"Wahooo! Wasn't that the best party we ever hosted at Mane Melody or what girls!?"
"I'll say, I didn't think it was ever going to end, there was so many treats to chow down on, and so many ponies to hang out with."
"I wish it didn't end, it was so much fun! All the karaoke, the food, the glitter, all the friends, everypony was sparkling so much! Oh I wish I got to do another round of karaoke before the place shut."
"I think you've had more than enough karaoke tonight, Izzy."
"Yeah i'm afraid any longer and we'd be running way over intp overtime, especially since everypony has to be home early tonight."
"That's right, everypony needs to get back home early before the moon rises as part of our holiday tradition!"
It was Winter Wishday Eve in the Earth Pony town of Maretime Bay, a thin blanket of fresh snow had settled onto the ground, and the air was cold and bitter in its touch and feel. As all the shops and stalls prepared to close up for the next few days, everypony was getting ready for the big day tomorrow, Winter Wishday, a special day of exchanging gifts, cards, blessings and more to friends, family and other ponies in Equestria.
Tonight however, was just as special for the ponies of Maretime Bay, especially for the resident hero Sunny Starscout, for you see, there is an old mare's tale that states that on the night of Wishday Eve, every few years or more, a bright full moon tinted an ice cold blue would rise up, known as the Winter's Blue Moon, a mystical and beautiful sight to behold, it is said to symbolize the beauty of Winter, or in a hoofful of much older texts, a tribute to the legendary Princess of the Night herself.
That being said, it has been many years since the last Winter's Blue Moon had risen in the sky on Winter's Wishday Eve, even Sunny's father Argyle had only seen it once when he was a young colt, and had passed down the tale of it to Sunny as one of his many bedtime stories to her. Sunny, however, was confident that tonight was the night, and that the very moon she had heard so much about in her youth would finally rise up in the night sky, with the unification of the pony tribes happening for the first time in centuries, it was the perfect time for it to happen.
"So Sunny, do you really think it'll happen tonight?" Asked Hitch.
"Do I believe it will happen? Hitch, I know for a fact it's going to happen! After all that has happened this year, it's the perfect opportunity for it!" Said Sunny in excitement.
"I've never seen you this excited about something for a while, Sunny, is anything up?" Asked Zipp curiously.
"Me too, is there something special happening tonight?" Said Pipp joining in.
"Ohh Ohh! I bet it's something super special, right Sunny?" Said Izzy, hopping with excitement.
Sunny stopped walking and turned to look at her friends with a large grin on her face, "Oh, you better believe it's something special! For you see everypony, tonight, we will see the Winter's Blue Moon rise in the sky!"
"The Winter's Blue Moon? I've never heard of that before." Said Zipp.
"Me either, what is it?" Asked Pipp.
"Well you see girls, according to the old texts that were passed down to me, every now and then on Winter's Wishday Eve, there is a big full blue moon that rises up in the night sky, this is known to us here in Maretime Bay as the Winter's Blue Moon, it is said to be one of the most beautiful and stirring sights that you've ever see anywhere in Equestria! Although it hasn't been seen for a long time now, I am confident that it will finally rise tonight!" Said Sunny excitedly.
Izzy let out a gasp and hopped right up to Sunny's face, "No way! That sounds so cool! Does it shine like glitter!? Or maybe it glows like our own magic does! When does it rise up sunny, when will we see it!!?"
"Calm down Izzy calm down." Laughed Hitch as he spoke up, "There will be plenty of time to see it once we get to the Brighthouse."
"Hold on, you said that it rises every few years or so, and you mentioned that it hasn't risen for a long time?" Asked Zipp.
"That's right, the last time it was seen was when my father was a colt, he told me all about it when I was young, it's been one of my lifelong wishes to finally see it for myself." Said Sunny, gazing over to the horizon with a sigh.
"And you are sure that it will rise up tonight in the night sky?" Said Zipp, joining her.
"I am sure it will, with the recent unity of all the pony tribes in Equestria, along with all ponies now being able to use their own forms of magic, I feel that it is the perfect time for it to appear." Said Sunny, still gazing.
"That is true, it has been one crazy year for us all, from moving out of Zephyr Heights to Maretime Bay, opening up my new business at Mane Melody, and dealing with various disasters going on too, it's been one hay of a ride." Said Pipp, still browsing her phone.
"Oh and don't forget saving me and all the Unicorns of Bridlewood from that vile villain a while back too, that was a crazy adventure and a half!" Said Izzy who joined in.
