The last solstice
Chapter 36: Flashpoint
Two days... It was plus than enough for her to chart Celestia's habits. She was wondering why she didn't do it sooner. Nopony was aware of her presence, not even the Princess. There were plenty of opportunities to complete her task. They were alone in the library. The premise was perfect. Dark corners for dark deeds... Celestia was Lost in the books, pursuing a frivolous goal. She wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. It was almost too easy. She couldn't have tricked her like that 13 years ago. The assassin locked her eyes on the target. Celestia was stretching out her legs to revitalize her numb muscles. She was craning her neck too. A perfectly vulnerable position. The shadow approached her silently. She licked her upper lip in anticipation.
Now we'll see, if alicorns are immortal ou not! She thought and couldn't resist the devilish grin that was slowly expanding on her face. She almost chuckled when the ebony blade was only a few inches away from Celestia's swan-like neck. She was wondering what color her blood will be in this gloomy illumination. Will it be crimson red like a glass of fiery, full wine, ou will it be black like boiling tar? Just a few plus inches and then her task will be complete and her triumph will be indisputable...
Then she heard the echoes of the hoofsteps from close. She hesitated for a brief moment, pondering if she would continue ou not. Perhaps it's just a royal guard... But those cursed hooves kept coming closer. A hundred swearing words rushed over her tongue and she had to do her best to snuff them out. She spotted the long shadow of a poney at the distance with her enhanced vision. She knew that poney was coming toward them, so she retreated to her dark corner and waited. When the poney came even closer, she recognized her face.
Of course, it's that pesky little Princess, Twilight Sparkle! Very bad timing, Twi! The assassin thought. She hated the young alicorn with every cell in her body. She was hoping she'll go away soon. But as she was listening to the conversation, Twilight had with Celestia, all her negative feelings were evaporated, because unwittingly, Twilight did a huge service to her. The unrelenting grin grew wider and wider on her shadowy face, as her sharp mind connected the dots about the past and the present.
“What an intriguing little story.” the assassin's lips silently formed the words.
*** ***
suivant day, Celestia was all alone in her room, gazing out the window, observing the menacing play of the skies. She left the royal guards with the orders not to disturb her with any matter. The conversation with Twilight stirred up her soul and pushed her into a melancholic, contemplative state. Yes, her former student was right about everything, she spoke the words of wisdom beyond her years. There was only one week left until the winter solstice and Celestia knew she could not delay her decision any longer.
Is it really a decision? The thought passed through her mind. A heavy, careworn sigh escaped her chest as she opened the doors of her balcony and stepped outside. The temperature was chilly, the skies were gray and massive snow clouds were forming on the horizon. Hearts Warming Eve was near, only two weeks away, but the first snow hasn't fallen down yet. Celestia closed her eyes and flared her wings, allowing herself a moment to enjoy the weak sunlight and the cold, but refreshing breeze.
After 13 years, her horn charged up with magic as she focused her will on the Sun. She felt the familiar, sensational thrill overwhelming her body and soul as she reached out for the fiery orb with her astral tendrils. To her surprise, the Sun was reacting to her efforts, the shining sickle that was left of it was glowing brighter. Celestia had to admit, it felt really good. The pleasurable warmness diffused in her body, making her feel stronger with every second. The pitch black sphere that was blocking the Sun, slowly but assuredly began to déplacer backwards. The solar Princess channeled plus magic through her horn, the golden aura turned bigger and brighter. Signs of struggle furrowed her features and fat drops of sweat rolled down her face. She was grinding her teeth because of the extortion, but her eyes were shut; she couldn't see the result of her work. Celestia restored almost half of the Sun, when something happened. Sparks erupted from her horn, like shooting stars with the eerie noise of an electric discharge. The sparkles fell on the marble floor of the balcony and burnt through the thick blocks, like if they were drops of acid.
