Shift with the Tides

Twilight Sparkle opened up her eyes and smiled, the morning sun flooding into the room and giving off a warm glow. She rubbed her eye as she sat up and glanced around the exquisite space loaned to her by Princess Celestia during her stay in Canterlot. Twilight lazily cocked her head to the clock hanging on the other side of the room. Six o’ clock. Great. I must’ve been so excited for today that I woke up too early. Now I have to wait around for two whole hours for the others to wake up…

Twilight wasn’t the only one who had come to Canterlot for the occasion. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash had all been personally invited by Celestia to view the total solar eclipse happening that day at noon. Twilight trudged out of her comfy Canterlot mattress and went to her guest bathroom, fit with countertop, sink, and a shower that shared a wall with the hot tub. Twilight took a brush from the countertop and brushed out the snarls in her mane.

Today was a big day for Twilight. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror, who looked back at her with the same level of enthusiasm. “Today’s the big day, Twilight!” she said to her beaming image. “Your very first solar eclipse! —Ow.” She winced; one of her snarls were tangled enough to tear out several hairs with it when Twilight yanked on it. She quickly regained her composure and stood erect.

Though the reflection had heard this speech several times already, Twilight felt the need to remind it of why the event was so important. “I’ve seen pictures, and read plenty of books about them, but never have I seen a total solar eclipse with my very own eyes! I wonder if everypony else is as excited as I am…” Her reflection could only shrug in reply. “Oh well,” Twilight replied with a smile, “at least we can all enjoy each other’s company.”

She stopped talking, but hummed a tune as she made herself presentable for the day.

Luna felt a nudge on her shoulder. She didn’t want to get up, not yet. She was having such a great dream…

“Come now, Sister; today’s the big day.”

…but, now that she was awake, Luna completely forgot what the dream was about. She didn’t open her eyes, however; she feigned sleep to spite whoever woke her.

“Luna,” Celestia said, unamused. “We don’t want to keep everyone waiting, do we? Especially Twilight.” Celestia giggled, but Luna didn’t find it nearly as funny, and instead grunted in response, her eyes still closed.

Realizing she wasn’t going to fall asleep again, Luna groaned loudly and opened her eyes. She spared her sister no more than a passing glance as she crawled out of her dark-blue canopy bed and headed for the curtain closed over her window.

Too lazy to bother with magic, Luna used her horn to physically slide the curtain aside. The dim morning sun lit up her face; Luna’s pupils shrunk quickly, making her close her eyes and turn to the side to stop the spot in the center of her vision from getting any bigger. Celestia had already raised the sun today. Blinking quickly to get her sight back, Luna turned and scowled at her sister.

“Will you please stop setting my moon for me?” Luna said with one open eye at her sister, the other closed as she rubbed it with her knee. “Could you just wake me up so I can do it myself?”

Celestia walked towards Luna and the windowsill. The window frame glowed yellow and opened, letting in the sounds of the dull morning seep into the room. Birds were chirping. A few voices could be heard below, but they were all too soft to hear any exact words. Celestia sighed and smiled, looking out at the calm view. Luna was getting the feeling her sister was taking her sweet time on answering the question on purpose, just to get under Luna’s skin.

“But Luna,” Celestia started, not taking her eyes off the view outside, “you always look so peaceful, what with your sheets tossed around this way and that—and the occasional snoring is oh-so cute~”

“I do NOT snore,” Luna snapped back at her sister, she turned her head to glare at Celestia, but the sunlight made her flinch and close her eyes again. Luna backed away into the shade of the room.

Celestia turned to Luna, then grinned and shrugged innocently. “Well, I don’t know what you call it, but when someone makes a sound like—” Celestia ducked her chin into her neck to deepen her voice as she imitated what sounded to Luna like someone preparing a massive loogie—”in their sleep, I call it snoring.”

Luna harrumphed and started for the door. “I’m getting breakfast!” she announced angrily before storming out the room.

