In the red-and-white striped lighthouse, standing on its own on North Star Point in Maretime Bay, it had been... one of those mornings.
Sunny had awoken to the sound of the lift platform rattling up and down, accompanied by foalish giggling. When she'd looked blearily out through the door of her room, she saw the platform passing by with Izzy riding on it. The purple unicorn waved a hoof as she swept upwards.
"Hey, Sunny! Did I wake you? Sorry! Just one more thing I forgot from the art supply cupboard..."
And then she was gone.
Sunny shook her head. There always seemed to be Just One More Thing with Izzy. Several times every morning, in fact. "She really needs to get herself organized," Sunny muttered. Then she glanced up at her fright-wig of bed-mane. "And so do I." She turned back into her room, to brush and braid it back into submission.
As she rode the platform down herself, to see about getting breakfast ready, she could hear the pegasus sisters Zipp and Pipp debating whose turn it was to use the lighthouse's sole washroom. From opposite sides of the door.
"Zipp! How much longer are you going to be in there?"
"What are you talking about? I only just got in here. Finally..."
"Just how long does it take you to starch that quiff of yours anyways? That's all you ever do."
"Aren't you the one always telling me I should try to look my best? Look, five minutes and I'm outta your way."
"But I have to get ready now!" Pipp's voice took on its desperate, pleading note. "I wanted to go open Mane Melody early this morning!"
"Urghhh! Fine, I'll be right out."
Shaking her head, Sunny turned her attention to the lighthouse's small galley area.
And ground to a halt.
Izzy was already there. The unicorn had stacks of cloth, and branches, and bowls of glitter spread over every inch of counter space, including the island. "Hey, Sunny!" Izzy waved a hoof. "You wanna help? I had this really cool idea for some Hearths Warming decorations that we could make to hang around town."
"Izzy, it's the middle of July."
"So?" The unicorn shrugged. "Never hurts to plan ahead, right?"
"I was going to make breakfast for everypony," Sunny went on. "And then bake some rolls for us to share later, and --"
Sunny fell silent, picking up a bowl from the counter. "Izzy, I left this dough out to rise. And now there's glitter all over it."
"Not to worry," Izzy said. "This stuff's totally edible, 100% organic."
"Are you sure?"
"Made it myself, from some pretty shells I picked up on the beach." Scooping up a hoof-full of the shiny powder from a bowl, Izzy chowed down on it, munching happily. "See? Loads of healthy calcium in this!"
Then she made a startled face, and reached into her mouth to pull out a small spine. "Oops, guess I didn't strain out all the pointy bits! Heh, heh, better outside than inside, huh?" She gestured at her own horn, grinning sheepishly.
"Look, just... clear some space for me to work, okay?"
"You got it!" Izzy cooperatively moved bowls and branches and stacks of cloth out of the way. Leaving maybe a quarter of the island clear.
Rolling her eyes, Sunny hunted around for a bowl that wasn't in use, and got to work making pancakes.
Yet she almost needn't have bothered. By the time she was done and had them served up on plates, Pipp had already rushed out the door with a quick "ThanksomuchSunny, gottarushbye!" And Zipp, as usual, had gone to ground or to air or whatever it was with pegasi. She was nowhere to be found.
Izzy willingly scarfed down her own serving of flapjacks. Then she turned right back to gluing berries on garland, and knotting ribbons, humming merrily to herself.
Sunny worriedly finished her own plate, and then went to do the washing up. And ground to a halt again.
"Izzy, where's the cork for the sink?"
"Hmmm... might've used that as a counterweight for the choo-choo clock..."
The colorful ornamental clock on the wall chose that moment to pop out its tiny train, tooting merrily.
"No, wait, I know!" Izzy grinned. "I used it to send a message."
"Send... a message?"
"Sure! Like the one you sent that brought me here. I found some of the same parchment you used, and made some pretty ink for it. And then I found this big green bottle to use. But I couldn't find a cork for it anywhere. Then I found that the one from the sink fit perfectly. So I wrote the message, and sent it off, and it's on its way!"
Izzy gestured grandly with a hoof at the ocean visible beyond the cliff edge, outside the windows over the sink. And Sunny had a vision of her sink cork, bobbing jauntily over the waves atop a green bottle holding a parchment scroll. With pretty ink.
"...sighhhhh..."