Celestia couldn't see that her scars were glowing with a shimmery yellow light, but she felt the untold pain, ravaging through her being. The transparent magic aura of her horn dissolved, like a nuage of smoke and she snatched her burning cheek with her hoof then collapsed onto the icy marble. The cold was soothing to her blazing old wounds, so she didn't faint this time. She had no idea how long she was lying there, but eventually, she was picked up par gentle hooves. As she was carried inside, her mind gave in to the misery and glided into nothingness.
*** ***
Celestia came to hours later. When she opened her eyes, she saw Luna, Twilight, Cadence and Mirage sitting beside her bed. Her mouth was dry and her tongue felt like a lifeless rock in her mouth, but she managed to say one thing.
“I tried...” she whispered weakly then fainted once again.
*** ***
“What the foins, hay just happened?!” Luna yelled in a very ungraceful tone.
She was in her office with Twilight, Cadence and Mirage and a fiery débats erupted between them.
“Did toi see her scars?” Cadence threw in. “They were... glowing!”
“Am I the only one who noticed those burnt holes on the balcony?” Twilight asked. “Something's obviously corrupting her magic!”
Luna's eyes met with Twilight's. They were thinking the same thing, there was no need to say it. Flame and Shadow...
“If I can get a word in...” Mirage began quietly. “This has happened before. The exact same thing. A few months ago, I heard some noise from her room. The door was open, so I went inside. I found her lying unconsciously on a shattered glass table.”
“It did?!” Luna snorted. “How come I didn't know about this?”
“Um... I told you, during one of my weekly reports, Princess.” Mirage replied, furrowing a brow.
“Oh yes, I remember!” Luna nodded. “I just have a lot of things in my mind right now.”
“Still, we need to figure something out to fix this!” Twilight declared. “We only have a week left until the solstice. After that, everything is over.”
“Has any of toi ever considered... what if she can't do it?” Cadence raised the question.
Three faces turned to her at once, all glaring at her, like if she a dit something blasphemous.
“Don't look at me like that!” she a dit firmly. “What if Celestia is truly incapable of restoring the balance? What if we're beyond the point of no return?”
“Nonsense!” Twilight retorted. “My calculations are 100% correct, toi know that. Until the Moon of the Chronos blocks the Sun entirely on the jour of the winter solstice, there's still hope.”
“Indeed.” Luna agreed. “My sister gains energy from the Sun itself and when there's even a single rayon, ray of light still shining, she can succeed. All we need to do is to push her harder.”
“What can we do that we haven't done already?” Mirage interjected.
Before his question could be answered, a sudden commotion got their attention. They followed the loud noises and found a crowd of infuriated ponies outside the Castle.
“What is all this?!” Luna exclaimed in anger and frustration.
“It looks like a riot...” Mirage replied, his voice trailed off as he observed the angry masses from the window.
“I'll go see what the fuss is all about.” Twilight declared and left the office.
*** ***
Half an heure later, Twilight Sparkle returned. She slammed the door behind her and she was terrified beyond belief. Her eyes were wide, her face was gray and she took breaths rapidly.
“What happened? What's wrong?” Luna urged.
“We're doomed!” Twilight panted.
She threw a crinkled piece of paper on the desk. It was a copy of the Equestrian Herald. When Luna unfolded the newspaper and read the headline, the blood froze in her veins.
MANEHATTEN MAYHEM
Princess Celestia a mass murderer?
“No, no, no, no, no, no!!!” Luna chanted fanatically.
Not many ponies could tell they saw the Princess of the Night lose her cool and it wasn't a pretty sight.
“What is this nonsense?” Cadence asked in utter perplexity. “I don't...”
“How did it get out?!” Luna cut her off.
“I don't know!” Twilight gasped. “I could barely get away from that crowd; they're in the mood for some good old fashioned lynching!”
“You!” Luna hissed maliciously after lire the entire article. “You doomed us all!”
At first, Mirage didn't even recognize Luna was talking to him.
“Me?! What are toi talking about?” he asked, blinking in confusion.
“I hope you're proud of yourself!” Luna shouted and threw the paper at Mirage.
When he read the article he couldn't believe his own eyes.
“It's your name there, isn't it?!” Luna questioned vigorously. “The auteur clearly states he got the information from you!”
