The sun shone brightly, but she felt no warmth, even with her robes knotted tightly around her neck. Ponies played games, perused artisan crafts and munched on snacks from the food stalls. Clowns and other performers roamed the grounds, bringing smiles to everypony. Their jovial antics were hollow frivolities.
Soon, she would be empty. She would join the ranks of the nadir, hiding her unmarked flank with the deep blue cloak of the Moon Guides.
She remembered her jubilation at being called. How she had been taught to link her magic with four other unicorns to bring about the cycles of day and night. Many of her friends were either Seers or Guides, but the tingling thrill of gently tugging the moon from its resting place was a shivering accomplishment.
She could still recall her delirious excitement at her first Ceremony. It had been a cold winter day. The sunlight glimmered on the unbroken snow atop Stargazer's Hill that stood above the Everfree Forest. In the distance, they could see the Earth ponies in their scaffolding, raising the castle for the two newly crowned Princesses. It was still strange to her that two Alicorns were willing to descend from their mist shrouded eyries to govern mortal ponies. And it felt strange to her to see anypony with both wing and horn. Back home she still had her little altar to the Alicorn goddesses. Below, she could hear the fading laughter of foals as their parents called them in for supper, their frozen fun left behind.
Twelve unicorns crowded together on the hilltop. Beside her stood one of her best friends, Silver Spark, his white mane and tail stirring gently in the winter air. He caught her eye and gave her a wink and a grin, before turning to the blue robed unicorn before them, who raised a forehoof to brush away the ice that had crystalized in his brown beard. The unicorn was the famous Starswirl the Bearded, his tasseled and bell studded garb awkwardly askew, the rich blue embroidered with moons and stars that glimmered. Even at his apparent ease, he radiated power. Beside him stood his most renown apprentice, Clover the Clever, an unassuming brown mare. While her coat was nothing to look at, it was her flowing dark mane and deep plum eyes that made her striking. She looked distracted, and if truth be told, worried.
"We're all here, I see," Starswirl began, "good. Let's begin then. First business. Today, we have a newly raised Guide with us. Could you introduce yourself?" He gestured, beckoning her to his side. She had blushed as she crunched through the snow.
"Hi, everyp-p-pony," she stammered, "I'm Guiding Light." She glanced at the bearded stallion and he nodded encouragement. Silver Spark smiled, and she took heart. "I'm from Willowdale, just around the bend from Baltimare. I'm so glad to be part of the Moon Guides, and I look forward to working with everypony!" The ponies stamped their hooves in approval.
"So please take good care of her," Starswirl said. "Thank you my dear." Silver Spark gave her a friendly nudge as she returned to her place at the end of the line. Clover leaned close to the blue robed stallion who nodded at her whisper as she gestured to the hourglass that hung around her neck. Before he could speak, two shadows flew overhead. The ponies on the hill craned their necks to see who it was that circled the hill. Two fillies, one white coated, pink maned and long limbed, the other blue on darker blue, circled the hill twice before alighting on the snow. Guiding Light gasped along with the other ponies as they recognized the Princesses and they all hastily knelt on their forelegs.
"Ah, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, I'm so glad you could attend," Starswirl smiled as the two regal sisters trotted up.
"Sorry we're late, Starswirl," Princess Celestia replied. "There was a bit of a thing with the foreman,-"
"Not enough hooves," Princess Luna sniffed. Celestia ignored the interruption and continued.
"-but we're glad to have made it in time." Guiding Light thought that there was some sort of ethereal beauty to the taller Alicorn, who seemed much older than the dark blue mare. The excitement in those green eyes of the younger Princess made her smile.
"Absolutely, your Highnesses. Do you wish to review the Sun Seers and Moon Guides before we continue?"
"We shouldn't keep the ponies waiting. We can meet with them after," Princess Celestia smiled, shaking her head.
"Should we stand over here?" Princess Luna asked.
"That would be ideal." Starswirl turned towards the other ponies. "I've asked the Princesses to observe today's Celestial Ceremony as part of their studies to familiarize themselves with the workings of each of the tribes." The Princesses moved a few lengths away so that they could watch everypony.