Later that morning, Sunny was seated at a table in the living room, which she used as a sort of desk for "Princessy stuff", as she called it. Laid out on the table before her were the three Friendship gems: the emerald wings, the amethyst horn, and the diamond core. With a forehoof Sunny nudged them into and out of alignment, a pensive look on her face.
There was a polite tapping at the front door. "Come in," Sunny called absently. "It's not locked."
Sheriff Hitch pushed open the door and peered in. "Sunny?" Seeing her at the table, the yellow stallion trotted over. "Aha! Still trying to figure out the magic jigsaw puzzle, huh?"
"I don't get it, Hitch. I thought we had it figured out. We brought the three pony tribes together, got them to see they could be friends again..."
"And whoosh-kerbang," Hitch agreed. "Big rainbow explosion, and magic is back again. I was there, Sunny. So?"
"So," Sunny replied, "if that's all the gems were meant to do, why are they still here? After magic returned, the crystals were just... hanging there, in midair over the wreck of the lighthouse. Until we brought them down again."
Hitch nodded. "And then we all helped to put the lighthouse back together. I still can't get over how easy that was, even with the magic to help us. It was like all we had to do was remember where stuff went, and poof! It all came back together, good as new. Wonder if these had anything to do with it?" Hitch pointed at the Friendship gems.
"I don't know," Sunny said. "And I feel like I should know. Like, what do we still need the gems for? How do we use them if we have to? If they're still a key to something, then where's the lock? And if not, then..." She looked up at him miserably. "I have questions."
"And not many answers. I hear ya." He shrugged. "But think positive, Sunny. If we do need the gems, then... maybe it'll be obvious. You followed your instincts last time and that worked out okay. More or less. Maybe just trust in yourself?"
"How can I?" Sunny gestured with a hoof at the lighthouse around them. "I can't even keep this place from turning into a madhouse every morning. And that's just with three house-guests. The ponies out there --" She gestured again, at Maretime Bay and by extension the newly reunited Equestria. "-- they're expecting me and my friends to have all the answers. To advise them on how to use the magic we've been given. If I can't sort out issues with my own friends, what kind of role model am I?"
"The kind for whom it matters," Hitch said. "You want to do right by everypony, and help them do the same." He reached out a hoof to touch her shoulder. "It's the best kind of role model I can think of."
Sunny managed a smile. "Thanks, Hitch. I can always count on you to put things in perspective."
"Hey, it's all part of the service... Princess Starscout." He added a half-serious bow. "Now, I have to get back to my rounds. But if you ever want to talk, Sunny, you know where to find me. Or if I'm not in my office --" He gestured dramatically with a forehoof. "-- then just whisper my name, on the winds, to a passing seagull." He grimaced. "Little gremlins always seem to know where to find me. Can't have a minute to myself, some days."
With a cheerful wave, Hitch turned and trotted back out through the front door. As the door swung closed, the picture of Sunny and her father swung out of alignment, same as it always did.
Sunny had to smile at that. She and her friends had practically rebuilt the lighthouse from the ground up after Sprout's assault on it. And yet, that one wall was still just a hair askew.
Sunny walked over to the picture, gently nudged it back into place. Then she stared at it, wistfully.
"What do I do, Dad?" she whispered. "Why can't I make this work? What am I not seeing, here?"
Whenever she felt uncertain, Sunny had taken to riding the lift platform up to the lighthouse's lamp room, and then trotting out onto the small gantry walkway around the outside. From there, she could see the entire sweep of the sea-cliffs and shores of Maretime Bay. And inland as well, as far as the heights of Butter Hill, and the glass cube of the Canterlogic factory.
The sight made Sunny feel a little better, as if she was doing her job somehow. After all, she thought, If I'm meant to be Princess of Equestria now, or whatever that means these days, then at least from here I can watch over things.
She could see the town's inhabitants, busily going about their lives, secure in the knowledge that even if life was a little strange, what with the return of magic, there were ponies who knew how to deal with it. Ponies they could turn to, maybe even look up to.
Me and my friends, Sunny thought. And snorted in amusement. If they only knew...
A gentle cough to her right made her turn to look. It was Zipp, sitting on the gantry to the right, where she'd been hidden from view by the art supply cupboard inside the lamp room.
The bright-white pegasus grinned uneasily. "I... guess you found me, huh?"