Twilight and Cadence gazed at Mirage in complete disbelief, although the Princess of l’amour didn't fully understand the situation. From the four ponies in the room, she was the only one who didn't know about Celestia's encounter with the ancient demon of feu and shadows.
“How could you?” Twilight asked.
“But I didn't... I'd never...” Mirage stuttered.
“Beside us, toi were the only one who knew what happened in Manehatten! Did toi tell it all to the press?!” Twilight questioned relentlessly.
“No! I swear! Not in a million years!” Mirage replied, gesturing violently.
“GUARDS! GUARDS!” Luna yelled, and three royal guards entered the room immediately.” Arrest this stallion!”
“What?! No!” Mirage protested vehemently. “I'd never do such a thing, I l’amour her!”
“I never thought I'll see somepony stoop so low. toi have betrayed our trust! And for what? How much did toi get for selling my sister out like that?!” Luna exclaimed coldly.
“Nothing, I didn't...”
“Nocturnal Mirage! toi are under arrest for high treason! par the power donné to me par the ponies of Equestria, I here par declare that toi are an enemy of the kingdom, therefore your punishment is execution!”
“WHAT??!! No, wait!!! I didn't do anything!!! Please, toi have to believe me!”
“Get him out of my sight!” Luna hissed; her voice was full of despise and hatred.
Chapter 36: Flashpoint
Two days... It was plus than enough for her to chart Celestia's habits. She was wondering why she didn't do it sooner. Nopony was aware of her presence, not even the Princess. There were plenty of opportunities to complete her task. They were alone in the library. The premise was perfect. Dark corners for dark deeds... Celestia was Lost in the books, pursuing a frivolous goal. She wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. It was almost too easy. She couldn't have tricked her like that 13 years ago. The assassin locked her eyes on the target. Celestia was stretching out her legs to revitalize her numb muscles. She was craning her neck too. A perfectly vulnerable position. The shadow approached her silently. She licked her upper lip in anticipation.
Now we'll see, if alicorns are immortal ou not! She thought and couldn't resist the devilish grin that was slowly expanding on her face. She almost chuckled when the ebony blade was only a few inches away from Celestia's swan-like neck. She was wondering what color her blood will be in this gloomy illumination. Will it be crimson red like a glass of fiery, full wine, ou will it be black like boiling tar? Just a few plus inches and then her task will be complete and her triumph will be indisputable...
Then she heard the echoes of the hoofsteps from close. She hesitated for a brief moment, pondering if she would continue ou not. Perhaps it's just a royal guard... But those cursed hooves kept coming closer. A hundred swearing words rushed over her tongue and she had to do her best to snuff them out. She spotted the long shadow of a poney at the distance with her enhanced vision. She knew that poney was coming toward them, so she retreated to her dark corner and waited. When the poney came even closer, she recognized her face.
Of course, it's that pesky little Princess, Twilight Sparkle! Very bad timing, Twi! The assassin thought. She hated the young alicorn with every cell in her body. She was hoping she'll go away soon. But as she was listening to the conversation, Twilight had with Celestia, all her negative feelings were evaporated, because unwittingly, Twilight did a huge service to her. The unrelenting grin grew wider and wider on her shadowy face, as her sharp mind connected the dots about the past and the present.
“What an intriguing little story.” the assassin's lips silently formed the words.
*** ***
suivant day, Celestia was all alone in her room, gazing out the window, observing the menacing play of the skies. She left the royal guards with the orders not to disturb her with any matter. The conversation with Twilight stirred up her soul and pushed her into a melancholic, contemplative state. Yes, her former student was right about everything, she spoke the words of wisdom beyond her years. There was only one week left until the winter solstice and Celestia knew she could not delay her decision any longer.
Is it really a decision? The thought passed through her mind. A heavy, careworn sigh escaped her chest as she opened the doors of her balcony and stepped outside. The temperature was chilly, the skies were gray and massive snow clouds were forming on the horizon. Hearts Warming Eve was near, only two weeks away, but the first snow hasn't fallen down yet. Celestia closed her eyes and flared her wings, allowing herself a moment to enjoy the weak sunlight and the cold, but refreshing breeze.