"Hehe, yeah, I'm glad that case is over and done with." Said Hitch, rubbing the back of his head.
Sunny let out another sigh, "It's certainly been an unforgettable year for all of us, so much has happened, so many changes... Exciting, and also uncertain.... Who knows what lays ahead of us as we go into a new year."
"Yeah, who knows what awaits us next." Said Hitch thoughtfully.
The Mane Five all continued to gaze up at the horizon, deep in thought about all that has happened this year, and the future that awaits them. They didn't remain deep in thought for long however, for after a few minutes a faint glow of moonlight began to peep up above the distant cloud banks, this made Sunny grow more and more excited, and eager to get back home fast.
"Ohhh! We'd better get a move on back to the Brighthouse everypony, the moon will be rising up soon!" Said Sunny excitedly.
"Yeah, we can all watch the moon rise together while we celebrate!" Said Hitch eagerly.
"I'm game for that, i'd love to see how the 'Winter's Blue Moon' looks myself." Said Zipp smirking.
"Me too, i've so got to stream it for all my Pippsqueaks on Ponygram, they'll be so totally in awe of it!" Said Pipp, putting her phone away.
"Me three, I wanna see how sparkly and wonderful it looks!" Said Izzy, hopping on the spot excitedly.
"Alright then everypony, let's get going!" Said Sunny, as she galloped off along the road.
The rest of the ponies followed Sunny in galloping out of town and up the steep hill towards their shared home at the Brighthouse, the cold weather had made the path a little more treacherous than it was normally, but before long they had arrived and went right inside to get to work on their plans for the night. The Mane Five were soon busy with preparations for the night, Hitch was busy tidying up the stay litter, magazines and other bits of debris on the floor, Pipp and Zipp were working together to set up the media for the night, a mix of karaoke and video games, while Izzy was in her usual workshop in the corner crafting decorations and more to hang up around the lounge. As for Sunny, she was kept busy cooking up some soup for everypony, a simple broth with sweet potatoes, roasted bell peppers with smoked paprika for an added kick, Sunny took a good whiff of the brew, licking her lips from how good it smelled.
"Hey that smells so good Sunny, whatcha cooking over there?" Izzy called out.
"It's a recipe my dad passed down to me, we used to cook it every winter to help us keep warm, I loved it so much, and I hope everypony will love it too." Said Sunny, giving the soup a stir.
"I know I will be, it's making me hungry just smelling it from here." Said Hitch who was setting out the table.
"Hehe, always with a big appetite aye Hitch?" Chuckled Sunny.
The two Pegasus sisters had been overhearing the conversation going on, and when Zipp learned what was being cooked, she let out a groan.
"Soup? Ugghh..." Groaned Zipp.
"Hey now, come on sis, don't knock it until you've tried it." Said Pipp, raising her eyebrow.
"I know Pipp I know, but you know that i've never been the biggest lover of soup." Said Zipp bluntly.
"I know that sis, but still, you need to give it a try, even if it's just one bowl of it." Said Pipp, who got up into her sister's face crossly.
Zipp, who didn't like ponies invading her personal space so closely, backed away a little, "But what I end up not liking it? I don't want to let Sunny feel bad from me telling her I didn't like it..."
"Just try to eat as much as you can, pretty please, for Sunny's sake?" Asked Pipp, giving her the puppy dog eyes.
Zipp just rolled her eyes, but she then noticed Sunny was looking straight in their direction with a puzzling look on her face. Letting out a sigh, and not wanting to be rude, Zipp reluctantly agreed to giving Sunny's meal a try, much to Pipp's joy and amusement, then the two Pegasus Princesses carried on setting up the media for the evening. Meanwhile, Hitch, having finished setting out the table for the meal, went over to see what Izzy was up to in her corner.
"Hey Izz, how are the decorations coming along?" Asked Hitch.
"They're coming together so good, have a looksie here Hitchio!" Said Izzy, pointing it out with her hoof.
Hitch saw that Izzy had not only made the usual holly decorations that were typical of the year, but had also made unicycled paper chains made of different coloured paper, but most of all, there was all the hanging decorations cut to look like ponies, funny enough, they looked a lot like Sunny and her friends.
"Hey these decorations here look like us Izzy, is that intentional?" Asked Hitch.
"Haha, yeah! I mean, since this is my first Winter Wishyhoof here in Maretime with my best friends, I figured for this very special occasion that I make decorations designed after us to celebrate it!" Said Izzy excitedly.
"Oh that's, well that's really nice of you to do that for us Izzy." Said Hitch smiling.