"I wasn't looking for you specifically," Sunny said. "But yeah, I did kind of wonder where you'd got to."
"Sorry." Zipp rolled her eyes, then leaned gloomily on the railing, looking over the bay. "I was just trying to keep out of sight of Pipp. Or more exactly, her phone."
"Why?"
"Because whenever Mom spots me in the background, while Pipp's doing one of her little Pipp-stants, or whatever she's calling her live-streams now, it reminds Mom to try ringing me up. And then she wants to go on and on about royal duties, and responsibilities, and when am I coming home to continue my lessons..." Zipp made a face, then looked uncomfortably at Sunny. "You know she keeps asking when Pipp and I are gonna come back to Zephyr Heights."
"Why? Is something wrong?"
"No! Absolutely not! It's just, well... I think it's the lighthouse." Zipp gestured with a hoof. "Mom seems to feel it's not exactly the right place for pegasi Princesses to live. It's not... imposing enough, or glamorous enough, or something like that. You know how focused Mom is on image. Look at how long she kept the secret that we couldn't fly, for starters."
Sunny considered that. Then she looked sad. "Is that what you think too? About the lighthouse?"
"Are you kidding? Absolutely not," Zipp said. "I think it's cool! It shows you don't put yourself above other ponies. That you're approachable, and not locked away in a palace somewhere, with guards keeping everypony out. In a way, Sunny, I'm jealous of you."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You decided that you wanted to be a Princess who rules from a lighthouse. And that's exactly what you did! Nopony tells you where to go, or what to say, or what to be. You're able to just be you. I really like that, and I'd never want to mess it up. It's just... hard to get that across to Mom."
Sunny nodded. "Thanks, Zipp. And it's fair to say I'm really glad the two of you are here. You can help me figure out what being a Princess is all about. I'm not so sure myself, sometimes."
"Join the club. I don't think either of us are. Pipp's just better at hiding it than me. I mean, she's got that salon of hers set up to keep herself occupied, give herself a place to broadcast from. But trust me, I know her. Even when she's the center of attention, she's still trying to find herself."
"And we're seeing less and less of her all the time," Sunny agreed. "She's out of here like a shot, every morning. And I can't blame her for that. It's what she loves to do. It just... I don't know. It feels like we're drifting apart. And that can't be right. Us coming together is what brought magic back."
"Yeah. So what's stopping us, huh?"
"I don't know, Zipp. I wish I did. I wish I knew what to do."
The two of them turned back to staring out at the view, with Zipp looking up at the sky, and Sunny looking down at the town.
"Maybe..." Sunny mused, almost to herself, "maybe I just need to get out more..."
"'Morning, Natural Flavors!"
The smoothie vendor blinked, startled. "Uh... hey there, Princess Starscout!"
"Sunny," she reminded him. "You can still call me Sunny. I mean you can call me Princess if you want to. Just... don't ever feel like you have to, okay?"
"Whatever you say, Your Highness."
Sunny rolled her eyes. Now I know how Zipp feels, she thought.
"So, uh," Flavors went on, "what kind of smoothie can I get ya today?" His hooves shuffled nervously amongst plastic cups and bowls of fruit.
"Nothing for right now," Sunny said. "Though I did want to ask... is the smoothie delivery job still open?"
"Seriously?" Natural Flavors looked amazed. "Woulda thought you'd be too busy for that sort of thing now."
"Not as busy as you might think," Sunny said. "And actually, I really liked doing it. It was a good way to get out of the house and meet ponies. Keep an ear open to what's going on, that kind of thing."
"Well, sure! The job's yours if you want it."
"Thanks! I'll stop by with my cart early, like usual. And if you want, I can do swing shifts and closings too."
"Absolutely! Uh, whatever you say, ma'am."
Shaking her head, Sunny turned and rolled onwards on her inlines, through town. She did doughnuts and drifts, enjoying the pleasant weather. Glancing upwards, she saw one of the weather patrol pegasi moving an errant cloud out of the way. Sunny waved, and the blue-pinioned pony waved back.
"Mommy, Mommy, look!" a young colt yelled as Sunny swept past. "It's Princess Starscout!"
"That's right, honey. It's Maretime Bay's very own Princess!"
For once, Sunny didn't mind being called that, and she threw in an extra spin on two skates, just to show off. Yeah, she thought, this is what I was missing. Like Zipp said: I'm not a Princess locked up in a tower somewhere. I'm a pony of the ponies... I'm a pony-pony!
