A month after Friendship University was shut down by the EEA, Eric was at home playing with his little brother, Midnight.

“Where’s Midnight?” Eric asked covering his eyes.

After waiting a few seconds, Eric pulled his hands away from his face quickly and said, "There he is!" Midnight giggled at this as Eric kept it up.

“Eric, could you please come downstairs?!” Twilight’s voice called out.

Eric picked up Midnight and went downstairs. He came down to find Twilight and Storm waiting for him.

“You wanted to see me?” Eric asked.

“Yes, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna need us for an international friendship summit in Trottingham,” Storm replied.

“We thought it would be best if you came with us, so we can teach you about politics and diplomacy firsthoof,” Twilight added.

“Why is that important?” Eric asked.

“As a member of Equestrian royalty and the future Prince of Friendship, it’ll be part of your responsibility to keep the peace one day,” Twilight replied.

“With your keen instincts, you and your friends could prove useful in foiling any attempt to sabotage the summit,” Storm added.

“Ok, I’ll be right back with them,” Eric said.

He then gave Midnight to Starlight and went to bring his friends over.

The Crystal Mountains

At the ice fortress, Blueblood entered the throne room with news for Glacio.

“You wanted to see me, Blueblood?” Glacio said.

“Yes, my lord. I have important news,” Blueblood replied.

“What news do you bring?” Glacio asked.

“There’s supposed to be an international friendship summit in Trottingham later today and every leader is expected to be present,” Blueblood replied.

“Good. You are to infiltrate the summit and attempt to persuade the Ornithians and Abyssinians, along with the Emperor of Hayburg and his forces to join our cause. Hot Shot, Skywarp, Thundercracker, and Swift Foot will join you,” Glacio said.

“As you wish, my lord,” Blueblood replied as he left the throne room.

Just then, Frostbite came in with Hydia, Reeka, Draggle, Wind Rider and Descent.

“You summoned me, my lord?” Frostbite said.

“Yes, General Frostbite,” Glacio replied, “While Blueblood, Hot Shot, Skywarp, Thundercracker, and Swift Foot infiltrate the friendship summit in Trottingham, you must go to the kingdoms of Sagittarius, Tauren, and the Scaly Isles.”

“Consider it done,“ Frostbite said.

“If I may ask, what exactly will we find in those places?” Wind Rider asked.

“Sagittarius is the kingdom of the centaurs and gargoyles, Tauren is the land of the minotaurs, and the Scaly Isles are home to the gorgons, like us three. We’re going there to make allies,” Hydia explained.

“We’re right with you, General,” Descent said.

Frostbite, Wind Rider, Descent, and the three gorgons exited the throne room to prepare for their mission.

Back in Ponyville, Eric and most of his friends were gathered at the train station alongside Twilight and Storm. They had bought their tickets and were waiting for the train to Trottingham. Soon enough, the train came and the conductor called out, “All aboard! Last stop, Trottingham!”

Everyone quickly boarded the train and it left the station, now bound for Trottingham.

Hours later, the train reached Trottingham and stopped at the station. Everyone immediately disembarked and went into the city.

”Mommy, where in Trottingham is the summit being held?” Eric asked.

“At Fort Griff, where Equestria and Griffonstone made peace after nearly a decade of war, part of the treaty required that the Trotish Isles be ceded to Equestria. That’s how Trottingham became the city it is today,” Twilight explained.

“You think we’ll run into any of Pip’s relatives while we’re here?” Zuni asked.

“Maybe a small chance, since we’re mainly here for the summit,” Eric replied.

Eric, Twilight, Storm, and company made numerous attempts to call a taxi. It wasn’t long before two cabs stopped for them. Twilight, Storm, Eric, Zuni, Marina, Slapstick, and Holly entered the cab, along with Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo.

“Where to?” the cab pony asked.

“Fort Griff. We’re needed at the international friendship summit there,” Twilight said.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princes Storm Blade and Eric Sparkle, welcome to Trottingham,” the cab pony replied.

“Good to be here, now let’s roll,” Storm said.

As the cab was headed for Fort Griff, the cab pony pointed out the various sights of Trottingham, “If you look to your right, you’ll see the Trottingham Eye. On your right, you’ll find the Big Bale clock tower.”

Soon enough, everyone reached Fort Griff and exited the cab. Storm paid the cab pony with gems. Once the cabs left, the Sparkle family and company entered the main building of he fort where they noticed all the leaders of various nations were gathered. Alongside Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadance was Nightshade.

