Leap of Faith: Wolokai Vs. Life

Enter...Life

The time...the time of sweet, beautiful dawn. This is the time when the whispering winds of Luna's beautiful night begin to subside, to hush their lullabies that carry the peaceful, slumbering ponies across their dreams of life, happiness, and good fortune. The time when the night still holds its shadowy veil across the green fields of Equestria, but lightens, beckoning forth a new dawn in the age of her majesty, Princess Celestia.

The stars twinkle, just faintly, overhead. Their bright dance across the skies coming to a close as the black void of the sky begins to brighten, revealing the dark blue hue of an awakening sky. The hour of Night was coming to a close, the hour of Dawn approaching quickly. Already above the pearly white towers of the city Canterlot, the clouds of dark grey that carried with it the whispers of the night began to fade and dissapear. The preparations were coming together, and for anypony awake...one could almost certainly taste the essence of magic in the air.

Of course...nopony would be awake at this hour...no...not any pony of regular statis or life. There were only a very select few who stood in the coldness of the night, embracing Luna's wonderous and awe-inspiring majesty in full and unhindered view. These ponies numbered twenty this night, twenty-one for this special occasion. Standing...watching...guarding...with their gleaming white armor sparkling in the glow of the full moon that cast its own kind of radiance across the world. Upon their flanks of armor, their chest-pieces of interpenetrate might, the symbols and marks of Dawn and Dusk were displayed, giving all who looked upon these warriors a sort of ceremonial display of the time lapse of a single day.

The Solar Flare...the strongest, bravest warriors of Canterlot and across most of known Equestria, stood ever watchful over the slumbering city. Their eyes traveled slowly across the marble buildings...their delicately crafted designs displaying years and years of history and lore of the modern world. For some, eyes were settled on houses or apartments, wondering if their little foals and fillies were asleep safe and sound or if their wives or husbands were getting a decent nights rest without them, hoping that they were not to filled with worry. Warriors they were, of course...trained to kill all those who would attempt to bring harm to Equestria, and charged with defending the innocents inhabiting the far-stretching land.

Though they are warriors, one mustn't forget what lies beneath the stone cold layers of their armor. Family ponies, workers, farmers. They were ponies just like any other, with lives that they wanted live, and memories they wanted to create. Memories often heard and shared at the mess hall table in the Eastern Wing of The Canterlot Citadel, a large, square tower next to the Royal Castle and which housed the Solar Flare. It was in this place that tales of valor and victory were told and shared, songs sung in the name of Celestia, and prayers muttered to the Princesses in hopes of a easy, death-free day.

Yes...it was these memories that brought the Solar Flare closer together as a family...and it was these memories that a certain Captain now reflected on as he stood on one of the far balconies in the Royal Castle, overlooking the city and the town of Ponyville beyond. His armor had been refitted and damaged so many times, one could hardly believe that the pony wearing it came out of any sort of conflict alive. Across his flank-armor, forty-four tally-marks shone in the light of the fading moon, a testament to his dedication and perseverance in the heat of combat. His most recent...The Battle of Manehatten, in which he personally walked and charged through the chaotic streets of utter anarchy in attempts to subjugate a renegade army of militia, bound to a tyrannical colt who now lay rotting (he hoped) in the dungeons of Canterlot.

His form was calm and still, unlike his dark brown wings that moved gently at the whispering kisses of the wind that floated past the edges of the balcony. The scar near his eye was still prominent, adding a level of respect and honor to his features in addition to the gleaming emerald that made up the color of his tired eyes. His helmet lay at his front hooves, allowing his medium-length, brown-swirled hair to flicker and move about in the wind. He stared across the world, the memories and stories of his warriors floating by and filling him with a sense of accomplishment, a sense of hope.

Hope that he could use for a variety of things, like his soldier's survival, his own ability to operate and function as a good Captain...and hope for his dear son.

The Captain frowned slightly, staring towards the far, shadowed form of Ponyville that had yet to awaken from its nightly slumber. He sighed, bowing his head forward slightly and closing his eyes, ready to mutter a quiet prayer for his young son, hoping that he will be guided towards a bright and healthy future. Just as the quiet whispers of his voice could echo out but a single word...a sound of soft...twinkling, could be heard down the halls.

