Journal of the Alchemist

Wednesday, June 21, Year 1000 of Our Lord

I think today deserves a full recap; no skipping around this time; it’s that important.

I went straight from the party to the town hall, because it was the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration (everypony knows you have to stay up or you might miss the Princess raise the sun). Not only that, it was also the thousandth one, so it was obviously going to be really good. I spent the last week getting a show ready to perform at the celebration, as I do every year, and I was really excited about this one! So I pack up my stuff and leave (didn’t have breakfast, since there was food at the town hall), heading for the centre of town.

So I get there, and I’m just in time to see Sugar Heart unpacking all the baked good she’d made for the event. Oh, there were all sorts of yummy things there! All kinds of salads and sandwiches and quiche and summer rolls, and berry tarts, and in the middle of all of Sugar’s delicacies was the biggest strawberry shortcake I’ve ever seen! But this wasn’t a “short”cake, it was by all means a tallcake! It had three tiers of five layers each! Each! No wonder she was so secretive about that project; it was the best thing I’d ever seen! I think even Sugarcube Corner was envious of that cake! I ate sooo much of that good stuff, still makes my mouth water. Anyway, after breakfast/brunch, I wandered around watching everypony set up their things, getting ready for a show. Everything was fine, for a while. But then everything went to pony hell.

The first event for the celebration is always Celestia bringing up the sun. After all, you can’t have a party in darkness! So Mayor Mare took the stage after everypony was gathered together. A yellow-coated, pink-maned pegasus (Fluttershy, I think her name is. Never talked to her, to be honest) conducted her songbirds to sing the town anthem, and the Mayor started her short speech.

“Fillies and gentlecolts,” She began, “As Mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!” She paused for the crowd to cheer, which they did, before continuing, “In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise and celebrate this, the longest day of the year! And now, it is my great honour to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the Bringer of Harmony to all of Equestria... Princess Celestia!

The curtains on the balcony above the Mayor were drawn back, and... Celestia wasn’t there.

“This can’t be good,” I heard somepony say from the audience.

“Remain calm, everypony, there must be a reasonable explanation,” The Mayor said, a bit flustered.

“Ooh! Ooh!” Came the unmistakable sound of Pinkie Pie, “I love guessing games! Is she hiding?” Everypony looked around, hoping that this was the case, but then the pony who pulled back the curtain came out from behind the drapes.

“She’s gone!” She exclaimed, to a chorus of gasps.

“Ooh, she’s gooood,” Pinkie exclaimed, obviously missing the point. Her amazement was brought short, however, by the appearance of a cloud of purple smoke on the balcony, from whom emerged an alicorn black as night, wearing midnight blue armour. I don’t think many of the ponies there recognised her, but I remembered finding a picture of her when I was looking through one of my books for a certain recipe. That alicorn was Nightmare Moon, the very embodiment of darkness and evil. Legend says that she was Celestia’s sister, but Celestia had to banish her to the moon.

So of course, she came back. I don’t know how she did; I know there was another part to that legend, but I skipped over it once I realised that it wasn’t what I was looking for.

“Oh, my beloved subjects,” Nightmare Moon began, baring her fangs in what I think was an attempt to smile. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen your precious, little, sun-loving faces!”

“What did you do with our Princess?” The weatherpony (Rainbow Dash, maybe? I’m not as good as Pinkie is at remembering names) shouted angrily, and tried to tackle Nightmare Moon. Notice I said “tried”. She was brought to a halt by Applejack (aha! A name I remember!) pulling her back by the tail (ow).

Nightmare Moon chuckled, bringing attention back to herself. “Why, am I not royal enough for you? Don’t you know who I am?”

“Ooh! Ooh! More guessing games!” Pinkie started, again, completely oblivious to the matter at hoof. “Um, Hokey Smokes! How ‘bout Queen Meanie? No, Black Snooty, Black Snooty!” She would have gone on for some time had Applejack not shoved a baked good into her mouth.

“Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years?” Nightmare Moon continued, not acknowledging Pinkie’s random outbursts. “Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?”

“I did!” Came a voice from the front of the crowd. “And I know who you are!” Heads turned to see Twilight Sparkle, Celestia’s student, and the very pony who inspected Ponyville to make sure it was up to specs for the celebration. “You’re the Mare in the Moon! Nightmare Moon!” Gasps came up from the crowd as some of them remembered the stories.