"Of course, anything for my fellow friends on land and in the sky." Said Izzy returning the smile.
However, Hitch noticed something that made his smile slip away, "Izzy, please tell me, why is my decoration wearing my sheriffs hat?"
"Oh well, I think you look good wearing that hat, it really suits you Hitch, you know, being a cowpony cop and all that around Maretime Bay." Said Izzy.
Hitch facehoofed himself, "Izzy, i've told you this before, that's not what a sheriff is in law enforcement, we're not cowponies or ranchers with authority, we're not some lone star's going round asserting our justice everywhere we want just because we're the law."
"Funny you say that Hitch, didn't you do exactly that a while ago when Earth Pony magic was going all wack around town and you asserted your 'cowpony' authority to ban the use of it?" Zipp called out.
"T-T-that- hey!" Shouted Hitch.
The rest of the ponies around the room chuckled out loud, much to Hitch's bemusement, he let out a huff and went back to admiring Izzy's other decorations including a big blue moon looking one that piped his interest.
"Say, this one here stands out Izz, what is it for?" Asked Hitch.
"Oh that one I made just now is super special, it's for when the Winter's Blue Moon rises up in the sky. I plan on hanging this up to mark the occasion." Said Izzy, her eyes gleaming at it.
"I hope we get to see it tonight, Sunny has said so much about it to me over the years, let's hope tonight will be the night." Said Hitch, gazing up at the upper window in thought.
He didn't have long to think, for Sunny soon called out that the food was ready to be served.
"Alright everypony, the food is ready!" Called Sunny as she gently lifted the soup pot off of the stove and onto the table.
The other ponies all finished what they were doing and moved to the table, taking their respective seats. Sunny then went around dishing up the soup for her friends, as well as placing a plate of sliced bread on the table for her friends to dip into the soup or to snack on.
"Ohhh it smells even better right up here on the table!" Said Izzy excitedly.
"I agree, it smells diviiiiiine, I can't wait to taste it!" Said Pipp, reaching over for some bread.
"Heh, it does smell pretty good I have to admit." Said Zipp, smelling the soup before her."
"Well what are we waiting for? Let's dig in everpony!" Said Hitch.
The ponies all took their first sips of the soup Sunny had cooked for them, all of them had varying reactions towards it. Hitch seemed to love it, and was eagerly sipping it up, Izzy seemed to sampling it in her mouth, before going for another try, Pipp meanwhile seemed to be in love with it, she was sipping it happily and dipping bread into it too. Zipp however, seemed to still be sampling it in her mouth still, leaving Sunny wondering if she liked it at all or not.
"Well Zipp, how is it?" Sunny asked directly.
Zipp finally swallowed it, then looked at Sunny giving a warm smile.
"I like it, this is pretty good actually." Said Zipp, as she carried on eating.
"I'm glad to hear that Zipp, I don't know what they serve over at Zephyr Heights around this time of year, but I hoped this would suffice just as well." Said Sunny.
"Well, for Wishentine we usually just have a big royal feast, right after hosting the royal concert for the evening." Said Zipp, dipping some bread into the soup.
"Oh that's right, you mentioned that the other day, is this like the concert you hosted the first time we all met?" Asked Sunny.
"Oh no no no, this one is way different, it involves both me and Pipp singing and flying together, we called it Joyeous Wishentine, our mother makes us practice it every year to make sure we carry on the tradition, isn't that right sis?" Asked Zipp to her sister beside her.
Pipp didn't reply, her face was red and scrunched up, she reached over to grab some water and drank down the whole glass in one go.
"Whoa! I never took you to be this much of a glutton sis." Said Zipp chuckling.
Pipp looked at her with a glare, then stuck her tongue out trying to breath.
"I think Pipp isn't used to the spice of the paprika Sunny used for this soup." Said Hitch with a laugh.
Pipp looked over at them wide eyed, her tongue still hanging out.
"Issh that whut that wass? Uggh, you coold've warrned me!" Said Pipp with her tongue hanging out.
Sunny giggled, "I always use extra spicy smoked paprika for this soup, but I think I may have added in a little too much this time."
"A little too much!?" Said Pipp in disbelief, pouring some more water for her to drink.
"I can't get enough of it, i've never had this sort of spice before, it tastes and burns so good." Said Izzy, who proceeded to pick up the soup bowl in her hooves, and proceeded to drink the rest of it all down.
"Haha, I think you have a new fan of your soup Sunny." Said Hitch smiling.
"Well if anypony wants seconds there is still plenty left in the soup pot." Said Sunny, who realized she hadn't even started on her food.
