It was the morning of the Summer Sun Celebration. Not just any Summer Sun Celebration, but the one thousandth. The citizens of Ponyville were excited. Not only was it because of the celebration, but because their ruler, Princess Celestia, was visiting. The princess had come all the way from Canterlot, and would be raising the sun from the small town. It was all extremely thrilling.
One pony, however, was not thrilled. She was not even excited. In fact, she was anxious bordering on terrified panic.
As the ponies of Ponyville made their way toward the town hall, talking among themselves and looking forward to seeing the princess raise the sun, Twilight Sparkle walked at a slower pace. As she made her way toward the celebration, the unicorn would come to a stop, looking up at the moon.
"Come on, Twilight," Spike said from her back. "Hurry up, or we'll be stuck in back and won't be able to see Princess Celestia."
Or stop whatever is about to happen to her, Twilight thought, biting her lip. Picking up her pace to cause the little dragon to yelp, she started to push her way through the crowd and hurry toward the entrance to the town hall. They needed to get close. Because when Nightmare Moon showed up, something bad was going to happen, and Twilight wanted -- needed -- to protect the princess.
Entering the town hall, she started to make her way through toward the front. There was a shift in weight as Spike hopped off her back, heading toward the buffet table. Twilight watched the dragon make his way, then had her gaze drift up toward the window. Through it, she was able to see the moon, and the silhouette of a pony's head that covered the surface of it. Had something around it changed? Were the stars shining brighter? Had they moved closer? The legend did say that "the stars would aid in her escape." Nightmare Moon could return any minute, plunging all of Equestria into endless night.
"Isn't this exciting?"
The question caused Twilight Sparkle to jump, turning at the mare who had asked it. Somehow, a pink earth pony that Twilight had met earlier -- the name escaped her, but it had something to do with her color -- had appeared beside her. Twilight was pretty certain she was not there just a second ago. If not for the fact the pink mare was an earth pony, Twilight would have thought she somehow teleported there.
"Are you excited?" the pink mare asked. "'cause I'm excited. I've never been so excited." She hopped up in the air, then stopped (how is she staying up like that?), before dropping down again. "Well, except for the time that I saw you walking into town and I went --" she let out a gasp, her eyes bulging wide "-- but I mean really, who can top that?"
Yes, Twilight thought as she rolled her eyes, who could possibly top a pony simply walking into town and saying "hello?" Before she could actually express her opinion, however, the sound of horns filled the air, causing all the ponies to in the room to turn quiet and look up on stage.
A faded tan mare with gray hair made her way up to the podium. One hoof reached up to adjust her glasses as she cleared her throat.
"Fillies and gentlecolts," she called out in a voice that was not shouting, but could clearly be heard through the entire room, "as mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of The Summer Sun Celebration!"
This got a round of cheers from the assembled ponies, as well as the stomping of their hooves.
"In just a few moments, our town will witness..."
Having been to the celebration every year since she had become Celestia's student, Twilight did not really need to listen to what was being said. It was all pretty much the same, anyways. Instead, she turned her attention back to the window. She must have been shuffled around at some point, because she could no longer see through it anymore. Had the stars succeeded? Was Nightmare Moon free? What would happen now that she was?
"Princess Celestia!" the mayor finished, waving a hoof at the stage as she moved back.
The sounds of birds singing -- all of them on key now -- filled the air as the curtains were pulled back to reveal Princess Celestia. Head high and wings spread wide, the tall white mare stepped forward. The sound of cheers and applause filled the room as the princess moved forward. She gave a slight bow of her head, and the room went silent again.
"Thank you, Mayor," Princess Celestia called out in a soft voice that was somehow easy to hear, "and to all of you, for that warm welcome. It is so wonderful to spend time with my little ponies, and to see how much the town has grown since its founding nearly a century ago. You should all be very proud of yourselves and your home."
Twilight stared up at the princess. Even after all these years, after being Celestia's student for more than a decade, after seeing her up close and even touching her, the sight of her raising the sun was awe-inspiring. Twilight watched as Celestia spread her wings wide and lifted into the air. No jumping up, no flapping, and no levitation by magic. The princess just sort of lifted up off the ground without trying.