“Yikes,” Celestia said aloud as Luna slammed the door, “I was just playing around. One would think she’d have gotten used to it by now.” Her eyes half-lidded, she added, “Double standard, Luna. When you do it, it’s funny, but when I do it I’m being mean.” She sighed. “Luna really has to learn to lighten up…

“She does snore pretty loudly, though.”

Celestia closed the window and headed out the bedroom door to follow her sister to the kitchen.

*Knock-knock-knock*

“Huh?!” Rainbow Dash jolted up from her bed to the sound of someone banging on her door. Realizing there was no immediate threat, she sighed fell backward limply. Staring at the ceiling, she shouted, “It’s unlocked, come in!”

Rainbow watched as the door handle glowed pinkish-purple and turned. Pushing the door open with her hoof, Twilight took a step into Rainbow’s room and immediately started talking. “You really should lock your doors before going to sleep, Rainbow,” she advised like a mother to her kid.

“Meh,” Rainbow replied with a shrug, not getting up from her bed. “We’re in Canterlot Castle, for Celestia’s sake. What’s the worst thing that could happen?”

Twilight rolled her eyes and pushed the issue aside. “Anyway, you are the last pony up.” Stepping to one side, she showed their other four friends just behind the doorway. Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy all welcomed Rainbow with a friendly smile.

“Good morning,” Rarity greeted to Rainbow, who was spread out lazily across her bed, half of her spectral mane stuck on her face. “…Er, would you prefer we give you some time to tidy up first?”

The suggestion didn’t settle well with Twilight. “We don’t have time for that, Rarity! It’s eight forty-five!” She tapped an imaginary wristwatch on her arm for emphasis. “We were supposed to have we were supposed to have woken up, gotten ready, and arrived at the throne room fifteen minutes ago.”

Rainbow oozed off the edge of her mattress and laid facedown onto the floor. She groaned loudly and dramatically. “It’s not gonna be the end of the world just ‘cause we’re a little late, Twi. Besides, ain’t the solstice at noon?” She lifted her face off the hardwood floor and looked at the clock. “It isn’t even nine.”

“It’s not a solstice, Rainbow—it’s an eclipse. A solar eclipse. And if I miss it…” She visibly twitched, making all her friends also twitch—but for a different reason. “…Well, let’s not go down that line of thinking, shall we?” Twilight laughed.

The sleep scared off her, Rainbow pushed herself off the floor and blew the hair out of her eyes. “Okay, okay, I’m going. Just give me a minute, alright? I’d like to enjoy this room one last time before leaving. I’d go so far as to call it better than my own place…”

Rarity looked around Rainbow’s guest room, reminiscing over her own one-night stay in a similar accommodation. “Yes… It certainly is exquisite, isn’t it?” Tears were welling up in her eyes over the premature nostalgia.

“Uh, Rarity?” Applejack said, taking a cautious step away from the unicorn, “You alright?”

Rarity blinked the tears out of her eyes. “Yes, I’m fine! Don’t mind me, just wishing I lived here.” While Rainbow walked to her bathroom, Rarity took the moment to lay back and enjoy the comforts of Canterlot Castle one last time. “Ah… This place is just so nice!”

Twilight was impatiently tapping her hoof on the wooden floor as if to make up for Rainbow’s slow pace. The pegasus was taking her sweet time in front of the large mirror in her bathroom. “Still waiting…” she reminded.

“Cool your jets, will ya?” Rainbow replied, turning her face left and right as she inspected her ruffled rainbow mane, patting it here and there to reduce bedhead. “You’ll wake other ponies sleeping.”

“Actually, Rainbow,” Rarity informed, pausing from caressing the bed’s soft linens, “these walls are specially designed to absorb energy. Heat and sound barely goes through these foot-and-a-half walls.” She sighed wistfully and rolled around on the bed. “It’s one of the reasons I love this place so much.”

“Oh,” Twilight said in mock-appreciation, “well, in that case, GET A MOVE ON, RAINBOW!”