"Sun Seers, please link up. Moon Guides, please be ready," Starswirl commanded as he walked to the line and stood between the two groups. Guiding Light turned east with the other Lunar Guides, craning her neck to watch the Seers, who faced west and closed their eyes, their horns alight with magical fields. A spark of magic leapt from the tip of horn the furthest pony to the next. The glow grew and grew until the magic jumped to Starswirl's horn, already shining brighter than any of the others. For a moment, the tableau held, then slowly, the sun began to set.
Guiding Light heard a giggle and turned to see Princess Luna climb excitedly atop her taller sister, pointing with glee at the moving orb. Celestia's gaze, however, was fixed on the blue robed stallion. The sky turned from an expansive azure and darkened to yellow, russet, then a ruddy orange. Cerulean, malachite and amethyst shaded the sky before her. Pinpricks of glimmering light began to appear as the stars danced into view. As the sun dipped behind the distant Foal Mountains, the colours deepened to a dark stratos blue. The sky was filled with sparkling lights, and she smiled at the deepening canopy of mysterious stars.
Starswirl turned to face east with the Guides. "Guiding Light, if you would please?" There was a reason why she had been placed on the outside with Silver Spark beside her. All she had to do was link with her friend; easy enough under normal circumstances, but she was shaking with excitement and fear. She looked east. The Smokey Mountains were distant shadows. She closed her eyes and gathered her magic. She could feel the pressure of it building in her head, waiting for release. She reached for her friend's magic and finding it, sent her magic to him. Immediately, his presence filled her mind. He grunted.
"Dim it down a bit, will ya?" he whispered. "You don't wanna go nadir on your first Ceremony!" She felt herself flush with embarrassment, and the glow of her horn lowered as she pulled back some magic. As the magic flowed down the line, she could feel the other stallions and mares, like a warm embrace. As their magic reached Starswirl, she felt a vastness drop into the feeling like a stone. Then their magic was soaring, reeling away into the dark reaches of the sky, an exhilaration of flight, an unfathomable delight. The magic fetched up against the cool soothing presence, and with infinite care, wrapped around it lovingly, and tugged. The first inkling she had that the moon was rising was Princess Luna clapping her hooves together with a gleeful laugh. She could now feel the magic draining from her in waves. It seemed to go on forever. The strain between her eyes felt more and more raw, her mind being roughly chafed by an ill-fitting bridle. But the others in her mind reached out and soothed her, and she sank into their welcome.
With a jolt, she realized that the others were leaving her magical meld with fond farewells and she waited for them all to withdraw before she damped her magic and opened her eyes. Silver Spark grinning. She felt curiously empty, but... happy.
"Impressive, as always," Princess Celestia was saying as the other Princess gazed up at the silver moon.
"How was your first time, eh?" Silver Spark asked her. Guiding Light thought for a moment, gazing at the silver disk that hung in the sky, then smiled back.
"Glorious."
Over the years, the glow of that memory had turned bitter and painful. The unicorns had hidden a terrible, dark secret from the other tribes. A secret that would well be out tonight. Her gaze wandered the crowd, the oblivious unicorns in their Celestial Ceremony cloaks, their meager magical sparks dimly burning in her enhanced eyes. They didn't know. They hadn't known. Every Seer and Guide lived a fantasy of their own making, and tomorrow, catastrophe would be upon them all.
She turned her back on the laughing, gambooling ponies and began to make her way to Stargazer's Hill.
She climbed the narrow dirt trail, as she had so many times before. The deep green grass waved in the breeze and yellow butterflies flittered about. The pride she had felt as a Guide had faded, replaced by horror when she became the Celestial Mistress. The way seemed especially difficult today, and the lone tree ominous in the bright sunlight. As she came close to the top, she could hear hushed, desperate voices.
"Are you sure? I thought we had more time! And those foaling initiatives..." came a familiar voice.
"We started the program too late. It was only because of Guiding Light's work did we even confirm what was happening. None of the foals have their cutie marks yet, which means they lack the sheer power. They can't be called for the Ceremony! Too young and... well, you know what happened to Silver Light..."
She stepped around the tree and cleared her throat, startling the two ponies. "Clover, Starswirl," she greeted them solemnly.
