Post by Applejack on Dec 22, 2013 5:43:38 GMT -5
The festivities have been over for some time now. There is a gentle, soft snowfall, barely flickering in the few lamps and lanterns still lit: it is almost midnight. The drifting flakes seem to avoid the statue for some reason; perhaps they know better. The silence is almost total. Then, a small creature scampers in; a squirrel, oddly out of hibernation. And another, this time a fox. More and more run in; they seem to be running away from a cloaked, hooded pony carrying a single lamp.
The hooded pony walks slowly through Ponyville's snow-dusted streets, stirring up the softest of flurries as she goes. She lifts her head just for a second to glance around with big, soft eyes, and turns, heading down Mane Street and outside of town -- heading for the forest. The animals run ahead of her the whole way, guiding her in the dark. More animals follow behind her - she doesn't notice any other ponies just yet, but the invitation to follow is there.
Several do. Mostly in hoods, all bundled against the cold, a trickle of ponies from all over the town appear and start following the lantern-bearer out to their destination: the OLD statue of Luna as Nightmare Moon, rebuilt after the Nightmare Night incident. The wind picks up briefly and leaves a sharp tang in the air and a chill in every hoof.
The hooded mare raises her head again, breathing out a plume of frost. Her hood falls back and her pink mane spills out as the animals stop and gather around. Fluttershy idly rubs a little squirrel's head, craning her neck back, looking up and up and up at the towering statue. She stays like that for a long moment, and then takes in a deep breath, and...
"Softly dreaming, stillness sleeping, diamond stars will fill the sky / Silence falling, nighttime's calling, softly as the clouds drift by..."
Another hooded figure arrives, trudging through the snowfall. When it reaches Fluttershy's side, it flips down its hood: it is Applejack, who very gently hipbumps Fluttershy and joins in the hymn, as softly and earnestly as she can manage.
Other hoods drop as well. Breath mist fills the air as the ponies who really understand the importantce of the night one by one join their voices to the soft choir.
Fluttershy manages not to lose a beat as she's jostled. She bumps back, smiling softly, and continues as more shapes appear in the shadows. "Rising moon, our Princess Luna / Watches as we drift along / Fills our dreaming full of meaning / With her dark and soothing song..."
"Hush now, quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy head / Hush now, quiet now, it's time to go to bed..."
"Hush now, quiet now, night has fallen, stars above / Hush now, quiet now, her dark and sacred love... o/~
More ponies gather. They are creatures of the light, but it's been a trying time, and these are the ones who understand. Without night and rest, there would be no day. So on the longest night of the year, Winter's Eve, they gather. Hopefully the Princess will know.
Soarin lowers his own hood, his voice lifting to join the others, "Darkness dreaming ever after / Silver walks its nightly path / Gentle light and silent laughter / Drive away day's brilliant wrath..."
Pinkie_Pie canters in breathlessly, trailing papers that flutter in the night, and happens on the scene totally by accident and not planned at all! She quickly shuffles the papers, putting on a pair of reading glasses, and starts to sing along.
The quiet, squeaky little voice of the youngest member of the Princess's court chimes in with the next verse, slowly stepping forward from the forest to pay tribute to the beautiful Bejeweled sky above. "Ever Wakeful...Ever Watchful...Luna watches over thee..."
There's a brief break in the song here - just long enough for the song of the forest to swell (you can hear it, can't you? Fluttershy can) and the trees to suddenly light up with billions of little twinkles. Some of them are Fluttershy's fireflies, spreading out from the Lunarium, and some of them are different, little clouds of white dust-like snowflakes that dance and glimmer. Luna's frost spirits.
Fluttershy takes in another breath now that the chorus has arrived:
Twilight_Sparkle steps forward, spreading her wings a little as she joins in the song. "Till the morning's gloaming rises...hear her gentle melody..."
Applejack sings softly. "Hush now, quiet now..."