"I think I'll be good after this bowl." Said Zipp, nomming on some bread.
"I'll probably have another one, now that I know there is a spice in this soup." Said Pipp, who was now sipping it slowly.
"I can easily go for seconds, maybe even thirds." Said Hitch eagerly.
"I could probably devour the whole pot in one go." Said Izzy, reaching over to the soup pot.
"Is that a challenge, Miss Moonbow?" Said Hitch with a raised eyebrow.
Izzy looked over at Hitch with a determined face, "Only if you accept it, Sheriff Trailblazer."
"You're on Unicorn!" Shouted Hitch.
Hitch and Izzy then scooped up more soup into their bowls and began eating rapidly in a contest to best the other, while the rest of the ponies laughed and cheered them on. Soon, the two of them together had devoured the whole lot of soup completely, and despite Izzy's best efforts to eat it all, there was no beating Hitch and his big appetite.
"Not bad Hitch, you managed to gorge five whole bowls of the soup I made, compared to the four Izzy chowed down." Said Sunny smiling.
"I'll say, colour me impressed." Said Zipp smirking.
"Heh, well I didn't win the Maretime Bay food eating contests for nothing you know, working hard as the sheriff can work up a mighty appetite." Said Hitch with a boast.
*BUUUUUUURRRRPP*
Izzy had let out a hearty burp from all the eating she had done, the other ponies all laughed, apart from Pipp who having been in the way of the spicy smelling gas, excused herself to wash up in the bathroom.
"That was fun Hitch, we should try that again sometime soon." Said Izzy with a big smile.
"Hahaha, I'll be sure to take you up on that offer Izzy, and you too Zipp if you're game." Said Hitch.
Zipp however rubbed the back of her head with a hoof, "Umm actually, I ain't that much of a big eater Hitch, you'd beat me too easily if we squared off. Now my sister on the other hoof is a different story, she can be a real glutton when it comes to snacking and gorging on royal feasts, I swear she could out eat half the city if she could."
"I heard that you know!" Called Pipp from the bathroom.
Zipp just chuckled, then got up to get the media for the night started up, while Hitch helped Sunny clean up the table.
"You know, it's nice that we have more ponies with us this year for Wishday Eve, compared to before." Said Hitch carrying the empty soup pot to the sink.
"Yeah... Before that it was usually just the two of us most of the time, none of the other ponies in town wanted to hang out here at this time of year, other than Sprout and Dahlia every now and then." Said Sunny washing up the soup bowls.
"Yes I remember, I remember last years Wishday Eve when you were were really down after no pony wanted to hang out with you that night, and I almost didn't make it due to unexpected overtime at the station, I had never seen you so lonely and upset before." Said Hitch somberly.
Sunny shut her eyes and let out a quiet sigh, last year was a miserable Wishday Eve for her emotionally, she didn't want to remember all of the details of it, but not having any real friends other than Hitch to hang out with really got to her.
"But even then, I helped you make the most of it by playing some games, reading old books, and stargazing up at the sky with you." Said Hitch, helping her wash up.
Sunny smiled a little, Hitch really did help her feel better.
"And now, with all the pony tribes united again across Equestria, we have a chance to make new memories happen with our fellow pony friends in the Brighthouse, as you said, this will be one evening we won't be forgetting anytime soon." Said Hitch.
Sunny looked at Hitch and smiled brightly, "You're right, this year will be special, since not only will we be celebrating our holiday, but also the holidays of other ponies too, this will be one year we will not be forgetting ever."
Hitch smiled with a nod of his head, the two had just finished the washing up when Zipp called out from the lounge.
"Hey everypony, we're all ready to go over here." Said Zipp.
"We're just coming Zipp." Called Sunny as she dried up her hooves, then moved over to the lounge with Hitch.
"So what are we doing first then, are we playing games, watching a movie, oh oh, maybe some home karaoke???" Asked Izzy laying on her makeshift chair.
"Weeeeell, me and Pipp decided to start off with some games, she plans to host some karaoke later on afterwards, then we'll finish off with a movie that we picked tonight."
"Ohhh games! What games are we playing, is it something like Pop-up the Unicorn, or maybe some Hoof ball?" Said Izzy excitedly.
"Umm, actually Izzy we're gonna be playing 'video' games on this here console." Said Pipp pointing it out.
"Ohhh, is it like a tv kinda game where you interact with it using this doodad?" Said Izzy curiously, pointing out the controller.