Sunny smiled. It sounded like something Izzy would say. And speaking of whom, Sunny could see the purple unicorn, up ahead of her. Izzy had hung some of her wreaths up on the light posts and signs along the street, and was tilting them this way and that with a hoof.
"Sunny!" she called. "What do you think? Do these look okay? I keep thinking they look crooked."
Sunny slewed to a halt, eyed them doubtfully. "I... still think it's way too early for Hearths Warming decorations. Oh! But Maretime Bay day is coming up. These would be perfect for that."
"What's... Maretime Bay Day?"
"Oh yeah, sorry! It's an earth-pony thing, kind of a midsummer festival. We hang ribbon wreaths, and have a big get-together with competitive games and singing, and lots of great food --"
"And exchange gifts?" Izzy interrupted eagerly.
"Not... specifically," Sunny said. "Though we have a rule that all transactions have to be conducted by trading. So maybe that counts?"
"Yay!" Izzy clapped her hooves. "I love it already. It's like Hearths Warming Day -- Sunny style!"
"I didn't actually come up with the idea." Sunny warned. "But, yeah, it's one of my favorite times of the year." Then she looked sad. "Dad and I used to go together, every year, rain or shine. And I'm not sure which of us liked it the most."
"Well, you won't be alone this year," Izzy pointed out. "Not now you've got us to go with you."
"That's right... I do." Sunny grinned. "What would I do without all of you? Thanks, Izzy!"
"No problem! Oh wait, I just remembered! Pipp was looking for you." Izzy pointed a hoof up the street, at the pink-accented storefront of the Mane Melody salon.
"I bet I even know what for," Sunny said resignedly. All the same, she willingly nodded goodbye to Izzy, then rolled onwards towards the salon's door.
"Sunny!" Pipp called, as Sunny hung up her skates and helmet on the small rack by the door. "I've been hoping you'd swing by. How's the place look now?"
"Wow..." Sunny said, gazing around at it all. From the styling stations along the walls, to the Choose-Your-Style mirrors near the front doors, to the red carpet and the boom-box-shaped performance stage along the end wall, the salon looked glossy, polished and professional.
"This used to be a boring old barber shop," Sunny marveled. "You've really taken this place up a few notches."
"Well, you know me, Sunny." The pink pegasus smiled sheepishly. "I needed a place where I could spread my wings, just let go, annnnnd --"
Her two assistant stylists smoothly joined her on the chorus:
"-- SINNNGGGGGG!!!"
"And too," Pipp went on, "I know how you like things quiet up at the lighthouse. I'd never want to disturb you."
"Pipp! I've never been bothered by your singing. Not even when I'm reading. It reminds me to look up from whatever it is I'm so focused on, take a breather and see what's going on. And I also like your singing because I see how much it makes you happy."
"Well then," Pipp said, "I'll have to remember to serenade more often when I'm up there. But back to business. Now Sunny, you simply have to let me give you the Royal Princess Makeover. It'll be stunnnniiinng!"
"The Royal Princess... Makeover?" Sunny echoed cautiously. "What in the hay is that?"
"How should I know?" Pipp shrugged. "I just came up with it. But it could be just the boost Mane Melody needs. You know how important you are now, to everypony around Maretime Bay. If they see you're a customer here..."
She gave Sunny a wide-eyed, pleading smile.
"Well, sure, but... just don't go all ra-ra on me, okay? Keep it simple. Remember, I still need to wear this later on." She waved a hoof at her skating helmet.
"Sunny," Pipp scolded. "Trust me, you'll adore having a new look!"
"I dunno. I have a drawer-full of mane bands all the same color that says otherwise. And I'm still getting used to this rainbow stripe the magic added to my mane."
Nevertheless, Sunny allowed Pipp to drag her over to a styling chair, and set to work. And after a while, when Sunny was comfortably settled under a hair-dryer with a mud-mask on her face and cucumber slices over her eyelids, she had to admit it was pretty relaxing.
Yet soothing as it might be, she kept being distracted by the sound of two other ponies chattering away nearby. Lifting a cucumber slice with a hoof, she peered around. Aside from Pipp and her assistants busying themselves working on other customers, she couldn't see anypony else in the salon itself.