“Hi, Eric!” Cadance said.

“Hi, Aunt Cadance!” Eric greeted, hugging her.

“Hello, Eric!” Nightshade said.

“Hi, Nightshade,” Eric replied.

Just then, Apple Bloom and Nightshade ran over to one another and shared a hug and kiss.

“Good to see you again, Bloomy,” Nightshade said.

“Same here, Shady. Prince Storm insisted our sisters bring us so we can help Eric keep the summit going smoothly,” Apple Bloom replied.

Scootaloo and Slapstick also ran over to one another and shared a hug and kiss.

“Hi, Eric,” Thorax said.

“Hi, Thorax,” Eric greeted, “Good to see you again, Ember.”

“Good to see you too, Eric. It’s a shame Spike didn’t come,” Ember said.

“He stayed back home with Starlight to help watch my little brother, Midnight,” Eric replied.

“It’s nice to know that you’re a big brother,” Thorax said.

Eric and the others were also greeted by Prince Rutherford, King Aspen, Queen Novo, and Princess Skystar. Alongside them were General Seaspray and Captain Blackthorn, even Marina’s older brother, Riptide was present.

“Good to see you again, Queen Novo. You too, Princess Skystar,” Eric said.

“Hi, Eric,” Queen Novo replied, as she and Skystar gave him a group hug.

“What brings you here, big bro?” Marina asked.

“I’m accompanying Skystar. I’ve been madly in love with her since before we moved to Equestria and we hit it off during the Friendship Festival,” Riptide replied.

Eric, Twilight, Storm, and the others were mingling with Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadance, as well as Prince Rutherford, King Thorax, Dragon Lord Ember, King Aspen, and Queen Novo. It was then that they met the High Steward of Griffonstone. He was an auburn griffon with dark blue eyes, and wore a black noble’s uniform with white on the edges.

“Princess Twilight and Prince Storm Blade, I am Lord Gander, the high steward of Griffonstone,” the steward said.

“It’s an honor to meet you, your excellency,” Twilight replied.

“I’m Prince Eric Sparkle, your excellency. Good to finally meet you,” Eric said.

“Good to meet you as well, Prince Eric Sparkle,” Lord Gander replied.

Meanwhile, Blueblood, Swift Foot, and their three partners managed to sneak into the fort. They took some Equestrian army uniforms out of their saddlebags and put them on.

“We need to find the Abyssinian and Ornithian royal families, along with the Emperor of Hayburg and speak with them before Princess Twilight, Prince Storm, and their friends do,” Hot Shot said.

“I suggest waiting until any of them are in their own to speak with them,” Blueblood replied.

“Good thinking. That way we can get this done without being seen by our enemies,” Hot Shot said.

Back in the meeting room, all the leaders present were gathered together. Among them were the Grand Duke and Duchess of Maretonia, the King and Queen of Prance, the Sultan of Saddle Arabia, along with Prince Haakim and his wife, Princess Amira, the Tsar and Tsarina of Marescovy, the prince of the zebras, the Queen of Abyssinia, the Ornithian royal family, and the Emperor of Hayburg.

The king was a navy blue unicorn with auburn eyes, and a brown mane and tail. He also wore a pale yellow royal uniform with a white sash, golden buttons and epaulettes. The queen was a magenta unicorn with blue eyes, a blonde mane and tail, she also wore a red and white royal gown with a blue sash. The sultan was a tan unicorn stallion with dark brown eyes, a white mane, tail and beard, and roughly the same height as Princess Luna. He also wore a cream white royal robe and turban with a blue feather on it. The tsar was a grayish white pegasus stallion with blue eyes, a black mane, tail, and beard. He also wore a blue and white robe and a red cape. The tsarina was a sky blue earth pony mare with green eyes and a red mane and tail. She also wore a blue and white royal gown and a red sash. The zebra prince wore a yellow tunic with green on the edges and a royal robe of various colors. The emperor was a golden unicorn stallion with green eyes and an auburn mane, tail, and sideburns. He also wore a red royal uniform with a white sash, black hooked triskelion lapel, and a black cape.

Eric cast the Amplifying Charm as Twilight began to make a speech, “Greetings, fellow leaders and welcome to the International Friendship Summit. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are are honored to have you join us for this luxurious occasion, and get together as friends. But I’m afraid that these are in fact dark times for Equestria. You see, awhile back, Prince Glacio has returned to wreak havoc and has committed many dangerous threats towards our beloved nation.”