Curious, the Captain quickly leaned his head further down and whisked up his helmet in his teeth, plopping it quickly over his head and trotting back into the Castle. He followed the sound down the outer halls, turning a corner around and looking towards a small, wooden door that lay open further down the hall. "The Circle of Solaris and Night Fire..." whispered the stallion, his hoofsteps quietly clopping across the shimmering marble that was still slightly glowing from the warmth of stars that had yet to lay themselves to rest. He approached the door quickly, the voices of two ponies he knew echoing forth from the open door way as the music changed...as if it were being created by the air and sky themselves...

"Oh hear me lovely night...
With your glowing light...
Hush now Moon, my friend...
For night has come to an end.."

The Captain poked his head quietly around the frame of the door as the second pony quietly whispered out towards the east mountains, their edges beginning to glow with a majestic red.

"Oh hear me lovely day...
Warm with glowing rays...
Rise now sun my friend...
For night has come to an end..."

Ponies they may be...but Princesses above all they were. Situated on a circular platform jutting out from the main structure of the castle, stood Princess Luna and Princess Celestia, with the Lady of Day facing the east and the Lady of Night facing the west. Horns gleamed with Solar and Lunar magic, auras cast and glowing orbs of yellow and dark-blue light floating about around them. Over and over they sang to their orbs of majesty, the sun and the moon, coaxing them to bed and coaxing them to rise.

The Captain watched this display in silent wonder, always hearing of the Ritual of Rise and Rest but never having the chance to witness it for himself. A lucky night for him indeed, his eyes fixated on the moon at first. The large white orb sank slowly behind the horizon of the west, the fields no longer graced with the ethereal glow of its surface. Luna blew a soft kiss to the wind as the moon disappeared fully from view, her words an audible whisper to the Captain's ears "Goodnight...my child."

Still mesmerized by the beauty of the Ritual, the Captain turned his head and watched as the glowing morning sun peaked out over the east mountains. The glow of the sun's rays was cast upon the awakening land of Equestria, basking the land little by little in the warmth of Dawn. The Captain smiled as Celestia closed her eyes and let the gleam of the sun shimmer over her sparkling white fur, glinting off of her yellow crown and the purple gem that rested in its center. Her magic subsided and faded as she let out a happy sigh as her face was warmed, uttering the words "Good morning...my child".

As Celestia's magic faded fully, she let out a small chuckle and turned her head towards the door, calling out "And a Good Morning to you Captain Volokai!" Volokai blinked in surprise as Luna looked over, a polite smile on her face that carried with it a look of...sympathy? Volokai could not clearly read her expression, and wondered why it would be that Luna might offer such a gaze to him.

These thoughts quickly retreated back to his mind as formalities took hold, as well as the warm feeling of friendship. He walked forward briskly and knelt, bowing his head in respect as he spoke "Good Morning Princess Celestia, and to you Princess Luna."

Luna remained quiet, her smile still lingering on her face as she gave a single nod and turned her head back towards the West, eyes lingering over the town of Ponyville which had just begun to receive the shining embrace of the Sun's rays. Celestia chuckled and waved her hoof about, as if to scold an act of nonsense "Oh stop with the formalities Volokai, you need not be so official in the waking hours, we are all much to tired for such displays I'm sure!"

"Of course Milady, my apologies" Volokai muttered, getting back up to his hooves as Celestia shook her head, her glowing face adding a sense of comfort and warmth to her soft, kind smile and the delicate features of her eyes.

"Oh Volokai" she chuckled, casting a sideways glance towards the observant Luna "Apologies are not necessary. Tell me, how went the night shift?"

Volokai shrugged, looking towards Luna and following her gaze quietly to the town of Ponyville. Why did she stare at it so...was there something there that he could not see with mortal eyes? "Fairly well" he finally answered, his eyes meeting with Celestia's once again "The Castle was quiet, and there were no disturbances to be reported."

Celestia nodded and held a hoof out towards him in a comforting gesture, whispering "Thank you Captain...go get some sleep. You and your guard have earned it for the night."

Volokai smiled slightly, nodding and retreating backwards with a bow as he whispered "Yes Milady, thank you and good morning..."