"Ah, Mistress Light," Starswirl said, his voice grave. "We were just talking about Silver Light. How is she?" She ignored the stab in her heart that nearly made her sick and swallowed against her pain.
"She has not yet recovered. Thank you for asking." She blamed no pony but herself. She had hoped, had prayed, that the filly, with such magical promise, would be able to perform as a Guide. Her mother was, after all, the Celestial Mistress. It had been three months since she had been called for duty.
Sacrifice was more like it.
She now understood why Princess Platinum had been so aloof and rigid during the Unification meetings prior to the founding of Equestria. Unlike the Pegasi and the Earth ponies, Unicorns had been giving up their souls to ensure the good of all. As each mare or stallion fell into nadir, their cutie marks had vanished along with their magic. The lived under the shadow of their Celestial Cloaks, which hid their blank flanks. Yet without their sacrifice, there would be no food. Without their sacrifice, there would be widespread panic and Equestria could very well fail. They had trapped themselves neatly in their silence.
"Meadowbrook has been asking after her," Clover said gently. With a glow of her horn, she lifted a small package from her saddlebags. "She wanted me to give you this, so when Silver Light woke up, this would comfort her."
The doctors were not hopeful. Silver Spark's resentment burned her only less harshly than her own guilt.
"Tonight our shame will catch us," she said with no preamble. Starswirl's brown beard wavered for a moment as he and Clover shared a glance. "I have reviewed the magic levels of the remaining ponies. Including myself, we only have enough magic for one more Ceremony. We cannot risk another foal-" her voice cracked and wavered.
"We will do what we must," Starswirl intoned, but even he too, looked defeated. They stirred at the sound of hooves. Guiding Light closed her eyes and blew out a rattling wuffle. With effort, she schooled her features before walking around the tree to great the remaining Seers and and Guides as they reached the hilltop. They were all younger than she, and she knew each one by name. They were her friends. Sunbeam. Moonstone. Morning Glory. Star Hopper. Cloud Dreamer. Night Shine. Silver Swirl.
When all ten ponies had arrived, she lined them up exactly like her first Ceremony, all those years ago. Unlike that time, she now stood beside Starswirl, with Clover at his other flank.
"Let's begin," Starswirl said. The five Seers lit up, facing the west, their magic shining brightly even against the sunlight, and the sun began to descend. Just like us, Guiding Light thought. No more magic. No more destiny. The night will come like a flood and forever destroy us for our hubris and our folly.
Night fell silently. Some of the Seers collapsed while others swayed. Clover stood, gasping for breath, then flicked back her burlap cloak and sighed in relief at the sight of her cutie mark. The others, Guiding Light knew, were not so lucky. Starswirl turned, meeting the eyes of the Guides and nodded, wiping at his lathered neck with a hoof.
Guiding Light closed her eyes, waiting for the gentle nudge on her magic field, and when she opened her mind to the touch, the minds of her friends flooded into her. She hesitated. Could she do this? Could she condemn her friends to the abyss of nadir? Could she so easily hand over their lives? But what of her duty, or the lives of the other ponies? They would all perish together, no matter what she did. Could she dishonour her friends and all the other unicorns who had willingly sacrificed their destinies to struggle in the darkness of nadir?
She passed the magic to Starswirl, and felt her strength drain away into the vastness of his mind. As the moon neared the apex, Moonstone collapsed in a faint, her presence snapping violently out of contact, but Guiding Light lashed her mind around the others, pouring more and more magic out to stabilize the flow. She looked up catching a brief bleary glimpse of the moon wobbling out of line. She could feel her strength failing, the others gasping as their magic drained even faster.
"Clover!" Starswirl choked out. A magenta glow flared and the lashing drain eased and the Moon steadied and rose smoothly once again. Once by one, her friends' minds popped out of her awareness, until even she could no longer sense Starswirl or Clover. She fell, her barrel bouncing painfully against the grassy hilltop. Her friends looked at each other in horror. They knew. They knew it was gone. All of it. In the despair of silence, they departed, each to their own private nightmare.
Starswirl and Clover leaned against each other, and Guiding Light idly wondered if they were lovers. They were so good to each other, for each other.