“My wife is right. Glacio plans to seize control of Equestria and plunge it into eternal winter, he and his army attacked the Crystal Empire roughly two years ago. He also conspired with Queen Chrysalis and the Storm King in a few more attempts to take over Equestria. Now, it’s very likely that he plans to make more allies to help his cause, which is the other reason why we are all here now,” Storm continued.

“With your permission and beloved support to us, my husband and I, along with our friends, our family, and all of Equestria asks that we forge an alliance to make sure that we can learn from one another and hope that with everything we learn from friendship, we can make it possible to defend ourselves from Prince Glacio’s wrath and bring another era of peace to our nation,” Twilight finished.

After a short pause, the king of Prance spoke up, “I am King Greenleaf. On behalf of myself and my wife, Queen Crystal Rose, the Kingdom of Prance is with you.”

“I am Sultan Hoofez the Third and Saddle Arabia is with you,” the sultan said.

“Maretonia is with you,” the duke added.

“I am Tsar Brayzhnev III. On behalf of myself and my wife, Tsarina Hoofelia, Kingdom of Marescovy is with you,” the tsar said.

“I am Queen Catterine and the Abyssinians are with you,” the Abyssinian queen added.

“I am Queen Ozomene, and on behalf of myself and my family, the Ornithians are with you,” the Ornithian queen added.

“I am Prince Abraxas of Farasi, and the zebras are with you,” the zebra prince added.

“On behalf of the yaks, the dragons, the changelings, the griffons, the hippogriffs, and my own deer herd, we are all with you,” King Aspen finished, with Thorax, Ember, Prince Rutherford, Queen Novo, and Lord Gander nodding in agreement.

The Emperor of Hayburg was angered by the King and Queen of Prance pledging their nation’s support to Equestria, it was then that he spoke up, “I am Emperor Goldhoof of Hayburg, and I will not allow anypony to make allies with Prance, they cannot be trusted!”

“Good to meet you, Emperor Goldhoof. I’ve heard a lot about Hayburg and all it’s wonders,” Storm said.

“With all due respect, the purpose of this summit is to bring nations together as allies and address the threat of Glacio and his forces. We can resolve whatever issues you have with the Kingdom of Prance here and now,” Twilight added.

“You may dispense with the pleasantries, Princess Twilight and Prince Storm. I know for a fact that your mentor, Princess Celestia is a friend of the Prench royal family and anypony who associates with Prench filth is no ally of the Hayburg Empire!” Emperor Goldhoof replied.

“Sorry you had to hear that, everyone. Without any further interruptions, we thank you all for your support. For those of you who haven’t met him yet, my husband and I would like to introduce you to our son, Prince Eric Sparkle,” Twilight said, addressing most of the other leaders.

The King and Queen of Prance, the Duke and Duchess of Maretonia, Sultan Hoofez, Prince Haakim, Princess Amira, Queen Catterine, Prince Abraxas, and the Ornithian royal family each greeted Eric.

“It is an honor to meet you all, and I hope to visit your kingdoms one day,” Eric said.

While everyone else was mingling with each other, Emperor Goldhoof and his guards ran into Blueblood, Hot Shot, Skywarp, Thundercracker, and Swift Foot.

“Who are you?” the emperor asked.

“I am Hot Shot, these are my partners, Skywarp, Thundercracker, Prince Blueblood, and Princess Swift Foot of Thrace,” Hot Shot replied.

“We were sent by Prince Glacio to meet up with you about joining our cause as he’s looking for allies,” Blueblood added.

“I’m all ears,” the emperor said.

“We heard you hate the Prench and are unwilling to support anyone in association with them, we can help you conquer Prance in exchange for you helping us conquer Equestria,” Hot Shot replied.

“We accept your proposal, the Hayburg Empire is at your service,” Emperor Goldhoof said.

Eric and his friends overheard them and gasped.

“We need to report this to my parents right away,” Eric said, “I don’t think we should fight these guys unless we absolutely have to.”

“Good thinking, Eric,” Nightshade replied.

They walked back towards the meeting room, but Glacio’s minions, Swift Foot, Emperor Goldhoof, and his guards heard their steps.

“Do you hear something?” Skywarp asked.

“Yes, I think we were being watched,” Thundercracker replied.

“Let’s find out who was spying on us,” Emperor Goldhoof said.

“I suspect it was Eric Sparkle and his friends,” Hot Shot replied.

They were soon behind Eric Sparkle and his friends.

“Get them!” Emperor Goldhoof ordered.

