Luna was usually napping around this time of day. The sun was up (albeit behind rainclouds), the night was well and truly over, and she pranced giddily into the recently rebuilt royal kitchenette.

“Might we supper with thee whilst thou break fast, an there be provision enough, siſter?”

“Certainly, dear, there is plenty. Have a seat, I am just finishing.”

Luna released her sister and trotted lightly to the table, fork and knife following her as she levitated them from their drawer. As she sat, her “#1 Queen of the Night” mug teleported into position, dark contents steaming. Celestia sent plates of hot food wafting their way from the stove.

Across the table from her, Tajrahaz sat. The yak prince, normally a fairly stolid individual was looking a bit tired and wan. Surely there was no other reason for Celestia to be cooking enough mushrooms, eggs, and peppers for an entire squad of soldiers.

“’Tis the day of the eclipse!” Luna explained eagerly, grinning at the prince.

“Oh, hrrmmm, is it now, your Highness?”

Luna was positive that a mug or eight of good black coffee would perk (no pun!) the yak up more than the sweet cocoa he clutched like a life line, but she bubbled on regardless.

“We ca’n’t, thou must surely see, allow our moon to blunder through yon sun’s path all willy-a-nilly. Events of this magnitude are planned out years in advance! Imagine, an thou wilt, the sorrow known by our ponies should they miss an extra moment of our beauteous night because it was granted without sufficient notice. And asketh thou of fairness?” He hadn’t. “We’ll have thou know that our siſter nighnever yeeteth the sun suddenly into the sky to bring unexpected daylight to our night! We had hardly daſt tread upon her day, did not custom of the long ages demand so.”

“But, Luna,” Celestia said as she finally joined them at the table, levitating glasses of juice along with her, “surely you have seen the weather today. ‘Tis naught but rain.”

“La!” Luna retorted merrily. “We know full well the overcaſt doth ‘burn off’ before thine hour of darkneſs.”

“What is this ‘hour’, sister? Three minutes, and then the light returns.”

“Aye. Three glorious minutes!”

For the next few moments the three focused on their food. At last Luna paused with one last slice of mushroom on her fork.

“Thank thee for our meal. We go to ensure that all are ready!”

—

“Tarries thy student, siſter, to witness our astronomical triumph to day?”

The sisters stood atop the tallest tower of Canterlot castle as the start of the eclipse drew near.

“Nay, sweet one, she hath verily overthrown mine enchanting and sped away to her alien love. All this—” Celestia waved her horn at golden Canterlot, Equestria herself, and the lands beyond “—hangs in the balance.”

“Mayhap the fellow art as well meaning as she claims?”

“Mayhap ours will not be the world he destroys,” Celestia conceded.

“When left she?”

“This very dawn we felt our spell shatter and know not how the filly contrived such a feat. We are doubly eclipsed today.”

Far below, Canterlot sparkled in the sunshine as if the light was eternal.

The only hint that darkness would suddenly fall was the hordes of young chiropt lining the tops of every building and tower, save the princesses’ own vantage. As soon as darkness was complete they would take wing, flying as nearly straight up as they could. When the light returned, keen eyed observers would declare the highest flying colt and filly to be the king and queen of the eclipse. They would reign over nighted ceremonies, holding court with their fellow competitors until the next eclipse.

Above, a first dark bite appeared at the edge of the solar disk.

Despite the expected timing, a gasp seemed to go up from the city.

Over the next minutes, shadows gathered as the occlusion spread. As the light failed, all ponies could see the princess of the sun bow deeply to the princess of the moon.

A second gasp sounded thought the city as ponies could see stars overhead.

When the last sliver of sun vanished, the sound of leathery wings filled the air above Canterlot and the flight of the chiropt began.

Dark forms flickered across the stars, shrinking as the fliers strained into the sky. In the city, Luna could hear ponies calling her name in awe. She doubted her praise rang out so freely under Nightmare Moon’s eclipses, but today she was with her sister and would not fret on such dismal history.

For three breathless minutes ponies admired the stars in the daytime, until the edge of the sun reappeared. Light grew and the fliers returned to the ground, losers promising each other that next time they would all fly all the way to the moon. Last to land were the new king and queen of the eclipse.

As the sunlight regained its full brilliance, the princess of the moon performed obeisance to the princess of the sun.

—

“’Twas delightful, siſter, waſt not?” Luna said with a yawn.

After afternoon court the sisters met before Luna would retire until sunset. She was up long past her bedtime.

“Oh, aye, good clean fun, it were. We hope none of thy silly bat ponies have injured themselves.”

“The chiropt know their limits, they have all returned unhurt, thank thee. And we hope thy student is safe in her endeavor.”

“We will surely breath easier when she returns. But no trace of her world-crossing magic have we detected, yet.”

Luna yawned again.

“Pardon, pardon, we must abed forthwith, else we repoſe ‘pon the floor. But until next time, siſter, what a lovely eclipſe this hath been!”

“If there be a ‘next time’, culver.”

“Pardon, we pray, we do not think we heard thee correctly.”

“Saith we,” Celestia said primly, “there may not be another eclipse if the moon cannot catch the sun to hide its holy face!”

“Oh! Thou! Thou’d not daſt!”

“We might.” One corner of the elder sister’s mouth quirked sassily as she teased.

Luna didn’t wait for any more provocation and tackled her elder.

In the blink of an eye the rulers of Equestria were rolling across the carpet, each striving for enough leverage to get the other in a lock, or at least apply a good solid noogie to her peer.

“If this be the next evolution of sisterly friendship to something forbidden,” Tajrahaz asked as he entered the room, “does it mean I might get some rest tonight?”

Celestia looked up at her lover and Luna gained the advantage, vigorously applying hoof-friction to her sister’s scalp.

“Yield, thee! Yield! The night shall laſt forevarrrrrr!”

“Pax, pax, and I shall with all good will enjoy the next eclipse, and the next hundred, with you dear sister. Now, to bed, I have an insolent yak to deal with.”

Celestia’s horn lit – with a shimmer of shadow Luna was gone.

Author's Note

Happy Eclipse today, everypony!