing as Sunset's and Celestia's chapters.
Excellent use of Zecora. Also, would-be celestial mechanics apparently must train in the ways of the Bene Gesserit, the Jedi, and Persona users. That, or Zecora's throwing enlightenment at the pretty pink wall and seeing what sticks.
And I do love the use of Big Talker Macintosh here.
Nice to see what's going back at the Equestrian side.
God-Empress Cadance of Equestria, hmm? Well, somepony has to take the giant tatlzwurm!
Jedi master Zecora has thrown the gauntlet. Will Youngling Cadance rise to the challenge ahead of here or will Equestria be in a state of perpetual twilight? Find out in the next Side Cadance Interlude.
Your references are so perfectly placed! I approve.
I know it's a long way off, but I look forward to the discussions that will take place when Princess Celestia returns to Equestria.
8132641
Heh.
8132706 Plays Dragon Ball Z ending theme
So Cadance can now calculate FTL flights. Good for her! I would like to see Celestia do that.
Nice Update! Cannot wait to see what
CelestiaTia is up to next time8132641
Huh, I thought that was Valentine Michael Smith from Stranger in a Strange Land, but I've never played any of the Persona games, so...
8132984
Hmm. Also a possibility. Cadence will need to grok the sun in fullness.
Zecora op pls nerf.
8132870
Is that a reference? I feel like that's a reference...
Nice chapter man, nice chapter.
8133544 Yes. And the fact that you don't get it makes me feel incredibly, ridiculously old.
8133703 i3.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/017/204/CaptainAmerica1_zps8c295f96.JPG
8133703
Is it the Dune book? Cause if it is then I do get the reference!
Cadence needs to drink The Water of Life. She may not survive but if she does then she will awaken.
8133840 Yes, it's a Dune reference. More to the 1984 film than the book (though I have read the book and MAN is it a chore to read).
8132641 Heh, at least with this we now know why he doesn't talk much... I'd've gotten irritated too if I was in his shoes.
Yeah, it's very fortunate they had Cadance there as a backup... wouldn't have been pretty otherwise. Kinda curious to see if Blueblood tries a coup once he learns his "Auntie" isn't just sick.
8134174
There was a film? Wow... I may need to check that out, the book was a chore, good lawdy...
I need to reread it though.
Oh, you.
Is it strange that I find myself more interested in Cadenza's side that Sunset's or Celestia's?
8135905 That seems to be a consensus, which honestlly disappoints me because the Cadance interludes only exist because I decided to throw them in on a whim.
8136183
Huh. It might be an unexplored thing. "How Cadance fares without Celestia around" as opposed to "Somepony else goes through the mirror too".
I'm still really interested in Celestia and Sunset's side of things, it just feels like it'll seem slow until they get into school and interact with each other.
8137703 Psst Zecora isn't Yoda.
Things are getting desperate. Hopefully Celestia can return soon, but what if Sunset Shimmer actually changes and doesn't want to leave her 'family'? So, much can happen and my mind is running wild with the possibilities.
Dune! Ha!
Shouldn't Celestia be speaking Olde English right after Luna's banishment, since that was the dialect she remembered?
Good chapter! Loved the multiple Star Wars references!
I was holding off making a comment till I was up to date with this story but after this chapter and a few things in it that I am surprised know one has posted the reference to.
the box.
princess cute mark.
and I know this video is a but long abut it fits the fall of Luna and happens to be in my top 5 on my play list.
Zecora almost reminds me of Yoda. That final line solidify that thought.
8137703
Yoda doesn't always talk like that... and the line was right the first time.
8137906
Yes. She has yet to become an old backpack. And she's in a forest, not a swamp-
I had a brief thought of Yoda being Shrek's grandfather. "The reign of the Jedi... is ogre. It's time for the Jedi to end."
And Starswirl is a dick.
This is one reason why I hate prophecy, either it's used as an excuse to stand by and let bad things happen, or worse, it's used as an excuse to go out and DO bad things.
Twilights Sparkles Current Expression: Bemused
Zecora Is Yoda In Disguise?
Ahhh! Cadie's got jokes! Ahem, I'm sorry, Princess Cadance. But Cadie just sounded cuter...
Oh my....
8232700
It's worse than that. Prophecy is like freefalling. You can see with progressively greater detail what's going to happen. But that doesn't change the fact that there's nothing you can do. It's why Nozdormu went insane. And why Cassiopeia still succumbed to her fate.
I don't know why, but I laughed harder than I probably should have.
8232700
It's like no one has heard of self-fulfilling prophecies...