Celestia nodded to him once, her head dipping slowly forward and back up. She watched as he retreated inside the halls of the Castle, the oak doors quietly shutting behind him and the sigh of Luna lingering over the freshly shaken wind. "Dear sister" Celestia whispered, turning her head quietly to allow her eyes to settle over the watching Luna "What is wrong? Why do you stare at Ponyville with such intensity?"

Luna did not respond at first, her smile all but gone now, replaced with a sad frown and weary, concerned eyes. When she did, her voice seemed weak, and soaked with the feelings of worry "The Captain was not happy...he was worried. Again he failed to inform you how the shift went for him as a pony and not as a job for a soldier."

Celestia nodded quietly at this, her eyes looking away momentarily before flicking back to her with words "And you, dear sister? Are you worried as well?" When Luna failed to answer, Celestia quietly walked across the platform and sat beside her on her haunches, staring towards Ponyville herself. She gave the town a good, long look before she let her eyes widen slowly and her breath to utter out words in a wonderous tone "My goodness...is that really..."

"A pony not yet sleeping...yes...yes it is" Luna whispered, her gaze saddened still. "He has yet to lay his weary head to rest...whether it be out of fear or stubbornness I know not. The good Captain knows it as well...that his son has yet to embrace his dreams."

Celestia bowed her head slightly and whispered "I see...what do you believe drives this pony to remain amongst the awakened? Any thoughts?"

Luna shook her head slightly as she said "None...I know not if it is by affliction or something else that drives his eyes open and not closed..." She stopped for a moment to let out a breath of relief, her posture much less tense as she went on "But alas...to bed he goes now."

Celestia smiled, looking towards Luna and whispering "See? All is well now. I see you are still concerned...tell me, would it calm your mind if I were to talk to Volokai when he comes in this afternoon? Maybe see if everything is ok with his son?"

Luna nodded, leaning over and resting her cheek against the warm fur of her sister's neck. She let out a tiny yawn and whispered sleepily "Yes...I would be most appreciative. For now though...my own sleep calls for me. Enjoy your day my sister, and rouse me when there is need of my presence."

Celestia responded by giving her a slight nuzzle of a cheek across the top of her star-lit mane and head, dismissing her to her quarters. As Luna left, Celestia's gaze slowly turned back towards Ponyville, her eyes centering on a house she knew to be the home of Octavia C. Sharpe and Vinyl Scratch...and also to a third. She stared quietly at the house with a look of curiosity more then worry, whispering to herself as the sun rose ever higher behind her

"Oh little one...what pains you so...why do you stay awake when all others have gone to bed?"

~~~

The colt groaned, his brown hoof wearily moving the mouse of his computer over towards 'Save' and then to 'Publish', the quiet clicks of the buttons barely audible through the quiet, dimly lit room that he called his own. He sighed as he finished his work and turned off his machine, his brown wings fluttering as he hopped from his chair. He approached his small, unmade bed with tired hooves, his emerald colored eyes blood-shot and drooping. With sluggish movements, he slipped off his black-banded watch and placed it on the table, setting his alarm clock which rested next to it for the time 1:42 P.M.

His black colored vest was next to go, the fabric peeling away from him and falling to the floor in a rumpled mess. With no other barriers holding him back, the weary colt fell upon his bed, his back hitting the soft fabric with a muffled 'thump', and let sleep take him in a hurry. His facial expression turned peaceful soon after, the clock next to his bed blipping to 5:56 A.M.

It was a customary thing, to fall to sleep at such an hour, and to be fully unaware of his bedroom door opening. A mare of gray color and a black mane quietly tip-toed across the soft carpet, careful not to arouse the freshly snoozing colt. She would always check up on him once he had gone to bed, to be sure he was ok and sleeping well. She gently leaned over his body, taking his blanket in her teeth and gently pulling it over him up to his neck. She took a step back for a moment, smiling at him like a mother would her foal, before leaning back forward and planting a soft kiss on his forehead. She quietly turned and headed for the door, stopping at its entrance for a brief moment and taking the time to whisper back towards the sleeping Pegasus who lay in his peaceful slumber.

Octavia's words were quiet indeed, her soft voice lingering in the air as she whispered quietly before leaving the room to start her day, and bid her friend's a good end.

"Good Morning, dear Wolokai."

(Wouldn't you know it's 4:43 A.M. when I finish this? Gah, sleep, COME HITHER! *Facedesk / zzzzZZZzzzz.....*)
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