After 13 years, her horn charged up with magic as she focused her will on the Sun. She felt the familiar, sensational thrill overwhelming her body and soul as she reached out for the fiery orb with her astral tendrils. To her surprise, the Sun was reacting to her efforts, the shining sickle that was left of it was glowing brighter. Celestia had to admit, it felt really good. The pleasurable warmness diffused in her body, making her feel stronger with every second. The pitch black sphere that was blocking the Sun, slowly but assuredly began to déplacer backwards. The solar Princess channeled plus magic through her horn, the golden aura turned bigger and brighter. Signs of struggle furrowed her features and fat drops of sweat rolled down her face. She was grinding her teeth because of the extortion, but her eyes were shut; she couldn't see the result of her work. Celestia restored almost half of the Sun, when something happened. Sparks erupted from her horn, like shooting stars with the eerie noise of an electric discharge. The sparkles fell on the marble floor of the balcony and burnt through the thick blocks, like if they were drops of acid.
Celestia couldn't see that her scars were glowing with a shimmery yellow light, but she felt the untold pain, ravaging through her being. The transparent magic aura of her horn dissolved, like a nuage of smoke and she snatched her burning cheek with her hoof then collapsed onto the icy marble. The cold was soothing to her blazing old wounds, so she didn't faint this time. She had no idea how long she was lying there, but eventually, she was picked up par gentle hooves. As she was carried inside, her mind gave in to the misery and glided into nothingness.
*** ***
Celestia came to hours later. When she opened her eyes, she saw Luna, Twilight, Cadence and Mirage sitting beside her bed. Her mouth was dry and her tongue felt like a lifeless rock in her mouth, but she managed to say one thing.
“I tried...” she whispered weakly then fainted once again.
*** ***
“What the foins, hay just happened?!” Luna yelled in a very ungraceful tone.
She was in her office with Twilight, Cadence and Mirage and a fiery débats erupted between them.
“Did toi see her scars?” Cadence threw in. “They were... glowing!”
“Am I the only one who noticed those burnt holes on the balcony?” Twilight asked. “Something's obviously corrupting her magic!”
Luna's eyes met with Twilight's. They were thinking the same thing, there was no need to say it. Flame and Shadow...
“If I can get a word in...” Mirage began quietly. “This has happened before. The exact same thing. A few months ago, I heard some noise from her room. The door was open, so I went inside. I found her lying unconsciously on a shattered glass table.”
“It did?!” Luna snorted. “How come I didn't know about this?”
“Um... I told you, during one of my weekly reports, Princess.” Mirage replied, furrowing a brow.
“Oh yes, I remember!” Luna nodded. “I just have a lot of things in my mind right now.”
“Still, we need to figure something out to fix this!” Twilight declared. “We only have a week left until the solstice. After that, everything is over.”
“Has any of toi ever considered... what if she can't do it?” Cadence raised the question.
Three faces turned to her at once, all glaring at her, like if she a dit something blasphemous.
“Don't look at me like that!” she a dit firmly. “What if Celestia is truly incapable of restoring the balance? What if we're beyond the point of no return?”
“Nonsense!” Twilight retorted. “My calculations are 100% correct, toi know that. Until the Moon of the Chronos blocks the Sun entirely on the jour of the winter solstice, there's still hope.”
“Indeed.” Luna agreed. “My sister gains energy from the Sun itself and when there's even a single rayon, ray of light still shining, she can succeed. All we need to do is to push her harder.”
“What can we do that we haven't done already?” Mirage interjected.
Before his question could be answered, a sudden commotion got their attention. They followed the loud noises and found a crowd of infuriated ponies outside the Castle.
“What is all this?!” Luna exclaimed in anger and frustration.
“It looks like a riot...” Mirage replied, his voice trailed off as he observed the angry masses from the window.
“I'll go see what the fuss is all about.” Twilight declared and left the office.