"Errrfm, sort of, you'll see when we power it up and get it started." Said Zipp, moving to the console and turning it on.
"Have you never seen a video game console before Izzy?" Asked Hitch.
"Nope, never seen one before this, in fact there are many things that me and the other Unicorns haven't seen before." Said Izzy.
"Oh is that right? Can you tell us what is new for you?" Asked Sunny, her curiosity pipped.
"Well let's see, apart from that video game thingy, these phones are new to me still, along with blow torches, refrigerators, water boilers, oh and that elevator that goes up to the higher levels." Explained Izzy.
"H-huh? You mean you've never had refrigerators and water boilers in Bridlewood Izzy?" Asked Pipp in surprise.
"Nope, we've always had to heat up our water by using fires, which we make by rubbing our horns together to make sparks happen, and as for food well, we just stored it in our cupboards instead."
"That's interesting, heating up water the old fashioned way, never knew Unicorns doing that." Said Sunny with intrigue.
"Sometimes however, we'd have to unicycle all of our water supplies so that other Unicorns can use it too when there is an ongoing drought, happening in the woods, all of it gets drained out into a barrel and passed along to the next one waiting in their bathtub, sometimes even to be used to boil tea or to drink. I always remembered some weird smells from the water sometimes, mostly the smell of flower petals, other ponies, and other exotic 'smells' that I can't quite place." Said Izzy innocently.
The other ponies all stared at Izzy, they had different reactions on their faces from the revelation, and the implications they figured out in their heads. Zipp just rolled her eyes, but was holding a hoof to hide her giggling, Hitch and Sunny both looked dumbfounded, but Pipp had wide eyes of horror on her face, she then felt herself gagging, and flew off towards the bathroom once again.
"Was it something I said?" Asked Izzy in confusion.
"Hehehe, don't worry about it Izzy, she probably put two and two together in her head and had a bad mental image." Said Zipp grinning.
There was a sound of throwing up coming from the bathroom, much to Sunny's concern.
"I'd better go check on her, you ponies get everything set up." Said Sunny as went to the bathroom to check on Pipp.
"Oh that's right, what game are we going to be playing anyway?" Asked Hitch, eager to move on from the subject.
"Well, I was thinking we can try the latest release of the Filly Fun Party Pack, a bunch of party games all in one pack." Said Zipp as she booted up the console.
"Ohhh party games, now that is my jam!" Said Izzy in excitement.
"Heh, if these games are in any way competitive then that's right up my alley." Said Hitch with a smirk.
"You'd better watch yourself Hitch, me and Pipp get very competitive when it comes to these games." Said Zipp confidently.
"Is that right? Well then, count me in." Said Hitch, not backing down.
"Me too, I love some good competitive fun too." Said Izzy, showing determination.
"Then the game is on, remember that I won last time Zipp." Said Pipp, returning from the bathroom.
"Only because your Pippsqueaks rigged the audience vote against me." Said Zipp with a frown.
"It's not my fault that I have a following and you don't, you could've allowed the Zippsters to be a thing sis, but noooope, as a result you only got a hoofful of votes." Said Pipp, checking her phone out.
Zipps only response was to pout and huff loudly.
"Wait these games have audience functions? Hoo boy, this might get crazy." Said Hitch.
"Ohhh I love me some craziness, makes things much more spicy and fun." Said Izzy with a devilish grin.
"Then what are we waiting for, let's get our game on everypony!" Shouted Sunny.
A few hours had passed since the Mane Five started playing games together on the console as they waited for the moon to rise up, however, in their excitement to play games, they had lost track of time, and they had little idea that the full moon had already risen into the night sky some time ago, though obscured by mists of clouds. As for the games themselves, they turned out to be much more competitive than they had anticipated, they ended up playing multiple rounds in different games, usually with the five trading wins and losses with each other, along with mostly playful banter, but there were also some heated moments and accusations of back stabbing and lying, something that bothered Sunny Starscout.
"I don't believe it! How the hay do you manage to steal that round from underneath my hoof!?" Hitch shouted at Pipp.
"Hey, it's not my fault that I know general knowledge from all my social media browsing, comes in handy you know!" Snorted Pipp.
"That's so unfair, I thought I had that one in the bag." Said Hitch grumpily.
"Chin up you fillies, we still got the final round to get through, this will decide it all!" Shouted Zipp.
"What!? Nopony calls me a filly and runs away with it." Said Hitch, getting his game face on.
"Ermm yeah, let's get this over with." Said Sunny nervously.
"My horn is on fire, and ready to strike!" Said Izzy intensely.