Then Sunny happened to glance out through the front windows, and she saw the ponies who were talking. Outside, at a table near the railing overlooking the Bay, an older and a younger mare were having coffee and chatting together.
"Ugh," Sunny muttered. This happened sometimes. One of her new alicorn abilities -- and it was just as unpredictable as the rest -- was having unusually good hearing. Usually, of something she didn't want to be eavesdropping on.
"What am I?" she grumbled. "The Bionic Mare?" She tried to put the conversation out of her mind, though as usual it only made it that much harder to ignore.
"... have you tried that new salon?" The younger mare was saying. "Oh, what is it called? I wanna say Mane Melodies or something?"
"Oh yes, I've looked in there once or twice. It's a little too upscale for me. Not sure if I can afford it, on my salary."
"Oh, I know! And the pegasus who runs it, I hear she's some kind of big-shot celebrity where she's from. But to me, she's a little over-the-top. A little too desperate for attention, know what I mean?"
Ouch! Sunny winced. Hope Pipp never hears that.
"Yes, though I did see Princess Starscout go in there a little while ago," the older mare said. "Hmmm. If it's good enough for her, maybe I should give it another look."
"Really? Well, I'll have to check it out myself, then."
Yay! Sunny thought proudly. It's working! Pipp will make an influencer outta me yet.
"I will say," the younger mare went on, "with all these strange magic-using ponies coming to visit, it's nice having our own earth-pony Princess, to help keep them in line. Though if you'd told me it'd be Sunny, I'd never have believed it."
"Oh, tell me about it! The way she was always running from pillar to post, stirring up trouble. Still, it is nice to see she hasn't changed all that much. She still lives up at the lighthouse, just like always."
"Hmmm, like father, like daughter, I suppose. Though as crazy as Argyle's ideas sounded at times, at least he'd have the satisfaction of knowing Sunny proved he was right. If he was still here, that is."
And if you'd ever bothered telling him that to his face, Sunny growled to herself. At that point, she wanted to just stop listening to the conversation altogether, and uselessly hunted around for the off switch to her augmented hearing.
But what she heard next made her stop in surprise.
"It's good to see her looking after the place," the older mare said. "If I were a Princess, I'd probably live in some kind of big palace, with lots of servants and all that. But not Sunny. She lives in that plain old lighthouse, just like any other earth-pony."
"It's almost like she's maintaining it, as a memorial to her father," the younger mare said. "That's so sweet of her. And I'm amazed to hear myself say that. That young filly, she's just full of surprises..."
Sunny brushed the cucumber slices off her eyes, and sat up, troubled.
A memorial? she asked herself. Is that what it is?
Sunny didn't sleep well that evening. In the morning, she was up early, trotting around the dark and quiet living room, just looking at things. The chair she and Dad had sat in while reading together, or when he was reviewing her homework. The kitchen island, where they'd worked on cooking projects and played games together. The desk in the corner, with its drawers and cabinets full of mysterious artifacts and research notes. Dad had warned her not to go into it, just to see how long it would take her to succeed in picking the locks.
And the picture, hanging on the wall next to the door. Of a pony-back ride so long ago, with the lighthouse itself in the background.
We were a family, Sunny thought. The two of us together. And this was our home.
Opening the door, she trotted outside into the pre-dawn gloom. She trotted around the lighthouse, looking at it from all sides. Standing at the back fence, and looking out over the cliff edge at the expanse of the bay below, she sighed. And then, charging her wings and horn, she lifted a hoof -- and made the Sun rise.
Look, Dad, she thought sadly. See what I can do?
Trotting around in front of the lighthouse again, she crossed the sloping meadow, hunting around. And then stopped and turned to face the lighthouse. Here, she thought. We were right here, when he gave me that pony-back-ride. I could almost be the one taking the picture of the two of us together.
She stared at the lighthouse, feeling it sink in. Were those ponies right? Am I just hanging out here, trying to keep that memory alive...
... and losing my new friends as a result?
A clattering of hooves and a huffing of breath made her turn towards the path leading up from the road to town. She saw Hitch approaching at speed, with one of his animal friends, a seagull, flapping along beside him, and tugging hard on his ear with its beak.
"Ow, ow, ow-ow-ow! Okay, Beaky! I'm here. And Sunny's right here, and I'm talking to her. Uh, hey, Sunny. 'Morning, and all."
"Hey, Hitch. What's up?"