Tweed_Patches is a stranger here. He doesn't have a hood, or know the song, but he knows the impulse; he knows he tradition. He turns his collar up against the snow and follows along, keeping to the rear of the gathering, watching the ponies; watching the statue; breathing the crisp air of night.
Pinkie_Pie keeps singing from her pages to the statue of Luna, although she seems to think the line is 'hear her gentle malady'.
Fluttershy sings, "It's time to lay your sleepy head..."
Angel is just doing what he can to keep the lantern up high enough on a stick for everypony to see well enough.
Applejack sings her best. She means it - as do most of the gathered crowd. She sheds a single tear, that freezes before it piffs into the snow.
"Hush now, quiet now, it's time to go to bed..."
"Hush now, quiet now, night has fallen, stars above..."
"Hush now, quiet now, her dark and sacred love."
United in the dimness, the words flow out, and then, silence.
Fluttershy breathes out another plume of frost as the chorus finishes. It spreads into the air, dancing around the statue.
Applejack stares at the statue for a few moments, then whispers - really only expecting Fluttershy to hear. "G'night, Yer Highness. This time, we won't ferget."
The sound of the melody drifts across Ponyville and catches Nimble's ears. Still well awake, he can't help but be drawn to it. It summons him through the streets and then to the forest... and then to the clearing. He sees other ponies and pauses, recognising who is standing there. Something urges him closer, but he holds back, not wanting to interrupt.
Angel colors in the panes of glass on the lantern with a black marker, leaving only clear crescent moon shapes upon it, so when he holds it up on the stick, it makes soft cresent moon shapes upon the silent snow.
Soarin sees Nimble hooves and Tweed Patches both at the back of the crowd and he smiles at them, gesturing at them with a wing to come stand with him as the hymn goes up and finally finishes.
The crowd stands silently and reverently for a few moments as the song finishes, and then a slow trickle of ponies at the edges of the group begin to peel off and return to their homes. It *is* later, after all, and there is much to do for Hearth's Warming.
Fluttershy, though, steps forward and lays a little wreath at the base of the statue. It's of hearthwarming flowers with a little candle in the middle, silver like a sliver of moonlight.
Tweed_Patches gives Soarin a little smile, inclining his head politely towards him before he moves closer to the statue. He stands there for a long while, staring up at the statue, his ears twitching lost in thought, searching through the accumulated dust of his memories for something he half remembers. He clears his throat and looks around, unsure how appropriate it would be to say anything here, now.
Diamond_Dancer rockets into the sky for a specialized "Star Streak" she's been working on- this one for the princess of the night. Her wings flickering and glowing with her contrail, the little filly zips and dashes left and right clumsily across the ebony sky, and behind her- that streak of light slowly comes to form a picture- an image of the Princess, glowing gently in the night...
Twilight_Sparkle looks up at the statue--and startles, as if noticing it for the first time. She blinks. "...what? That wasn't here before, was it?"
( "Yeah, I blew up the old one and Luna made this one out of a tree.", murmurs a suddenly-there guardpony, the armored unicorn sipping from his now only slightly-frozen strawberry smoothie. "I dunno, happy birthday or something." )
Soarin turns his eyes skyward, smiling when he sees what the little filly has done, then the Wonderbolt stallion lays one wing across Tweed Patches' shoulders, encouraging the other to speak if he has aught to say.
Pinkie_Pie claps her forehooves together happily. Hooray! Best Solstice EVerrrrrr!
Applejack reaches under her cloak and lays, next to the wreath, a single apple. It's an odd apple, though: albino. Somehow, it is as white as moonlight on the snow. She regards it for a moment, then gives Fluttershy and Pinkie a hug. (Twi flew out of reach). "Ah'd better get on home. G'night, y'all."
Fluttershy puts her hooves around her friends, squeezing them tight. "Thank you for being here, everypony."
Twilight_Sparkle blushes deeply, hiding behind her bangs a bit...then, she remembers she has wings, and covers her face with THOSE. "Oh my! I...." She peeks out between two feathers, and manages to give AJ a wave. "Good night, A?J! You sang really well tonight!"