As Princess Celestia lifted up, so too did the sun. It rose up over the horizon, the sky around it shifting from a deep purple-blue to a rosy pink before becoming the regular sky blue of a clear day. The warm, welcoming light filled the windows of the hall, bringing fresh brightness with it. Oohs and ahhs escaped the gathered crowd as they watched the sun rise on a new day and start the one thousandth Summer Sun Celebration.
It was amazing. It was beautiful. It was perfect. Absolutely nothing had gone wrong.
Twilight bit her lip as she watched the last bit of the sun come up over the horizon. Or she tried to at least. It was a little difficult as tears filled them, making it difficult to see. There was no denying it now.
She had been wrong.
With the sun raised and the day started, the major event of the celebration had come to pass. Some ponies went on with their day, enjoying the party and celebrating the longest day of the year. Others -- having seen the sunrise and Princess Celestia -- went home to bed, catching up on the sleep that they had missed from staying up all night. A small number even when went to work, mostly those that cooked and farmed.
Outside of Ponyville Town Hall, Twilight Sparkle sat at one of the tables that had been set up. Her horn glowed with magic as she held a fork in it, poking at a piece of Sweet Apple Acres Pie she had grabbed from the buffet table. It was still some of the best pie she had ever eaten, but due to her mood, was nowhere near as appealing to her as it had been yesterday. Beside her, Spike laid curled up in a chair, sleeping as the excitement had worn off and exhaustion and sleep-deprivation caught up with him.
A shadow appeared from behind Twilight, looming over her with wings spread wide.
"Hey, that pie looks pretty good," a masculine voice called out. "Where did you get it?"
Lifting a hoof, Twilight pointed toward the buffet table.
"Thanks." The figure then took off toward the table, Twilight catching sight of a stallion in a Wonderbolts uniform from the corner of her eye.
"Soarin!" a voice shouted as another Wonderbolt -- this one female -- shot toward the other. "You stay away from that buffet table."
"But Spitfire," Soarin whined.
"No 'buts,'" Spitfire snapped. She pointed a hoof at the stallion. "We have a show soon, and I am not letting you stuff you-- Princess!"
The two stopped arguing and turned to face Princess Celestia, dropping into bows.
"Spitfire, Soarin," Princess Celestia said with a slight bow of her own head. "As you were." She tilted her head. "Also, forgive my intrusion, but I am curious. Would a single slice of pie truly be an issue for the performance?"
"No majesty," Spitfire answered as she stood up. "However, when it come to pie --" her gaze narrowed as she looked at her associate "-- Soarin never stops at a 'single slice.' It's one of the times when terms like 'self-control' and 'moderation' are completely forgotten." She turned to look at him fully. "Pretty sure he would try to eat every pie on the table if I let him."
With a chuckle, Soarin gave a nod.
"Yeah. I probably would."
"Ah," Celestia said with a nod. "Very well. You two return to your duties, and I will see to having at least a slice of pie waiting for any members of the Wonderbolts who wants it after the performance."
"Alright!" Soarin shouted, wings spreading wide as he jumped up. "C'mon, Spits, we have a show to get ready for." He then took off, flying as fast as he could while a clearly annoyed Spitfire followed. As they disappeared from sight, Princess Celestia gave a small chuckle.
"Well today has been wonderful," the princess said as she walked. "Everything has gone simply perfectly."
"Yay," Twilight said flatly as she poked her pie again.
Moving closer to her student, Princess Celestia sat down beside her. One large, white wing reached up, resting on the unicorn's back.
"Twilight?" she said softly. "What's wrong?"
"Wrong?" Twilight asked. "What makes you think anything's wrong? It's like you said: everything went perfectly. The sky was clear, the food is delicious, the decorations 'fabulous,' the birds sang together and on key, and the sun rose beautifully. Everything went exactly as it should have, and not even a hint of Nightmare Moon anywhere to be seen!"
"Ah," Celestia said with a nod. "So that's what this is about. You are upset that Nightmare Moon did not appear to usurp my rule and cast all of Equestria into eternal night."
"EXACTLY!" Twilight shouted, grinning up at the princess. The grin turned into a grimace as her eyes bulged out, realizing how it sounded.