"Oh ya know, little bird told me you were looking kind of gloomy and I should come up here and find out why."
The seagull nipped his ear again, and Hitch glowered at it. "Beaky, what have I told you? It's an ear. It's not a pull-tab."
Sunny eyed him suspiciously. "So, what... you have the seagulls spying on me now?"
"What? No! Not at all! At least, it wasn't my idea. Look, the critters know how much you matter to me, Sunny, so they... well, keep an eye on you. But it's totally their idea!"
Sunny smirked. "Thanks, Hitch. I really appreciate having friends like you, who care so much. Which is... what makes this so difficult..."
"What do you mean?"
"C'mon," she said, and headed back up to the lighthouse.
Inside the lighthouse, the daily calamity was in full swing. Izzy was crawling around the floor with measuring tape, apparently measuring the carpet for hoofness only knew what reason. Pipp was gulping down orange juice at the island, preparing to rush out the door like usual. And Zipp, she was trotting around the living room tensely. She looked like one of Hitch's seagulls, flighty and ready to take wing at any moment.
Sunny's appearance made all three of them rush for the door.
"MorningSunny, Gottarunbye!" Pipp called.
"Uh, yeah, we'll just... get outta your mane," Zipp added
"Ooh!" Izzy called, jumping to her hooves. "Is there a party outside? I'm so in!"
The three of them crowded through the door, struggling together for a bit. Then with a cork-like pop, they burst through and were outside. Leaving Sunny standing alone in the middle of the living room. Even Hitch was outside, having been caught up in the melee.
"Wait!" Sunny called, running after them. "Everypony just... stop!"
They all screeched to a halt and turned to look at her, as she trotted through the door and stood on the path in front of the lighthouse. "Look," she said, "I know you guys don't really feel comfortable living here. And I understand why. It's kinda small... and cramped... and old-fashioned..."
"Uh, quaint?" Hitch offered. Then he looked sheepish. "Eeyeah, not really helping. Shut up, Hitch!"
"And," Sunny went on, "it's not really the sort of place a Princess of Equestria should be living."
"But, it's your place, Sunny," Pipp objected.
"We get that," Zipp added. "We really do."
"We'd never want to take that away from you," Pipp went on. "We see how much it means to you."
"I like it," Izzy offered. "Really! I only keep redecorating stuff because, well... ya know, that's kinda my thing. But I feel happier here than I've felt anyplace else in my life, honest! It's home!"
The others nodded in agreement, willingly. But Sunny just sighed.
"It was my home," she said quietly. "When Dad and I lived here. We were a family, he and I. We did everything together."
She looked up at them.
"But now... you guys are my family. And that's what's important to me. I want us to stick together, to be comfortable living with each other. That's what matters now. So," she finished sadly, "if it means we need to find some other place to live, maybe somewhere down in town where we'd have enough room for us all, then that's what we should do. Because you're what matters to me. You're my home now. And I don't ever want to lose that again."
They all stared at her, wordlessly, in shock.
Then Sunny realized that they were actually staring past her, at something behind her.
"Don't tell me," she muttered, exasperatedly. "There's something magical happening behind my back, isn't there? Which I'll never be able to explain, not in a million moons."
"Sunny, look!" Pipp just said, pointing.
Sunny turned, and gasped, staring like the rest of them.
The three Friendship gems, the wings, horn, and diamond core, were flying through the air, circling around the lighthouse, leaving trails of gleaming color. As they all watched, the crystals came together, above the lighthouse. They locked together, into formation...
And from them, magic swirled down in a gleaming prismatic hurricane. It wreathed the lighthouse, shimmering and glittering. And as they watched, the lighthouse changed. The tower became taller, reaching up to enclose the gems, and it was remade in shimmering glass and golden trim, with a winged peak and tower-top shaped like the Friendship gems themselves. The building below expanded as well, its design shifting so it looked like an elegant conservatory or chapel. The front door became a pair of doors, which were encircled by an impressive arch of stained-glass windows, depicting the Sun, the Moon, the Stars, and prancing ponies of all three tribes. Sunny wasn't sure, but she thought the windows even changed a bit, whenever she glanced away from them.
"Woah," She breathed. "Did I do that?" Then she thought about it. "Or... did I just decide I was okay with it?"
"Either way," Zipp said. "Let's check the place out!"