Angel waves to Applejack.
Applejack waves and trots off. Some of the others follow suit. Soon the statue's little clearing is once again all but deserted.
The hooded pony walks slowly through Ponyville's snow-dusted streets, stirring up the softest of flurries as she goes. She lifts her head just for a second to glance around with big, soft eyes, and turns, heading down Mane Street and outside of town -- heading for the forest. The animals run ahead of her the whole way, guiding her in the dark. More animals follow behind her - she doesn't notice any other ponies just yet, but the invitation to follow is there.
Several do. Mostly in hoods, all bundled against the cold, a trickle of ponies from all over the town appear and start following the lantern-bearer out to their destination: the OLD statue of Luna as Nightmare Moon, rebuilt after the Nightmare Night incident. The wind picks up briefly and leaves a sharp tang in the air and a chill in every hoof.
The hooded mare raises her head again, breathing out a plume of frost. Her hood falls back and her pink mane spills out as the animals stop and gather around. Fluttershy idly rubs a little squirrel's head, craning her neck back, looking up and up and up at the towering statue. She stays like that for a long moment, and then takes in a deep breath, and...
"Softly dreaming, stillness sleeping, diamond stars will fill the sky / Silence falling, nighttime's calling, softly as the clouds drift by..."
Another hooded figure arrives, trudging through the snowfall. When it reaches Fluttershy's side, it flips down its hood: it is Applejack, who very gently hipbumps Fluttershy and joins in the hymn, as softly and earnestly as she can manage.
Other hoods drop as well. Breath mist fills the air as the ponies who really understand the importantce of the night one by one join their voices to the soft choir.
Fluttershy manages not to lose a beat as she's jostled. She bumps back, smiling softly, and continues as more shapes appear in the shadows. "Rising moon, our Princess Luna / Watches as we drift along / Fills our dreaming full of meaning / With her dark and soothing song..."
"Hush now, quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy head / Hush now, quiet now, it's time to go to bed..."
"Hush now, quiet now, night has fallen, stars above / Hush now, quiet now, her dark and sacred love... o/~
More ponies gather. They are creatures of the light, but it's been a trying time, and these are the ones who understand. Without night and rest, there would be no day. So on the longest night of the year, Winter's Eve, they gather. Hopefully the Princess will know.
Soarin lowers his own hood, his voice lifting to join the others, "Darkness dreaming ever after / Silver walks its nightly path / Gentle light and silent laughter / Drive away day's brilliant wrath..."
Pinkie_Pie canters in breathlessly, trailing papers that flutter in the night, and happens on the scene totally by accident and not planned at all! She quickly shuffles the papers, putting on a pair of reading glasses, and starts to sing along.
The quiet, squeaky little voice of the youngest member of the Princess's court chimes in with the next verse, slowly stepping forward from the forest to pay tribute to the beautiful Bejeweled sky above. "Ever Wakeful...Ever Watchful...Luna watches over thee..."
There's a brief break in the song here - just long enough for the song of the forest to swell (you can hear it, can't you? Fluttershy can) and the trees to suddenly light up with billions of little twinkles. Some of them are Fluttershy's fireflies, spreading out from the Lunarium, and some of them are different, little clouds of white dust-like snowflakes that dance and glimmer. Luna's frost spirits.
Fluttershy takes in another breath now that the chorus has arrived:
Twilight_Sparkle steps forward, spreading her wings a little as she joins in the song. "Till the morning's gloaming rises...hear her gentle melody..."
Applejack sings softly. "Hush now, quiet now..."
Tweed_Patches is a stranger here. He doesn't have a hood, or know the song, but he knows the impulse; he knows he tradition. He turns his collar up against the snow and follows along, keeping to the rear of the gathering, watching the ponies; watching the statue; breathing the crisp air of night.