"Wait!" she cried out, waving her front hooves. "No! I don't mean it like that!"
Celestia's lips pursed slightly as she raised one eyebrow. A sigh escaped the unicorn as she sank in her seat a little.
"I'm glad that everything went well, and happy you're safe." Grabbing the fork with her hoof, she cut at the pie herself. "It's just..." she closed her eyes and sighed, rubbing at her face with her empty hoof. "I was so sure that Nightmare Moon was going to return. 'On the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars shall aid in her escape.' That is what the prophecy foretold. And since this was the one thousandth Summer Sun Celebration -- the longest day of the year -- I was sure she was going to return today. I knew -- knew for a fact -- that it was all true. Then when she appeared, I could prove I was right, we could stop her, and you would be proud of me."
The large white wing wrapped around Twilight more, pulling her closer to the princess who gave her a proper hug. Leaning in, Celestia gave a gentle nuzzle.
"Twilight, you have nothing to prove to me."
"I know," Twilight sighed, ears drooping.
"Besides, you are overlooking something important. Even when based on true events, like Nightmare Moon, a story can be quite changed through the years and telling, often making it difficult to tell the actual facts from the embellishments and creative license taken over time."
As Celestia spoke, Twilight's ears perked back up as her eyes grew wide. She turned to look up at the princess.
"Are you saying that Nightmare Moon is real?"
Celestia gave a nod, a sad smile on her face. It was a look that Twilight had come to know well, a look that Celestia always got when talking about the past. Although what Twilight was normally told after was vague in regards to why, revealing nothing about the princess herself.
"Yes," Princess Celestia answered, "and as you calculated, it has been one thousand years since her defeat." Turning her head, she looked up at the sky. "However, if she ever does return, it will not be for a very, very long time."
A tear ran from one of her eyes.
"Princess..." Twilight whispered, staring at her leader, her teacher.
And like that, the tear and sadness were gone. Once again, Celestia had her regular calm demeanor with a slight hint of a smile on her lips.
"Let us not dwell on such matters," the princess declared. "A change of subject to something more immediate. Tell me, Twilight, what do you think of Ponyville?"
Turning away from the princess, Twilight Sparkle looked around the town. She took in as much as she could from her spot. As she did, she thought about all that had happened since her arrival (had it really only been yesterday?). Since arriving: she nearly had her foreleg ripped off; got emotionally blackmailed by a filly; was tackled into a mud puddle then got rained on; basically got abducted and tortured (her ribs still ached from that horribly evil corset); wound up getting tackled a second time; and the place she was staying broken into.
"The ponies around her all insane," she declared. She thought of Pinkie Pie again, with her too wide grin and no sense of personal space, talking a mile a minute. "And really weird."
Her expression softened as she looked at the remnants of the pie.
"But..."
She looked back over the day again, this time from a different perspective. Since arriving: she met a family that practically welcomed her as one of their own and invited her to eat with them; had a pony that tried to make up for her mistakes, even if it was kind of in a silly way; had another mare who took time out of her busy schedule just to help her, asking nothing in return; met a mare that could barely look her in the eye, but seems to care about any animal she meets; and had a pony that did not even know her throw a party to help her make friends and welcome her to Ponyville.
"As crazy as they all are, they all seem really nice." Leaning back, she wrapped her forelegs around her barrel. "It seems like they're all really friendly, and want you to feel like you're welcome."
"Yes," Celestia said with a nod. "The citizens here do seem to be rather colorful in the figurative sense, but also outgoing and friendly. Plus, as you may have noticed, they could use a new librarian. The previous one retired, and the town's been using the school teachers. However, classes are going to start up again soon, and they will not be able to continue."
"Yeah, I..." Twilight started but stopped. "Wait." She looked up at Celestia. "Why are you telling me this? This isn't something you would talk about at random." Her eyes narrowed. "You're leading up to something, aren't you?"
Celestia looked down at Twilight, an amused smile on her face. It was enough to let Twilight know that she was right.
"Twilight," Celestia said, "I want you to listen to me carefully and calmly. You are a young mare, but eager and brilliant. I have seen you learn things in days what would take others months to comprehend. As such, you are reaching the limits of what even I can teach you."