The pegasus jumped and rushed out the bathroom to Twilight. A comb was freely hanging in her hair. “Alright, fine, ready, jeez. It’s just some equinox anyway, what’s the big whoop?”

Twilight took in a deep breath and expired freshly-brushed minty air in Rainbow’s face. Rainbow was now aware of the bad taste in her mouth, but she wasn’t about to ask Twilight for extra time.

“It’s not an equino—you know what? Forget it, let’s just get going.”

For royalty living in a castle, there was normally a sizable kitchen, fit with many chefs and varieties of food.

Canterlot Castle sported one as well, but the alicorn sisters much preferred the modesty of their own private kitchen—which included all of one room with several cupboards, a countertop and sink. In the middle of the small room stood a wooden table that could barely seat six.

On the table sat Luna’s bowl of cold cereal and milk, untouched. Luna was tired and could barely keep her eyes open; her head was hovering lazily over the bowl of Sugar Cube Crisp. The cereal was slowly becoming soggy as Luna continued to stare blankly at it.

Celestia walked into the room, stopping at the sight of Luna sitting in a trance. Celestia blew air out her nose and continued to the cupboard. Looking around for something to eat, she decided upon a banana in the fruit basket next to the sink. Peeling it, Celestia took a seat across the table from Luna, watching her as she ate.

“Stay up late again last night?” Celestia said with as little decency as she could muster, her words muffled by the banana mush in her mouth.

Luna didn’t respond. Her muscles unable to keep up the fight with her heavy eyelids, Luna’s eyes finally closed—and her head fell down into her bowl, splashing cereal and milk over the table.

Celestia took another casual bite from her banana. “Sister, you really must learn when to stop studying and actually rest. I know you’ve missed a thousand years, but you won’t be able to catch up on everything in only a couple of years.” Bubbles were coming up from Luna’s submerged snout. “Nobody can learn that much history in that little time.”

Celestia’s thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knocking on the doorframe to the kitchen. Turning, Celestia saw a purple hoof disappear behind the wall, followed by Twilight’s head popping into view.

“…Are we intruding, Princess?” Twilight passively asked, ready to shrink back behind the doorway as if she were Fluttershy. “We went to see you in the throne room, but the guards said we could find you in your kitchen.”

Celestia chuckled. “That’s quite alright, Twilight.” She could see other ponies squeezed behind her student’s silhouette. “Are those your friends there? Come on in, all of you. There’s no need to be shy.”

Celestia finished her banana as she watched the conga of surprised faces, one after the other, as each mare entered the kitchen and laid eyes on Luna.

“Is she alright?” Fluttershy asked urgently. Her wide eyes were focused on Luna, getting wider when she couldn’t tell if the princess was breathing.

When Celestia realized her sister wasn’t waking up, she picked up Luna’s spoon and hit her on the head with it, hard.

Luna jolted up, splashing the rest of her milk out of the bowl and onto the table. “Ow!” she said, rubbing the top of her head as she grimaced at Celestia. It took her a moment to realize there were others in the room. One by one, she made eyes contact with each of the mares, her soaked face getting redder and redder each time.

Luna turned her head back to her sister fast enough to sprinkle Celestia with drops of milk still on Luna’s face. “Tia!” she half-scolded, half-whined. “Don’t bring others in here when I’m face-down in my cereal!”

“You weren’t waking up,” Celestia replied with a shrug. “I had to hit you with a spoon.” The spoon in question was still floating with a yellow aura, and Celestia gently set it down in the puddle of milk next to Luna’s bowl. She turned to Twilight and her friends. “I’m sure Luna and I have kept you all long enough. We were supposed to have met nearly an hour ago, after all.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Princess!” Twilight hastily replied, waving her hoof at the matter. “We weren’t in a rush or anything anyways. By all means, take your time!” She looked back at her friend giving her raised eyebrows. “Don’t judge me,” she snapped back in a whisper.