The final round of the game loaded up, and it showed the final question, with multiple choice answers, however, the question itself surprised the ponies.
"W-w-what!? What is this? 'What is the ancestral home of the Pegasus Ponies?', is this a trick question!?" Said Hitch.
"Ooof, this one is tough..." Said Pipp, trying to think which answer is correct.
"Interesting..." Said Zipp thoughtfully.
The ponies all inputted their answers, but when then answers were revealed to them, they were surprised to find that they had all got it wrong.
"W-what... the right answer was Pegasopolis!? What the hay, there aren't even videos online about it, much less any mention of it in the history books!" Said Pipp in exasperation.
"Huh... so that legend was true after all." Said Zipp in a rare loss for words.
"That's so interesting, something new about Pegasus Ponies I never knew about, so cool!" Said Sunny excitedly.
"Bah, it doesn't matter, none of us got it right, and we all lost to Pipp again." Said Hitch with a huff.
"Actually sheriff, the winner of this game is actually Sunny, she managed to get more answers correct then the rest of us." Said Zipp, pointing it out with her hoof.
Hitch looked up and saw she was right, "Ohhh... how did you do that Sunny, was it just lucky guesses or what?" Asked Hitch.
"Oh umm, well you know me Hitch, i'm a sucker for learning and reading, plus being a store owner you tend to pick up a few things serving customers and the knowledge they sometimes share with you." Said Sunny with a small smile.
"Huh, that's kinda neat, our Sunny is a closet bookhorse." Said Zipp smirking, though clearly she was being playful.
"N-n-no i'm not! I just love to learn, that's all." Sunny said waving her hooves in panic.
"Alright, next time you have got to tell me what you read Sunny, you must have some good choices to be such a book smarts." Said Pipp eagerly.
"Hiiiiitch, help me!" Said Sunny.
"Alright alright, I think that's enough general knowledge quizzing for one night, why don't we try playing another game instead, there must be one we haven't tried out yet." Said Hitch, browsing the menu.
"Oh there is that one game that Izzy was really curious about, it involved trying to defuse a bomb by correctly guessing what is the right answer."
"Ohh that one sounds devious, shall we play that one Izzy? Umm Izzy?" Asked Hitch, looking over at Izzy's chair.
But they all saw that Izzy wasn't in her seat next to Sunny anymore, instead she was over on the other side of the building, looking up at the open window above her.
"Izzy? What's up, did you hear something outside?" Asked Zipp.
"It's not that thief who tried to steal the Prisbeam Lantern again is it?" Said Sunny, worried about her prized possession.
Izzy however said nothing, she just stared up at the open window in a sort of trance. A faint pale light was coming through the window, illuminating Izzy's hair and face, it was then that Sunny suddenly remembered about the Moon tonight, which she had nearly forgotten all about while playing games.
"Ohhh shoot! I can't believe I nearly forgot all about it, the Moon, the Winter's Blue Moon! It should have risen up into the sky by now!" Shouted Sunny leaping out of her chair.
"Oh that's right, we'd better get moving right away, I don't wanna miss it!" Said Hitch, following her.
"Let's head up to the Brighthouse balcony using the elevator to get the best look at it." Said Sunny, heading over to the elevator.
The doors to the elevator opened up, showing the lift that goes up through the Prisbeam light, straight to the top floor of the Brighthouse where the Unity Crystals, the source of magic for all of Equestria lay safely.
"Are you coming Izzy?" Asked Sunny.
"Ahhh! Oh umm, sorry! I was just mesmerized by the moonlight coming in." Said Izzy as she galloped into the elevator.
Sunny then pushed the button again, and the lift went up, straight up to the top floor of the Brighthouse, as soon as it reached said floor, the Mane Five then walked out onto the upper balcony to witness the very thing that Sunny had been looking forward to all evening. As they all took steps out of the elevator and onto the balcony, they briefly took in the view the had over Maretime Bay from up there, then one by one they all looked up into the night sky to gaze at the stars.
And that's when it happened, for up in that very same night sky, shining brightly in an icy blue glow, was the very thing that Sunny had been waiting to see for a long time, the same thing her father once saw in his youth, the Winter's Blue Moon in all of it's glory.
"Ohhh, my, gosh!! Look at that, look at that everypony!" Shouted Pipp in excitement, flying up to get a better look.
"It's... it's so beautiful, and so big, and sooo pretty!" Gasped Izzy, her eyes gleaming.
"Wow, so that is the Winter's Blue Moon... that is quite the magical sight... isn't that right Zipp? Said Hitch in awe.