"So... you don't want to be my teacher anymore?" Twilight asked. She knew that was not what was being said, but could not stop herself from asking.
"It's not that I don't want to," Celestia said, reaching out a wing to stroke Twilight's cheek. "It's that there is little left I can teach you." She leaned closer. "I will always care for you, Twilight, and be a mentor or somepony you can come to for help. Do not forget that." She then moved back. "However, you have reached a point in your life where you need less academic education, and more practical experience."
The words comforted Twilight, but also filled her with some sadness. It was nice to hear that Princess Celestia cared and would be there, but Twilight did not like the idea of leaving. However, she could not really argue with the princess, because a part of Twilight knew Celestia was telling the truth. Twilight could not stay the princess's personal student her entire life.
"I want you to go out in the world," Celestia said. "I want you to make a difference. To put some of your education to practical use, as well as learn about things by doing them."
"And you want me to do that here?" Twilight asked.
"I am merely giving you an option, one you may not have considered before." Straightening up, Princess Celestia stretched out a wing and motioned around here. "You could come here, being a part-time librarian, getting to know the ponies here and pursuing your interest." Pulling her wing back, she turned to face the mountain. "You could stay in Canterlot if you like, perhaps getting to know some of your former classmates and working toward a doctorate."
The thought of her former classmates sent a pang of guilt through Twilight. Had they not mentioned something about a party when she saw them last? One being thrown by... some pony she was supposed to be friends with? Moo-something? She could not even think of any of their names.
"There is also Manehattan," Celestia continued, "where you could have an apartment and catch some musical shows while exploring your interest. There is even a small town that is growing called Appleloosa. If you want, you can go there, watch a town develop, and become a teacher to young ponies on your own. Other towns and cities exist all across Equestria, any one of which you could find friends and something of interest. Assuming you want to stay in one place, that is."
"Yeah," Twilight said softly. "Can I... can I think about it?"
Celestia smiled at Twilight -- the genuine one, this time -- and gave a nod.
"Certainly," she answered. "The choice is up to you, and there is no hurry on it." She looked up at the sky. "However, there is a need for me to hurry. I should be returning to Canterlot." Her gaze returned to Twilight. "Would you care for a ride?"
"No, thank you," Twilight answered. "I think I'll stay here for another night." Her horn lit up to grab Spike, placing him on her back. "See if I actually want to stay here or not."
"Very well," Celestia said with a nod. "I hope you have a wonderful time. Regardless of your decision, I will see you again soon, my faithful student."
The title brought a smile to Twilight's face. She gave a wave as she watched the princess take off, flying away. Once Celestia was well on her way, Twilight Sparkle started for the library. As she walked, she looked at the town. This time, she was really taking it in, noticing all the ponies around her and the buildings. There was even a place that was shaped like a gingerbread house, the sign indicating it was a bakery.
The term "quaint" did seem to fit it, as did "eccentric." But was it really a place she could see herself living?
Reaching the library, Twilight found the door open. Stepping inside, she found the five ponies she met earlier -- Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie -- all there. Some had trash bags, others, brooms, and Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were pulling down a banner.
"What's going on?" Twilight asked, looking around.
"We're cleaning up, of course," Pinkie Pie answered, suddenly beside Twilight, throwing an arm around her. "When I throw a party, I don't leave it for others to pick up. That's rude and boring."
Twilight blinked and looked at the others.
"And the rest of you are helping?"
"Eyup," Applejack answered. "Much as Pinkie can do by herself, still faster to have help."
"We did all enjoy the party," Rarity stated, "and did help make the mess. Only fair that we help clean it up."
Twilight turned to Rainbow Dash and raised an eyebrow?
"Even you?"
"They asked," Rainbow answered, "and like I said: 'I never leave a pony hangin'.'"
The sight of the five mares helping to pick up from the party brought a smile to Twilight's face and a warmth to her heart.
"Let me just put Spike to bed," she told them, "then I'll help too." Walking past them, she made her way toward the stairs and up to her room. As she went, she felt like she already knew her choice. When Spike woke up, she would have him send a letter to Princess Celestia.
She was staying in Ponyville.