“Well, well, well,” Said Nightmare Moon, sounding genuinely surprised. “Somepony who remembers me! Then you also know why I’m here!” I racked my brain, trying to remember the rest of the legend, but I couldn’t remember in time. But that was okay; I didn’t have to.

“You’re here to... To...” Twilight Sparkle replied, looking very uneasy.

Nightmare Moon chuckled again. “Remember this day, little ponies. For it was your last! From this moment forth, the night will last forever!”

It was so quiet after that, you could hear a feather drop, which is what happened. I fear I became so afraid that I started molting. Already a hoof-full of feathers had fallen off. Now, I wasn’t panicking because I was afraid of the dark like a filly, but I kinda use sunlight AND moonlight for experiments. Besides, what would happen to the town’s crops? I guess I could have thought up a way for crops to grow in only moonlight, but that would take time, and when food is rapidly draining with no production, time is sometime a town doesn’t really have.

At any rate, Nightmare Moon wasn’t done. She was somehow able to summon a storm cloud into the town hall, and it started striking everywhere! Even when Mayor Mare sent the royal guard to attack Nightmare Moon, they were struck out of the sky by lightning. It seemed like she grew tired of that game quickly, though, so she turned into mist and flew out of the hall, away from the town, for which I was grateful. Some of the crowd in the hall fled to their homes to hide, including Twilight Sparkle, but to their credit, most of the town remained and cared for the foals who had been frightened, as well as the other ponies who had been hurt in the commotion. I helped where I could, but I was still a bit shaken from the event. Cobalt had mysteriously disappeared when Nightmare Moon came, but Sugar was still there, helping everypony. I made sure she was okay before I headed off to my domicile for some potions.

Over the course of my stay at Ponyville, I’ve been slowly getting the title of town apothecary. Mind you, I’m not as well-known as some ponies, but if I walk through town, I’ll get a few nods of recognition, mostly from ponies I’ve traded potions and poultices with. Now, you can’t get a reputation as a farmer without a field of crops, and I didn’t get my reputation as apothecary without making lots of healing potions (mind you, my main focus is still alchemy, but it’s good to have a few potions around if somepony hurts themselves). I gathered up as many as I could fit safely in my saddlebags, and made my way back to the town centre. On the way, I knocked at the houses and gave potions to those who needed them. I fear some were too scared to answer their doors, though. Once I had gotten to the hall, I passed out the rest of my effects. Fortunately, there seemed to be enough to go around, except for me. But that was okay; I was just startled, and I’ve always found helping ponies calming.

When everypony was at least calmed down, Mayor Mare started one of her speeches. I don’t think this one was for attention, though. When things really get serious, she sure can step up and help her townsfolk. I didn’t pay much attention to it, at any rate. I was more interested in flying around town looking for things out of the ordinary. I caught a glimpse of Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, and Rarity heading in the direction of the Everfree Forest, but if they wanted to hide in there, I wasn’t going to stop them. I had enough on my hooves as it was. I’m still surprised that I sprung into action like that. I’ve never been a brave pony, and I’m not very outgoing, but when I saw all the town so scared and hurt, I just got stuck in helping ponies. I guess it’s the sort of action somepony takes only in dire situations, and I hope nothing that dire ever happens again. I like this town being quiet; it’s good for testing.

When I didn’t find anything out of place during my once-over on the town, I headed back to the hall. Almost all of the ponies had gone to their homes for safety, and only five remained, six including me. Sugar, as I expected, was still making the ponies feel better, but she looked so tired. She really needed to sleep. Cobalt had come back, just as mysteriously as he’d left, and was testing a scrying spell to look for signs of Nightmare Moon. Starblossom was around, looking about as normal as I’d ever seen her. Her coat was its original colour: light purple, and her mane and tail, while still short from her cutting it, looked at least well-kempt and rather charming in their new black colour. She wasn't wearing any crazy outfit, and the only thing that made me recognise her was her stuffed mouse, and the fact that her cutie mark was hidden with purple dye. It was convincing enough that some ponies might think she was a blank-flank, but just subtly off colour enough for me to notice. Daisy and Cherry Berry were sitting in a corner, talking in hushed tones. I couldn’t hear everything they said, but they mentioned Nightmare Moon, so I guess they were just talking about the recent events.

“So, uh, that was unexpected,” I began.