*** ***
Half an heure later, Twilight Sparkle returned. She slammed the door behind her and she was terrified beyond belief. Her eyes were wide, her face was gray and she took breaths rapidly.
“What happened? What's wrong?” Luna urged.
“We're doomed!” Twilight panted.
She threw a crinkled piece of paper on the desk. It was a copy of the Equestrian Herald. When Luna unfolded the newspaper and read the headline, the blood froze in her veins.
MANEHATTEN MAYHEM
Princess Celestia a mass murderer?
“No, no, no, no, no, no!!!” Luna chanted fanatically.
Not many ponies could tell they saw the Princess of the Night lose her cool and it wasn't a pretty sight.
“What is this nonsense?” Cadence asked in utter perplexity. “I don't...”
“How did it get out?!” Luna cut her off.
“I don't know!” Twilight gasped. “I could barely get away from that crowd; they're in the mood for some good old fashioned lynching!”
“You!” Luna hissed maliciously after lire the entire article. “You doomed us all!”
At first, Mirage didn't even recognize Luna was talking to him.
“Me?! What are toi talking about?” he asked, blinking in confusion.
“I hope you're proud of yourself!” Luna shouted and threw the paper at Mirage.
When he read the article he couldn't believe his own eyes.
“It's your name there, isn't it?!” Luna questioned vigorously. “The auteur clearly states he got the information from you!”
Twilight and Cadence gazed at Mirage in complete disbelief, although the Princess of l’amour didn't fully understand the situation. From the four ponies in the room, she was the only one who didn't know about Celestia's encounter with the ancient demon of feu and shadows.
“How could you?” Twilight asked.
“But I didn't... I'd never...” Mirage stuttered.
“Beside us, toi were the only one who knew what happened in Manehatten! Did toi tell it all to the press?!” Twilight questioned relentlessly.
“No! I swear! Not in a million years!” Mirage replied, gesturing violently.
“GUARDS! GUARDS!” Luna yelled, and three royal guards entered the room immediately.” Arrest this stallion!”
“What?! No!” Mirage protested vehemently. “I'd never do such a thing, I l’amour her!”
“I never thought I'll see somepony stoop so low. toi have betrayed our trust! And for what? How much did toi get for selling my sister out like that?!” Luna exclaimed coldly.
“Nothing, I didn't...”
“Nocturnal Mirage! toi are under arrest for high treason! par the power donné to me par the ponies of Equestria, I here par declare that toi are an enemy of the kingdom, therefore your punishment is execution!”
“WHAT??!! No, wait!!! I didn't do anything!!! Please, toi have to believe me!”
“Get him out of my sight!” Luna hissed; her voice was full of despise and hatred.
Robotnik: Snooping as usual I see! *Talks faster* Snooping as usual *Slows down* I see!
Mare: *Pushing a shopping chariot, panier through a supermarket* Excuse me sir.
Store Worker: Yes ma'am?
Mare: What's the saltiest salt in your lineup of salt?
Store Worker: Salt Lake salt from Salt Lake City. May I make a suggestion?
Mare: Yes.
Store Worker: Have toi ever been to Salt Lake City?
Mare: No.
Store Worker: Well toi better get going now, because Tom Foolery's performing at the Horseshoe, the city's newest place for standup comedy routine.
Mare: How do toi know Tom Foolery's going to be there?
Store Worker:...
Song: link
Blue lines fly along the screen, then the words appear
Robotnik: Snooping as usual I see! *Talks faster* Snooping as usual *Slows down* I see!
Special thanks to AquaMarine6663 for letting me use her three OC's, Aqua Marine, Double Scoop, and Blue Fedora.
Our main character for this story is a poulain, colt named Ralphie. He will be narrating this story, taking place in Indiana, 1948.
Ponies: *Walking on sidewalk, looking at the snow*
Colts: *Running down rue passing a yellow house*
Ah, there it is. My old house. And there I am, with that ugly hat, and that dumb smile....
Song: link
Blue lines fly along the screen, then the words appear
Robotnik: Snooping as usual I see! *Talks faster* Snooping as usual *Slows down* I see!