"Y-yeah... I didn't expect it to be so... so beautiful, and majestic." Said Zipp, taken aback by the sight.
The Mane Five were all in awe at the display of the Winter's Blue Moon, it's soft pale blue light illuminating everything around it, such a sight had never been seen in Maretime Bay in modern times before, and for Sunny Starscout, it was a very emotional moment for her.
"This, this is what i've been waiting for... for so long... after all these years... finally, it's finally here." Said Sunny emotionally.
Hitch and the others all comforted Sunny, who was feeling overwhelmed by the sight before her, but she also felt happiness, relief, and a sense of fulfilment.
"I know you've been waiting for this moment for a long time Sunny." Said Hitch comforting her.
"Yes Hitch... words alone cannot describe how I am feeling inside right now... except happiness, and joy." Said Sunny, closing her eyes as tears of happiness streamed down her face.
Izzy patted her friend on the back, "I'm happy that you are happy Sunny, this has turned out to be so much better than even I could've imagined."
"Izzy's right, this is something straight out of the books, it's hard to believe that it's real, and right before us." Said Zipp, her voice cracking from trying to hold back her own tears.
"Hey there Pippsqueaks, check out this amazing sight outside right now! It's the Winter's Blue Moon everypony! Take a look outside your windows and balcony for an unforgettable sight tonight!" Said Pipp to her phone, most likely a broadcast to her Fillychat account.
"I need to save some pictures of this, we might never get to see this again in our lifetime." Said Zipp, taking said picture using her camera.
"It's too bad lil ol' Sparky is asleep, he'd have loved to see this sight." Said Hitch, also taking a picture.
"I wonder if everypony else in Maretime Bay is also seeing this sight as well." Wondered Sunny.
"Oh they most certainly are Sunny, check it out on my phone right now!" Said Pipp excitedly, showing it.
Sunny and rest of the Mane Five were amazed, there were so many posts on Fillychat and other websites coming in about the moon tonight from as far away as Zephyr Heights and Bridlewood and beyond. Ponies from all over Equestria were celebrating the Winter's Blue Moon, that fact alone made Sunny feel proud inside, now the pony races had another thing they could all share in.
"This couldn't have gone any better, it's just so overwhelming, and amazing, and just so... so, so haying awesome!" Said Sunny loudly, shedding more tears of happiness.
Her friends agreed with that sentiment, as they continued to look up at the moon together in a group bond, basking in the cold moonlight around them. They didn't know how long they stared up at it, but it seems to have been a little while as they began to feel cold from the clear air outside.
"Brrr, it's starting to get a little chilly out here, I think that we should head on inside now, it's been amazing to see this sight, but we've still got some things to do tonight." Said Pipp, heading towards the elevator.
"Yeah, I still need to finish my Winter's Moon decoration, I want to have it hanging up before the clock hits midnight." Said Izzy as she hopped over to the elevator.
"I'm still down to playing some more games before bedtime" Said Zipp trotting over to them.
"Hmm, but Zipp, they'll be occupying the tv for the karaoke all night, there'll be no chance for more games." Said Hitch dismissively.
"Heh heh, what if I told you that the console we have can be played portably?" Said Zipp with a smirk.
"What? No fooling!?" Asked Hitch in surprise.
"No fooling, come on i'll show you." Said Zipp, gesturing to the elevator.
Hitch followed after her, but stopped to look back at Sunny, "Hey Sunny, are you coming with us?"
Sunny hadn't moved from her spot on the balcony, she was still gazing up at the Winter's Blue Moon in awe.
"Sunny, are you okay?" Asked Zipp.
"Oh I'm fine friends, I'll be down in just a bit, I just want to look at the moon for a little longer." Said Sunny to her friends behind her.
Hitch and Zipp understood, they gave her a nod and walked back to the elevator to join the others as the lift descended down back into the Brighthouse proper, leaving Sunny alone to herself. Letting out a deep sigh, she took out a picture from her satchel, it was an old picture of her and her late father Argyle Starshine which was taken when she was a filly.
"Father... I wish you could've seen this tonight..." Said Sunny, looking at the picture.
Sunny missed her father deeply, he was her biggest supporter, her source of strength as a filly, and the only family she had ever known since her mother's disappearance. Despite her fathers passing, she had never forgotten how much of an impact he had left on her, through his bedtime stories about Ancient Equestria, the legends of the world around them, as well as the time when all of the different kinds of ponies lived together.