They trotted nervously to the main doors, and pushed them open. Within, they found a huge space, brilliantly sunlit and seemingly larger than the building's exterior. There was a ground floor living area, with couches and a flat-screen television. To the right was a huge kitchen area, with plenty of counter-space for any kind of project, cooking or otherwise. To the left was an office area, with cabinets and shelves holding the notes and artifacts that Sunny's father had collected.
There were also broad ramps, leading to the upper floors. When they trotted up these, they found a round room, partitioned into sleeping areas with beds. Sunny's bed was there, with all her old toys and notebooks. And also, she was relieved to see, the picture of herself and her father, set on the side-table next to her bed.
There were other beds as well. A palatial bed with a microphone, that had to be for Pipp. A bunk-bed/desk combination with a lightning bolt for Zipp. Even a kind of chandelier-bed with a canopy and comfortable throw-pillows, clearly meant for Izzy. The unicorn scampered over and hopped up on her bed, clearly restaining herself from jumping up and down on it in glee.
In the center of the room was a rainbow-walled lift. When they rode it upwards, it took them to a gleaming, shining new lamp-room. But instead of a lamp, the Friendship gems were there, hanging in midair and still glowing with the magic that had remade the lighthouse.
"Sunny," Pipp finally gasped. "This place is a-maaaa-zing!"
"Oh yeah." Zipp said, nodding. "Now this is a palace. But also... kinda you at the same time."
"Definitely a keeper!" Izzy agreed.
"Hey, I like it," Hitch said. "But... what do you think, Sunny?"
Sunny stared around at it all, wide-eyed.
"It's perfect..." she whispered.
"Yay!" Izzy shouted. "We gotta new home!"
"All right! ... Yeah! ... Woo hoo!" the others shouted happily.
Looking around at her friends, Sunny smiled, overjoyed. And then she felt the glowing horn appear on her head, and the gleaming wings appear on her back. The gems, hovering before her, seemed to draw on the alicorn magic she felt flowing through her...
There was an explosion of prismatic light. A huge column of rainbow light shot upwards, through the gems and then upwards through the tower roof, vanishing into the heavens.
Sunny gazed upwards at it, in awe. And she felt Hitch touch her shoulder.
"You did it, Sunny," he said. "Way to go. You figured out how to put the Friendship gems together."
Sunny shook her head. "We all did it. Together. And we need a new name for the gems. They belong together now. How about... I dunno, the Unity Crystal?"
"Works for me," Zipp said.
"It's just right." Pipp nodded.
Izzy beamed. "I like it!"
Sunny stared at the glowing crystal, a little nervous, but determined.
"Lets make sure," she said quietly, "that we never lose this again..."
In short order, it seemed like the entire town of Maretime Bay was up on the meadow of North Star Point, staring in amazement at Sunny's new home.
Pressed into giving a speech -- and not at all made nervous by Pipp holding her cellphone at the ready, probably beaming Sunny's image to the entirety of Equestria -- Sunny stood on her new front porch, and gazed out over the watching herd of ponies: earth-ponies, pegasi, and unicorns.
PONIES OF EQUESTRIA, she called thunderously. And then hurriedly cleared her throat. "Sorry," she added, "still working out the kinks on that Voice spell. Ahem!"
She glanced at her friends, then back at the crowd.
"My friends and I, we brought the pony tribes together. We brought magic back. And now, it seems, we have a place to live together, and from which we can spread that message: that unity, as symbolized by the Unity Crystal, is how all pony kinds should live. And so, well... I guess we'd all like to dedicate this place, our new home, to that goal. Everypony is welcome here. Anypony who needs our help, or even just wants to visit! It's no longer just a lighthouse, it's, uh..." She paused, a little uncertain. "The Crystal Brighthouse! Yes! And you're all welcome here!"
The assembled crowd applauded, cheering and stamping excitedly.
As they did so, the other ponies eyed Sunny in amusement.
"The Crystal Brighthouse?" Zipp asked in disbelief.
"Hey! It could work!" Pipp replied.
"Works for me," Izzy offered cheerfully.
"Eh, I've heard worse," Hitch agreed.
Sunny just shrugged.
"What the hay. As with everything else... we'll figure it out as we go."
The End
My Little Pony: Make Your Mark, its characters and indicia are the property of Hasbro.
No infringement is intended. This story is a work of fan fiction, written by fans for fans of the series.