"How will we raise the sun?" Clover said in a stunned voice.
"We will do what we must," was Starswirl's only answer. With a weak wave of farewell, the last two unicorns of any magical strength staggered downslope.
Guiding Light sat up and stared up into the vast night sky. The moon's pearlescent glow had a cool, soothing touch tonight, but there was no comfort there. Her magic was depleted, and there was nothing left but emptiness. In time, she stood up and made her way to the hospital. She slipped into a darkened room, where a filly lay as if asleep. She sat down and caressed an emaciated cheek.
"Now mommy's just like you," she whispered brokenly as tears dripped steadily down her snout.
Chapter 2: Metempsychosis
She awoke to darkness.
Panic gripped her. Having been Celestial Mistress for so long, she knew it was long past time for sunrise. Guiding Light could hear the hushed whispers in the hallway. Outside, she imagined the panic as ponies checked their clocks or magical hourglasses. Today was the Summer Sun Celebration, and yet, there was no sun.
Most ponies would have stayed up all night, only to gather around Stargazer's Hill and find nothing but darkness. Forever. Well, not quite darkness. The opalescent glow of the moon still lay over the land, but today, it offered no comfort or wisdom.
Hooves clattered up to the door and stopped, to knock.
"Yes?" she answered wearily. Her neck and back were killing her from sleeping awkwardly draped over the hospital bed. A light yellow filly with a pink streaked aqua mane poked her snout inside.
"Hi, Mrs. Spark," the filly said shyly. "Is it okay if I visit? Mom said I could."
"Meadowbrook," Guiding Light realized, scrubbing her face with her hooves. She must look terrible. "Sure. Come on in." The unicorn filly walked in and closed the door, then sidled up to the bed.
"Silvie's looking awful thin," the filly worried.
"The doctors are doing what they can for her, and I'm stretching her legs everyday." The filly nodded.
"I brought some books. Can I read to her?"
"Of course. Why don't you start while I go use the little filly's room?" She got up and offered the young unicorn her chair. She stopped before the door and paused for a moment, before recalling that she had no magic. She opened and closed the door gently with her hoof. When she turned around, a few unicorn nurses wee standing right before her.
"Mistress?" One of them asked timidly. "Why is it still dark out? Aren't the Seers and Guides out there for the Summer Sun Celebration?" Guiding Light ran through several possible answers before answering as honestly as she felt she could.
"I wanted to spend today with my daughter. Starswirl is arranging the Celestial Ceremony for today." The nurse nodded, but that wasn't enough.
"But," persisted another nurse, "they're late. And they're never late!" She could hear the panic rising in the pony's voice.
"I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to use the bathroom." She pushed past as casually as she could. On the way back, the nurses were back at their station, speaking in distressed whispers. She went back into the room quietly.
Meadowbrook was singing to her daughter, a faint glow surrounding her horn as she flipped the pages of the book.
"Hey Mrs. Spark," the filly greeted her politely. She set her book down atop a stack of others on the bed. "I noticed that you used your hooves to open and close the door."
"That's right," she answered the filly with a pang at the loss of her magic. "I'm in nadir. Do you know what that means?" To her surprise, Meadowbrook nodded.
"It's because you used up too much magic to raise and lower the sun and moon, and now you don't have any."
"How did you know that?" Guiding Light asked in shock.
"My mom told me." She supposed that she shouldn't have been surprised that Clover the Clever's filly would know, or that the mare had told her child. "How come you're here and not at Stargazer's Hill, Mrs. Spark?"
"They... they don't need me anymore." She didn't think it would hurt so much to say it. She trotted over to the window and stared up into the dark night sky.
"Oh." There was a pause. She could see ponies beginning to canter to the hill. Soon, they would know, and their shame would be complete. "You know, we argued about it."
"What?" Guiding Light was confused.
"Silvie and me. I told her that all Guides and Seers go into nadir, but she didn't seem to get that. She said that if that were true, you would've told her." The pain in her heart twisted tighter. Guiding Light tried to think. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea for Meadowbrook to be here. if ponies were crazed enough, they very well could lynch her for being the Mistress at the time the truth came out. "I said, if that ever happened to her, I'd make something to give her magic again. Mom says I'm pretty good at making magic things."