"Dad, you told me all about the Winter's Blue Moon back when I was young... telling me how beautiful and amazing the sight was to you, and the hope that I would get to see it myself someday..." Said Sunny somberly.
Sunny clutched the picture against her chest as tears poured down her cheeks once more, it was a promise she had kept to herself for so long, now it has finally been fulfilled, as she had dearly hoped it would.
"If you could see this sight right now Dad... you'd be so happy..." Said Sunny to herself.
Sunny looked up at the Winter's Blue Moon once again, she couldn't get enough of the sight of it, she felt there was something special about it raising on this night, not just to furfil her promise to her late father, but also because of the events that happened this year. It was of course this year that all of the pony tribes had finally reunified together after being apart for so long. It couldn't have happened if it hadn't been for Sunny's efforts to convince the other tribes to join together instead of being torn apart by superstition and mistrust, symbolised by the Unity Crystals being one again.
"I hope with Winter Wishday starting tomorrow, we can make everyponies day special all across Equestria." Said Sunny soulfully.
Sunny then heard a call from down the elevator shaft, "Hey Sunny, there is a news report on about the moon tonight! Do you wanna join in to watch it?"
"Sure, I'll be down in a minute!" Sunny called back, gazing up at the moon one last time, thinking about her father.
Letting off a sigh of content and fulfilment, Sunny turned around and headed to the elevator, she was about to press the button to make it go down into the Brighthouse proper when she sensed something, something unfamiliar, and yet familiar, she stuck her head out of the entrance and took a look around the balcony outside.
"Huh? That's strange... I thought I felt a presence, an unusually similar one too." Said Sunny, as she looked around again.
But there didn't seem to be any disturbance in sight, nothing standing out at all, and after a few moments Sunny shook her head and pressed the button to the elevator, descending down into the Brighthouse to join her friends for the rest of the night. However, unknown to Sunny yet still sensed by her to some extent, a hidden figure perched on a cloud high above the Brighthouse silently watched on, gazing down with it's silver blue eyes.
"So, she is the one who has united the Unity Crystals, and restored magic to all of Equestria. After all this time, there was still one who held onto the hope of harmony and friendship, the foundations of all ponykind, once thought lost to the wind and dust of time."
The figure looked around at the surroundings, then looked at the Brighthouse again.
"There is still a long way to go, there is still much that she and her friends don't know, that... and I can feel her presence once again, that burning shadow lurking far away, yet always watching, waiting..."
The figure looked over at the town below, overhearing the distant sounds of joy, then gazed up at the Winter's Blue Moon itself.
"This moon is a good omen, a bright sign that the best is yet to come, no matter how dark things get, there will always be a bright light to guide everypony back home."
As the figure gazed up at the moon, a sadness suddenly grips them, memories of a long distant past flooding in, some happy, but others dark and somber, including one of a tall shining structure with a figure of a pony in the, letting out a few tears, the figure composed themselves, standing up straight again.
"Though I have a desire to one day introduce myself to them all, I fear it is not time yet for that to pass, no, not quite yet."
The figure then spread it's large wings out and took off into the sky, gazing back at the Brighthouse one more time, before flying off into the unknown, sadness in their eyes.
"I'm sorry Heart, I know what you wish of me, but I can't... it's not my time."
The figure then disappeared into the darkness of the night, leaving a small trail of tears behind them. It was clear that the figure harboured a deep love for Equestria and it's ponies, and yet they was reluctant to be part of it at present, why they choose that path was unclear at present, but perhaps in time, the answer shall slowly be revealed.
For now, the Winter's Blue Moon continued to shine brightly in the night sky, it's cold yet beautiful light reaching out to everypony across all of Equestria, an unforgettable sight that will be passed on for generations to come.
THE END
Author's Note
Holy fudge, this story has taken much longer to complete then I originally planned, but i'm glad to have finally finished it before the end of Winter, but if this hasn't been a rather stressful experience.
A little backstory, I originally planned on doing a completely different story instead of this one since Autumn of last year, it was going to be about the Windigos and how they first came about for the pony tribes. However, the structure proved too difficult to put together, and eventually I decided to scrap the whole thing and started again from scratch with a new story set in G5, and the result was the story we have right now. I also originally planned on having the Winter's Blue Moon not there originally, and only coming about when the mystery figure used their magic to make it appear, but I felt that would've been too mean spirited to do, so I settled on having it be real from the start, and allowing Sunny to have her emotional moment.
I hope to do more shorter stories like this sometime, but for now I need to get back into writing my main story at this time, being The Curious Case of Vanishing Unicorns.