“Well, it’s nine-thirty,” Celestia announced to the group. Luna was busy wiping the mess with a towel. “The eclipse is at noon. So what is the rush? Why not take some time sightseeing down in Canterlot?”

Luna stopped dabbing her face. “There’s little point in that. If they wish to make it back here with us to see the eclipse from the top of the castle, they’d need to hurry back not long after entering the city.”

Without the milk on Luna’s face—nor her face in the milk—the girls got a good look at how Luna looked. There were wrinkled bags noticeable even on Luna’s dark-blue coat. She looked ready to succumb to sleep again at any moment; Luna pushed the aside her cereal bowl from beneath her head, just in case.

Rainbow winced at the princess’s face. “Wow, Princess Luna. You look terrible.”

“Rainbow!” Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity exclaimed in unison, surrounding the pegasus.

“No no, Rainbow Dash is right.” Luna sighed hard, her head descending with her breath. “As much as it pains me to say. The issue is that I have been pushing myself a bit too much as of late. A thousand years is a lot to miss, and I must learn as much as I can.”

“That’s no reason to skip out on sleep entirely,” Celestia scolded. “Even the princess of the night needs to get sufficient shut-eye.”

Luna’s glazed eyes looked up at Celestia. Half the muscles that kept her mouth closed were taking a break, and Luna’s jaw was hanging limp. “I suppose you’re right, Sister. If it’s the same to you, perhaps I will take that shut-eye right now…”

Celestia managed to slip Luna’s towel under her head just before it hit the table with a thump. Luna was out like a light.

Getting out of her chair, Celestia ushered the other ponies in the room out the kitchen, turning off the lights behind her. “Come girls, we can talk until the eclipse. Luna can sleep until then.”

“Ooh, this is so exciting!”

Twilight was zipping in a circle around her arranged machinery lined around the balcony of the throne room, making quick last minute adjustments, and adjustments to her adjustments. Everyone else was sitting quietly, either watching the moon and sun near each other in the sky, or glaring at the unicorn off to their side that was making so much racket.

“C’mon, Twi,” Applejack said to the sweaty unicorn, “just sit down and enjoy the sight. At this rate, you’re not even gonna see the eclipse with all your hassling with those dials an’ such.”

“I suppose that’s Twilight’s own decision to make,” Celestia said to Applejack with a smile, essentially telling her to give up trying with the unicorn. She added loudly in Twilight’s direction, “Though it would be quite a sight to miss!”

“You have your passions, and I have mine,” Twilight snapped back playfully, tapping a screen with her hoof.

The radius of Pinkie’s pupils were inversely proportional to the distance between the sun and the moon. With her mouth agape, Pinkie jumped and pointed excitedly in case nobody was looking at it. “Look, look! The sun and moon are touching!”

Twilight stopped a moment and turned to the pink pony. “Actually, Pinkie, the moon is nowhere near the sun, so it can’t ‘touch’ it. You see—”

“Hey. Twilight.” Twilight turned and saw Rainbow cocking an eyebrow at her. “Quit being such a buzz-kill; either watch it like us or go back to your thingama-doo-hickies.”

Twilight grunted, ears folded back, and sat down to watch the eclipse unfold in the sky. Her annoyance melted into wonder in an instant as the sun’s light increasingly dimmed.

A sense of serenity fell over the ponies. As moon and sun met paths, they appeared to obliterate each other—leaving a hole in the heavens, surrounded by a halo of light. The entire city of Canterlot could be heard taking a collective breath, followed by the silence of them holding it in their chest as though that breath was the source of their awe and wonder, and if they were to release it, the calm would be disturbed.

It had been a thousand years since Luna had seen such an event, and she was as taken away the girls around her; her eyes shimmered like Twilight’s, her mouth was agape like Pinkie’s, her breath was held like Fluttershy’s, her skin was riddled with goosebumps like Applejack’s, her smile was as wide as Rainbow’s, and her legs trembled slightly like Rarity’s. For Luna, it had always been a humbling sight, and now was no different.

It was one of the last pleasant days that Luna experienced for the next year.