And Building Friendships and Braving Family Reunions On the Wonderful Fourth
Festival of Bonfires, Firearms, Booming Fireworks, and Burning Freedom
By: The Grey Pegasus
A flash of teleportation from behind; two alicorns departing the group, leaving the other regular ponies to themselves.
“Um, so... where are we going, girls?”
“We’re gonna give ya the most Amareican time of your Braytish life, Twi!”
It was the evening of the Fourth of July, and as darkness began settling, the festivities became livelier all across the grounds of the National Mall in Washingtalon, D.C.
As dusk passed, the darkened grounds started lighting up with bonfires, each one circled by various groups of ponies and griffons, from close family to newly made friends. All in common though, was their intention to commemorate the wonderful event of Amareican Independence from the Braytish Empire one-hundred fifty years ago.
And moving through the grounds was a group with representatives from both sides.
“What about Queen Celestia and Miss Luna though?” Twilight Sparkle asked.
“Oh, I’m sure they’ll be able to find us with no issue,” Rarity waved a hoof. “Miss Luna may want some time alone with her sister, but also clearly understands that we’re all celebrating this night together. You three are all of our honored guests, after all.”
“So while we wait for them to finish their little personal reunion, we’ll go do what Miss Luna asked us to do!” Applejack exclaimed.
“To fill you up until your veins are running with freedom!” Pinkie finished. “And your arteries! And your digestive tract, I guess!”
“But I think I’m already full from dinner!” Twilight protested.
“I doubt it,” Spike said from beside her. “Your appetite is huge. Come on, Twilight, there’s so much food here to try!”
“See, Spike knows how to live!” Rainbow Dash said. “You’ve only had half of the great food here!”
With that, Rainbow spotted a nearby fire with griffons sitting around it. She quickly flew over to them, struck up a quick conversation, then came back with a stack of food in her hooves. “Griffon scones for everypony!”
Pinkie took one, holding it in front of Twilight. “You first, Twilight!”
Twilight stared at the pastry, unsure, but as she did, its scent wafted into her nostrils. That was enough to convince her that her stomach still had room and that her taste buds wanted to experience more.
From beside her came the muffled voice of Spike. “Come on, Twilight, just eat it already, it’s great!” The dragon was already cramming down a scone in his mouth. “I’m gonna see if I can ask for more!”
As Spike ran off towards the griffons, Twilight took the scone in her magic and took a bite out of it. She chewed it, rolling the taste around her mouth. “Hm.”
“Pretty good, am I right?” Rainbow asked.
Twilight nodded in response.
Spike came back, but this time with a different smell. One that wasn’t exactly agreeable to the unaccustomed pony’s nose.
“Spike, did you—“
“They gave me some barbeque!” Spike exclaimed. “Crystals are nice, but—“ Spike took a bite out of the meat—“these griffons really know how to cook up all sorts of things!”
“They sure do,” Rainbow said, not bothered by any of it.
Rarity walked back in, having gone away without any of them noticing. "And look what I found!" She held a glass bottle in her telekinetic grasp and shook it around.
"Moonshine?" Fluttershy asked.
"Quite so," Rarity replied, taking a swig from the bottle. "A pleasant group of ponies just over had a few bottles, and were kindly generous enough to share."
"Gimme!" Rainbow lunged for the bottle, only to find air as Rarity whisked it out of Rainbow's path.
"Are you ponies really that desperate for alcohol?" Twilight asked.
“Six years!” Rainbow exclaimed. “They passed some stupid amendment to the Constitution, now it’s harder to get my fix! They’re restricting my freedoms!”
“We live in a small town in Prancesylvania, Dash,” Applejack said. “It’s the cities that get it the worst, like Lunasburgh or Fillydelphia.”
Twilight facehoofed. “You ponies are ridiculous. Besides, I thought Miss Luna could get you some actual drinks anyways, with her status and all.”
“That is true,” Rarity said as she passed the bottle to Fluttershy, “Howver, Miss Luna is not infallible, and certainly there are ponies out there that would want to tarnish her image should they find any exploitable fault.”
“I’d rather drink a drink I can trust than some concoction made in some backcountry shed,” Twilight said.
“At least try it,” Fluttershy said, offering the moonshine to Twilight.
Coerced by Fluttershy’s earnestness and timidness, Twilight took the bottle and hesitantly gulped some of the liquid down.
The bottle dropped out of her magical grasp as she felt her throat be attacked. “Dear Celestia I think I might die!”
The Ponyvillians laughed at the unicorn.
“By Luna, are you a soft one,” Applejack cackled. “Even prissy Rarity’s harder than you!”
“And Fluttershy, too!” Rainbow added through her fit of laughter.
Twilight breathed a deep breath to regain her composure. “I take it back. You ponies aren’t ridiculous, you’re just all insane.”
Pinkie grabbed onto Twilight. “That burning you felt was Amareican Freedom!”
“I fear the Braytish imperialism in her is rejecting it,” Rarity added, giggling.