It wasn’t long before Eric and his friends ran into the meeting room. Princess Celestia was mingling with King Greenleaf and Queen Crystal Rose.

“Princess Celestia! King Greenleaf! Glacio sent his minions here to form an alliance with Emperor Goldhoof and they succeeded!” Eric said.

“Zut alors! How did they know about this?” King Greenleaf asked.

“Blueblood must’ve informed Glacio about the summit,” Celestia replied, “They must be very stealthy to bypass all the security as well.”

“Are you alright, sweetheart?” Twilight asked as she and Storm rushed over to Eric.

“I’m fine, but I think Glacio’s minions, along with Emperor Goldhoof might ruin the summit,” Eric replied.

“You want to sabotage the summit, you’ll have to go through us!” Nightshade said, facing Glacio’s minions.

“We did what we came here for, so you’re not worth our time today,” Blueblood replied, then left with Hot Shot, Skywarp, and Thundercracker.

“Mark my words, Sparkle! Equestria will fall, as Prance must!” Emperor Goldhoof added, then left with his guards.

Swift Foot stayed behind for a bit, Eric took notice of this and cautiously approached her, “Who are you?” he asked, puzzled.

“I’m Swift Foot, Princess of Thrace,” the Thracian princess replied.

“I’m Prince Eric Sparkle. Good to meet you, Princess Swift Foot,” Eric greeted.

“I’ve heard of you. My father is King Diomedes and he, my sisters, my brother, along with the rest of the Thracians are in an alliance with Prince Glacio,” Swift Foot said.

“Out of curiosity, why didn’t you try to attack me and my friends?” Eric asked.

“I mean no harm and I’m miserable back home in Thrace. My sisters and brother constantly pick on me and my father is abusive. Because of that, I seek asylum,” Swift Foot replied.

“I know how you feel, Swift Foot. Before I came to Equestria, I was abused by Mr. Horvath. He took over the orphanage I stayed at after the previous head caretakers, Ted and Lacey Marks died from a sickness called dragonpox. Those two were there for me from the start, and I became somewhat of a little brother to their sons, Jasper and Smokey. Mr. Horvath made me and the other orphans into slaves and give us beatings, I only had Jasper and Smokey to be there for me at the time,” Eric explained.

“I’m sorry to hear that. You must be so lucky to have somepony who’s nice and loving like Princess Twilight and Prince Storm as your parents,” Swift Foot said.

“Yes. They’re the best parents a boy like me could ever have. My grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins are the best as well, and I also have a baby brother named Midnight Star. Nightshade, Zuni, Marina, Holly, Slapstick, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle are the best friends a boy like me could ever have, and Sweetie Belle is also my girlfriend,” Eric replied, pointing to his friends. Nightshade and the others greeted the Thracian princess.

“You’re so lucky to have friends and family who love you, Eric. I wish I could have a friend,” Swift Foot said.

“Maybe we can help you with that,” Eric suggested.

“Thank you, Eric,” Swift Foot replied.

Eric and his friends reentered the meeting room and came in with Swift Foot.

“Everyone, we’d like you to meet Princess Swift Foot, formerly of Thrace. She told us that her kingdom is in an alliance with Glacio and she seeks asylum,” Eric said.

Swift Foot explained her situation and everyone present was taken aback by hearing about her misery.

“How would you like to live in Maretonia with us?” the duchess asked.

“I would be honored,” Swift Foot replied.

Soon after the summit was over, Eric, his family, and friends took a cab to the inn known as the Livid Dragon. Eric was looked up and down the alley in amazement. He read the sign which said ‘Magic Alley’ on it, this led him to think about Jasper and Smokey.

“I wish Jasper and Smokey were with us, they would love this place,” Eric said, muttering.

“You say something, sweetheart?” Twilight asked.

“I’m just thinking about how much Jasper and Smokey would love this place,” Eric replied.

“How so?” Twilight asked.

“If they were here, Jasper and Smokey would say this place looks familiar to them, as it would remind them of somewhere called Diagon Alley in a city known as London in my former home realm. Point of fact, their dad, Ted bought this wand in a shop at Diagon Alley known as Ollivander’s when he was eleven,” Eric explained, holding his wand.

After exploring Magic Alley, Eric, his parents, and company checked into the Livid Dragon and ate in the pub section. Once finished eating, they went into a room with two queen sized beds, then went to sleep after some reading.

Author's Note

Special thanks to my buddy GoebelTron for helping me with Twilight and Storm’s speech.