Pinkie_Pie keeps singing from her pages to the statue of Luna, although she seems to think the line is 'hear her gentle malady'.
Fluttershy sings, "It's time to lay your sleepy head..."
Angel is just doing what he can to keep the lantern up high enough on a stick for everypony to see well enough.
Applejack sings her best. She means it - as do most of the gathered crowd. She sheds a single tear, that freezes before it piffs into the snow.
"Hush now, quiet now, it's time to go to bed..."
"Hush now, quiet now, night has fallen, stars above..."
"Hush now, quiet now, her dark and sacred love."
United in the dimness, the words flow out, and then, silence.
Fluttershy breathes out another plume of frost as the chorus finishes. It spreads into the air, dancing around the statue.
Applejack stares at the statue for a few moments, then whispers - really only expecting Fluttershy to hear. "G'night, Yer Highness. This time, we won't ferget."
The sound of the melody drifts across Ponyville and catches Nimble's ears. Still well awake, he can't help but be drawn to it. It summons him through the streets and then to the forest... and then to the clearing. He sees other ponies and pauses, recognising who is standing there. Something urges him closer, but he holds back, not wanting to interrupt.
Angel colors in the panes of glass on the lantern with a black marker, leaving only clear crescent moon shapes upon it, so when he holds it up on the stick, it makes soft cresent moon shapes upon the silent snow.
Soarin sees Nimble hooves and Tweed Patches both at the back of the crowd and he smiles at them, gesturing at them with a wing to come stand with him as the hymn goes up and finally finishes.
The crowd stands silently and reverently for a few moments as the song finishes, and then a slow trickle of ponies at the edges of the group begin to peel off and return to their homes. It *is* later, after all, and there is much to do for Hearth's Warming.
Fluttershy, though, steps forward and lays a little wreath at the base of the statue. It's of hearthwarming flowers with a little candle in the middle, silver like a sliver of moonlight.
Tweed_Patches gives Soarin a little smile, inclining his head politely towards him before he moves closer to the statue. He stands there for a long while, staring up at the statue, his ears twitching lost in thought, searching through the accumulated dust of his memories for something he half remembers. He clears his throat and looks around, unsure how appropriate it would be to say anything here, now.
Diamond_Dancer rockets into the sky for a specialized "Star Streak" she's been working on- this one for the princess of the night. Her wings flickering and glowing with her contrail, the little filly zips and dashes left and right clumsily across the ebony sky, and behind her- that streak of light slowly comes to form a picture- an image of the Princess, glowing gently in the night...
Twilight_Sparkle looks up at the statue--and startles, as if noticing it for the first time. She blinks. "...what? That wasn't here before, was it?"
( "Yeah, I blew up the old one and Luna made this one out of a tree.", murmurs a suddenly-there guardpony, the armored unicorn sipping from his now only slightly-frozen strawberry smoothie. "I dunno, happy birthday or something." )
Soarin turns his eyes skyward, smiling when he sees what the little filly has done, then the Wonderbolt stallion lays one wing across Tweed Patches' shoulders, encouraging the other to speak if he has aught to say.
Pinkie_Pie claps her forehooves together happily. Hooray! Best Solstice EVerrrrrr!
Applejack reaches under her cloak and lays, next to the wreath, a single apple. It's an odd apple, though: albino. Somehow, it is as white as moonlight on the snow. She regards it for a moment, then gives Fluttershy and Pinkie a hug. (Twi flew out of reach). "Ah'd better get on home. G'night, y'all."
Fluttershy puts her hooves around her friends, squeezing them tight. "Thank you for being here, everypony."
Twilight_Sparkle blushes deeply, hiding behind her bangs a bit...then, she remembers she has wings, and covers her face with THOSE. "Oh my! I...." She peeks out between two feathers, and manages to give AJ a wave. "Good night, A?J! You sang really well tonight!"
Angel waves to Applejack.
Applejack waves and trots off. Some of the others follow suit. Soon the statue's little clearing is once again all but deserted.