Applejack, calming herself down, spoke up again. “Alright, alright, we shouldn’t be so mean to our honored guest.”
She laid her saddlebag on the ground and poured out its contents.
“Wow, AJ!” Pinkie exclaimed. “I had no idea you had a mini bundle of Amareica in there! Apple pie and a gun!”
Rainbow’s hoof reached for the revolver. “Hey, AJ, let’s fire off a few shots, huh? It’s the Fourth! Whad’dya say?”
Applejack’s response was to slap the hoof away. “No. That was pa’s, and I don’t keep it around so you can do stupid things with it.”
She picked it up... then fired off a few shots into the air, causing Twilight to jump. “Only I get to do stupid things with it!” she chuckled.
“Bunch of rural nutcases...” Twilight mumbled.
Applejack saw the slightly shaken up unicorn and apologized. “Aw, real sorry there, sugarcube. Got carried away a little.”
She offered up her prized creation. “Here, ya’ll said ya didn’t get to have apple pie yet. I’m sure it’ll make up for everythin’ weird you had to come up against.”
The farmpony’s suddenly gentle demeanor calmed Twilight. The pie did seem enticing.
She took a slice, and in that moment, savored the wonderful, sweetness of the apple flavor.
She turned to Applejack and smiled. “Thanks, Applejack. This is wonderful.”
“Don’t hoard it all to yourself,” Spike said. “I want some too!”
The group laughed again, but this time, together. The Ponyvillians seemed pleased to see their guests enjoy themselves.
Maybe these Amareican ponies weren’t so bad after all, Twilight thought.
:::::
Not long after, Luna and Celestia teleported in next to the group.
“Queen Celestia!” Twilight greeted her mentor.
“Hello, Twilight,” Celestia smiled. “Did the others show you a good time?"
“It was... lively and... different,” Twilight said. She smiled. “I had a wonderful experience.”
“Oh, hold onto your words, Twilight Sparkle!” Luna exclaimed.
“Huh?” Twilight, Spike, and Celestia looked at the blue alicorn inquisitively.
“You haven’t had a wonderful experience until you’ve experienced the fireworks!” Luna cheered. “Come, the show will be starting not long from now!”
The Ponyvillians cheered, and they all followed Luna as she walked through the park.
:::::
Luna led them to a spot in the clearing that was reserved for them. No seats, just a leisurely spot on the grass with a view of the tall white obelisk that was the Washingtalon Monument. Its presence was such that it could still be seen against the dim night sky.
Suddenly, the band stopped playing music.
The sounds in the Mall reduced to a murmur.
Then, the band started playing the most revered song of the night. Brass instruments opened up with the notes of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’.
Luna sang along, “Ohhh say can yoouu seeee...”
The Ponyvillians remained silent, quietly giving respect to their flag atop the tall monument they faced.
Twilight appreciated the reverence that was shown in this moment of preparation—
“—at the twilight’s last gleaming...—“
—then felt herself get thrown up in the air for no discernible reason other than a joke with her name. She landed in the hooves of Pinkie and Rainbow, stifling giggles.
Twilight saw Celestia smile at the other mares’ antics.
As the song drew to a close, there was a flash of teleportation magic off to the side.
Suddenly, Luna’s voice boomed from the top of the Washingtalon Monument.
“AND THE HOOOME... OF THE... BRAAAVE!”
Cheers all around.
“And now, fillies and gentlecolts, what you’ve all been waiting for! The fireworks show!”
The Army fired off its cannon salute.
Then, the sky lit up with bright flashes as the fireworks began booming through the night sky. The band began playing another song, ‘Hail Columbia’.
Another flash of magic as Luna teleported back to the group. She had also returned with a flag pole adorned with the nation’s flag of red, white, and a blue field with forty-eight stars surrounding a moon. And she waved it proudly.
“It’s a wonderful night you have, Luna,” Celestia said.
The group watched in awe as fireworks of various colors and patterns burst in the sky. Each flash lighting up the dark for a moment. Each explosion thundering through the air and through their bodies, wracking them with, as Luna would put it, Amareican Spirit.
And as Luna also said, all shows must come to an end. Once the fireworks finished, she went back up to the top of the monument.
“Happy Fourth of July, to all of my fellow Amareicans!” Luna’s voice boomed.
The crowds cheered back in reply.
She returned back to the group beaming with joy.
Celestia was just happy for the opportunity of the visit itself.
“One-hundred fifty years, Luna,” Celestia said. “You wouldn’t let me visit.”
“Perhaps I let the past consume me too much...” Luna said.
“Well, we’re reunited now. Happy Independence Day, Luna.”
Author's Note
It seems that every year, the writing of the story follows a specific process. Initially, I have absolutely no idea how to meet my number quota. Then, as I get farther in, I pass the quota and have to do some meticulous shaving down of word count.
Nonetheless, this marks the end of a five-year annual series, featuring a story that, though spanning five years in the telling, was actually only a story of a few hours.
Happy Independence Day!