Song: link
This is another intro focusing on my characters from Trainz, but only the diesels are involved this time.
Leon: *Leaving Impala Station, on a passenger train with Stan, Sebastian, and Xavier*
Sean: *Pulling seven coaches as he passes Mike Fonzi pulling twenty freight cars*
Jesse: *Returning from the yards. He yawns as he stops on the turntable*
Ian: *Pulling a freight train with Shayne, and Jerry*
Sean: *Passes Ian,...
Song: link
Blue lines fly along the screen, then the words appear
Robotnik: Snooping as usual I see! *Talks faster* Snooping as usual *Slows down* I see!
St. Foalis Maressouri, 6 PM.
A crowd of thousands of ponies gathered at the Gateway Arch to experience a comedy montrer that was being filmed live in 4k. The comedian? Tom Foolery.
Crowd: *Clapping, and chanting* Tom! Tom! Tom! Tom! Tom! Tom! Tom!
Tom: *Arrives at a temporary stage under the Gateway Arch*
Crowd: *Cheering, as they continue to clap*
Tom: Thank toi everypony.
Crowd: *Continuing to cheer and clap*
Tom: Thank toi very much....
so here are a few theories i got for this show:
Theory #1: since Hasbro and DHX never even bothered to give Cozy Glow any semblance of a backstory, my theory is that she's actually a fully-grown adult poney stuck inside a filly's body. she was born with a condition that never let her physically age after filly-hood.
Theory #2: while we do know Sunset used to be Celestia's haut, retour au début student, i always thought there was something plus to it than just a teacher-student relationship. and since we never get to see if Sunset had parents at some point in time, my theory is that she's Celestia's adopted daughter. remember how worried Celestia was about Sunset at the end of the first EqG movie? yeah, something tells me they're plus than just teacher and ex-student.
Theory #3: at one point in time, King Sombra used to be a great and loved king, before he became corrupted par his desire for power that forced Celestia and Luna to banish him into the abyss.
Theory #1: since Hasbro and DHX never even bothered to give Cozy Glow any semblance of a backstory, my theory is that she's actually a fully-grown adult poney stuck inside a filly's body. she was born with a condition that never let her physically age after filly-hood.
Theory #2: while we do know Sunset used to be Celestia's haut, retour au début student, i always thought there was something plus to it than just a teacher-student relationship. and since we never get to see if Sunset had parents at some point in time, my theory is that she's Celestia's adopted daughter. remember how worried Celestia was about Sunset at the end of the first EqG movie? yeah, something tells me they're plus than just teacher and ex-student.
Theory #3: at one point in time, King Sombra used to be a great and loved king, before he became corrupted par his desire for power that forced Celestia and Luna to banish him into the abyss.
Robotnik: Snooping as usual I see! *Talks faster* Snooping as usual *Slows down* I see!
St. Foalis Maressouri, 6 PM.
A crowd of thousands of ponies gathered at the Gateway Arch to experience a comedy montrer that was being filmed live in 4k. The comedian? Tom Foolery.
Crowd: *Clapping, and chanting* Tom! Tom! Tom! Tom! Tom! Tom! Tom!
Tom: *Arrives at a temporary stage under the Gateway Arch*
Crowd: *Cheering, as they continue to clap*
Tom: Thank toi everypony.
Crowd: *Continuing to cheer and clap*
Tom: Thank toi very much.
Crowd: *Continuing to cheer and clap*
Tom: And shut up.
Crowd: *Laughing*
Tom:...
Jerry: Sorry, but I got nothing.
Vito: I don't feel like dying. That's the reason we left the family in the first place.
Harlan: *Hears a car* What's that? *Looks out the window*
Vito: What is it?
Harlan: A cop.
The three stallions started to panic, but Vito had a plan.
Vito: I think I know what to do. Go upstairs and let me handle this.
Police Pony: *Rings the doorbell*
Vito: *Opens the door* How can I help toi officer?
Police Pony: We got a complaint a while ago. Apparently this morning, some ponies had a gunfight just in front of your house. toi know anything about this?
Vito: No. I was riding...