“Unexpected?” Starblossom interjected in her alto voice. “Everything was right there. You just weren’t paying attention to the signs.”

“Now, now, Starblossom,” Cobalt Bright gently rebuked, his deep, rich baritone soothing Starblossom’s irritation. “Storm just isn’t as well-read as you when it comes to legends and myths.”

“Except Nightmare Moon, it seems, was not a myth,” Sugar Heart noted, her soprano voice sounding supremely tired.

“Of course not. I bet you thought Celestia always rose the sun AND the moon,” Starblossom said at me.

“I know about Luna, Starblossom,” I defended, “It’s just that I only remembered the legend when I saw her.”

“I suppose you’ll want us to look for the Elements of Harmony?” Sugar hazarded.

“No,” Starblossom responded. “We are not its holders; only the holders of the Elements should find them. They’re on their way now.” The way Starblossom talked often weirded me out. Sometimes it was as if she knew what would happen before it ever did. “At any rate, we have a few hours to kill before they get back. Who wants to play Monopoly?”

Had she suggested any other game, we might have questioned her wanting to play games in the middle of a crisis. But Monopoly is serious business. Monopoly is the game of kings and queens, and I was going to win this time. “Dibs on the saddle piece!” I called, making my first strategic move. In the end, I procured the saddle piece, Sugar was the heart (a wonderfully ironic token, which we would pick on her about until she politely but firmly asked us to stop), Cobalt was the star, Starblossom picked the carriage, and when Daisy and Cherry Berry joined, they got the mug and the gem, respectively. It was a fierce game, especially when, as always, someone would buy only one of each of the colours so no-one could build houses on them. It ended three hours later (“Exactly on time,” Starblossom said), when Daisy bought Canterlot RIGHT when I landed on it next turn, and finally bankrupted me. Daisy might seem like a gentle pony, but you’ve never seen her in a game of Monopoly. That mare is ruthless.

Not three minutes after Starblossom put away the gameboard (which she keeps in her bag all the time, for some reason), trumpets sounded in town, calling everyone outside. When we stepped out, we were almost blinded by the sun, which we had been too busy playing Monopoly to notice had been brought up.

“Look!” Somepony shouted. “Up in the sky! The royal carriage!”

Sure enough, the gold-and-purple chariot of Canterlot was descending to the ground, and on it was Princess Celestia, and a newly-transformed Princess Luna. Starblossom says that Luna was transformed by the Elements of Harmony back to her normal self, but I still don’t know how she knows that. When the chariot landed, the royal sisters stepped down in front of the six ponies I’d seen run into the Everfree Forest: Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack, the six of whom bowed before the Princesses. Luna was looking a bit depressed until two pegasus fillies placed a wreath of red and white roses around her neck. She cheered up quickly after that. I don’t know why. Maybe she just really likes roses. I noticed that Twilight Sparkle also looked a bit glum, and I think Celestia did as well, because she walked over and talked to her. I couldn’t hear what she said over the crowd, but everypony heard what happened next.

“Spike,” Celestia began, “Take a note, please.” A purple-and-green dragon standing beside Fluttershy and Applejack pulled out a quill and paper from nowhere and started furiously taking notes. “I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree that the unicorn Twilight Sparkle shall take on a new mission for Equestria. She must continue to study the magic of friendship, she must report to me her findings, from her new home in Ponyville!”

A cheer went up from the crowd again, and I could hear a couple ponies mumbling surprise that a unicorn from Canterlot would be living here in Ponyville.

“Oh, thank you, Princess Celestia!” Twilight exclaimed breathlessly. “I’ll study harder than ever before!”

Following that was a celebration, so I guess Ponyville got its party for the Summer Sun Celebration after all, even if Cobalt and myself didn’t get to perform our show. Oh, well; we’ll just save it for next year. At least Sugar Heart got to hoof out the rest of the foods she had made, and Starblossom seemed to simply glow with pleasure. The celebration of Celestia and Luna’s reunion, as well as Twilight Sparkle’s assignment to Ponyville, went on until well past midnight. At least, that’s what Cobalt told me. Sugar and I went to bed at around six. We were just so tired.

I guess all’s well that ends well, but I’m still worried that something so dangerous and important happened in this quiet little town of Ponyville. I really, really hope nothing like this happens again.

End of 2: The Summer Sun Celebration