She leaned over, her hooves clutching the sill, as she tried to stifle her sobs.
"Mrs. Spark, are you alright?" came Meadowbrook's voice, thin with fright. She tried to master her grief, but the sobs only got louder.
And then the sun rose. She wasn't aware of the fact until the warmth on her face drew her out of her misery. She stared, uncomprehendingly as the moon descended into the West and the sun rose steadily in the east.
"How... what...?" Meadowbrook groaned in response.
"Aw! Well, I've got to go, Mrs. Spark. Mom said I had to go home when the sun came out." The filly gathered up her books from the bed and slipped them into her saddlebags. Guiding Light couldn't stop staring at the sun. Did Starswirl really have that much power in reserve? No. She knew his limit. Then how...? She closed her eyes and rubbed them as the sun seared them to tears. "Gee, Mrs. Spark, you should know better than to stare at the sun." The filly hopped to the ground. "Bye, Silvie. By Mrs. Spark." And with that, the filly departed.
The sunlight spilled into the room and pooled on the bed, then moved to the floor as the sun rose gloriously to it's scheduled apex. Guiding Light sat in a befuddled stupour. She felt as if the ground had opened beneath her hooves and she was falling into nothingness. She just couldn't, didn't understand what had just transpired, until a gentle knock on the door.
"Come in," she responded distractedly. And then a dark coated mare entered, with a shimmering, flowing mane.
She had never seen anypony so beautiful and mysterious before. It took her a moment to recognize Princess Luna, and she scrambled to make her curtsy.
"Celestial Mistress Guiding Light?"
"Y-y-y-your H-h-h-highness!" Was she here to imprison her for keeping such a calamity secret?
"Starswirl the Bearded has confessed everything. As Celestial Mistress, you will assist my sister and I in dealing with all the ponies involved." The unicorn mare froze in shock, then flung herself at the Princess's hooves.
"No, they didn't know! I'm to blame! They're good ponies. Please don't hurt them!" Guiding Light clutched at the dark blue hooves. After a long moment, a hoof slid under her chin and lifter her face. The gentle smile was like the soothing moonlight, calming her fears and easing her thoughts.
"Your concern for your ponies do you credit, Mistress, but is somewhat misplaced. My sister and I will require a tally of all Seers and Guides, in order that we might replenish their magic."
"Re-re-replenish...?" She gaped, her mind awhirl. Starswirl and Clover had both tried to find a way to do the same, but in vain.
"Of course. Your sacrifices are to be commended. Although the secrecy of it may have been quite unwise, it has also been according to prophecy, and to my and my sister's benefit. And to all of Equestria, I might add." The Alicorn mare turned her flank towards the confused unicorn. On the black mottled patch on her coat was a gleaming silver crescent. Guiding Light stared in shock as Princess Luna continued. "It appears that because of our affinity to the Sun and Moon, we not only do not require rejuvenation, but we are able to revivify those ponies who are in... nadir, was that the term?" Guiding Light nodded dumbly. "Excellent. Now, please hold still." She obeyed more out of confusion as the Princess lowered her glowing horn to hers. In a rush, magic spilled into her, filling her with joy and contentment. It was like the first day of true spring, like a cool running stream on a hot summer day. It washed over her and cleansed her, and when she felt full to the brim, the flow ebbed and slowed, eventually stopping.
She hadn't realized that she had closed her eyes, but she shook herself as she felt the Princess step back. She felt like a newborn filly, full of energy and eager to face any adventure the day brought forth.
Luna trotted up to the hospital bed.
"This is Silver Light?"
"Y-yes, your Highness."
"Clover has told us about her." With that, the Princess touched horns with the still filly. Her horn flashed brilliantly for several seconds, then the light dimmed. After a moment, Silver Light's eyes fluttered open. The golden eyes stared at the Princess's gentle smile then wandered over to Guiding Light, who stood with her hooves to her mouth, tears flowing again.
"Mama?" she said in a croak.
For Guiding Light this Summer Sun Celebration would be her most cherished memory.
