The Swarm

by TheKing2001

Chapters

This is the worst thing to ever happen
Next
Being sick sucks
This was the dumbest fight ever
That was surprisingly easy
What in Equestria is a parasprite
Well, that happened
Infestation
Never doubt Pinkie Pie
That was the worst day of my life
No letter this time

This is the worst thing to ever happen

Mayor Mare propped her head up and briefly adjusted her glasses as she glanced at the unicorn spinning around in a chair in front of her.

“Are you having fun over there?” Mayor Mare asked dryly and Trixie nodded with a smug grin. “Well, I hate to interrupt, but I’m a busy mare. What can I do for you?”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie requires a permit to set up a stage downtown. Your office is in charge of such things, unfortunately.”

“Unfortunately?” Mayor Mare echoed in confusion and Trixie gave a noncommittal grunt.

“Trixie doesn’t trust politician’s. They lie and don’t care about the public. They only care about lining their own pockets with bits at our expense. Now can she get her permit?”

“I suppose. Why don’t you ask Sunset? She usually goes over my head anyway,” Mayor Mare crossed her forelegs and Trixie paused for a moment.

“Sunset is sick with the flu so she’s closed for a few days. And she sent Trixie here. Trixie will take her permit. She already has her supplies and crews of ponies ready to work. It’ll be a big thing. More ponies to visit Ponyville,” Trixie waved her forelegs around and Mayor Mare immediately saw bits.

“I’m in. Let me get you the paperwork and we can get to work, shall we?” Mayor Mare asked cheerfully.

“Sure.”

“Ah, ah- achoo!” Sunset sneezed into a paper towel and shuddered, curling into a ball under her blankets as Derpy stuck a thermometer into her mouth.

“Bless you. One hundred and five degrees,” Derpy read aloud as she gave Sunset a concerned look. “Are you cold?”

“Very. Everything hurts,” Sunset moaned and wiped her nose with a tissue, blowing into it. “Aughhhhhhh.”

“I’ll bring you medicine. You’re staying in bed young lady,” Derpy insisted and Sunset groaned as a letter teleported above them and dropped onto Sunset’s lap.

“Dear Sunset Shimmer, I’m doing my annual visits of Equestrian cities and Ponyville is on the top of the list this year. Please be prepared for my visit. I will be here at the end of the week. With love, Celestia,” Sunset read aloud and groaned again as she sat up.

“Just what are you doing?” Derpy demanded and Sunset waggled the letter around.

“You heard me read the letter. I have to go prepare. This is the worst thing to ever happen,” Sunset coughed and her legs swayed.

“Not happening. You’re too sick. Get back in the bed,” Derpy ordered and Sunset gazed longingly at her bed. “Myself and the other five will get Ponyville set up for her visit. You rest and I won’t take no for an answer.”

“Okay,” Sunset relented and plopped back down on her bed, shivering as she pulled her blankets on top of her and Derpy draped a fourth one over her.

Derpy had expected more of a fight from Sunset if she was being honest. She guessed Sunset was feeling more under the weather than she was letting on.

“One of us will check on you each day. I’ll let Redheart know as well. Feel better Sunset. I love you,” Derpy nuzzled Sunset’s cheek as the unicorn gave a snore and Derpy smiled faintly. “Sleep well.”

Sunset gave a whinny in response and Derpy stifled a laugh.

“Princess Celestia is coming here?” Roseluck echoed and Derpy nodded. The four plus Derpy sat in her living room, Trixie laying on the hard wood floor lazily munching on peanut butter crackers. “Thought she would never come back after what happened the last time she was here.”

The five shuddered at the memories of the Summer Sun Celebration. But they did have a few good ones.

“But on the upside, we all became friends and better ponies because of it,” Derpy commented and wrapped a wing around Roseluck and Silverspeed with a smile.

“So what do we need?” Shoeshine asked and Derpy laid the letter Celestia had sent. “Okay, I gotcha. We should get a big banner saying Welcome Princess Celestia. I’ll get Berry and Golden on it. The kids could have some fun with it.”

“Aren’t they still grounded?” Silverspeed pointed out. Silver Spoon was still and Silverspeed didn’t plan on ending her grounding until two more months. At least.

“Well, yeah but even those two know how important a visit from the Princess is. They’ll let em help. We can always get the other town folk to help. Get the pegasi to make it a sunny day for the rest of the week.”

“The farmers will never go for that,” Roseluck shook her head and stretched out her legs. “Not even I will. This is our livelihood. Just a few days without rain will harm our crops and businesses. I refuse to be a part of that.”

“Well, we gotta come up with something,” Trixie cut in and they all looked at her. “Sunset is counting on us. I’m not interested in letting her down.”

“Give em something they want. Everypony wants something,” Silverspeed chimed in and shrugged. “I mean everypony. I think it’s best if Roseluck talks to the farmers. They might receive it better if it’s coming from us.”

“Hell no. I’m not going to destroy my fellow farmer ponies lives for a simple visit. Two of which, mind you, are your friends,” Roseluck shot back and stood up. “You go tell their kids why they are having bit issues. I refuse to be a part of this in any way.”

Roseluck stood up and trotted to the door, nudging Silverspeed out of the way with a scowl as she opened the door and left, slamming it behind her.

“They want us to what?” Strawberry Sunrise fumed as she, Applejack, Big Mac, Berry Punch, Cherry Berry, Roseluck’s sisters, Golden Harvest, Roma, Junebug, Golden Grape and Blossomforth sat around a tree at Sweet Apple Acres. “Not a chance in Tartarus.”

“Ah can’t believe this, but Ah agree with her,” Applejack nodded and scowled as Strawberry chewed on a strawberry.

“I’m not giving up my days of rain for anypony,” Roma chimed in and adjusted her apron with a growl. “If Rainbow Dash goes with this, I’ll write a angry letter to her boss. I’ll get that Skittle bitch fired.”

“Same here,” Golden Harvest added with an equally angry expression. “I have a daughter to worry about. So does Berry and Roma. This is ridiculous. I’ll straight up bar those four ponies from my stand.”

“Same,” Cherry Berry and Blossomforth chimed in with frowns. Blossomforth was a normally happy mare. Seeing her angry was enough to scare anypony away.

“Who cares if it’s Celestia coming to visit?” Strawberry asked and nopony raised a hoof. “Exactly. I don’t like the Apples one bit, but we gotta stick together in case something like this happens again. A Farmers Union. Flowers are considered food too so the Flower Trio, Blossomforth and Junebug can join to be represented. Because this right here is bullshit. This way we can support each other with bits or help with anything. We can also warn each other when the Weather Team and Rainbow Crash tries to screw us over. Like always.”

Blossomforth stiffened slightly. Even though she was a flower mare, she still worked on the weather team since she was a pegasus. She wasn’t too fond of how ponies talked about Rainbow Dash, but she grudgingly had to admit some times they were right about her laziness. But Rainbow helped out where it counted.

“And who leads us?” Golden Grape scoffed and glanced at Strawberry. “You?”

“Well, duh,” Strawberry Sunrise smirked and pressed a hoof against her chest, fluttering her wings slightly. “Who else? I’m the one with the most charisma and has the temper to get attention. No offense, but only Lily has a temper to rival me. The rest of you all are really nice, even the Apples.”

“Absolutely not,” Berry glared at her with the others, excluding Big Mac. “I vote Cherry is in charge or Big Mac.”

“W-w-why should your sister be in charge? That seems like a conflict of interest,” Junebug grumbled and folded her forelegs. “That’s not fair to the rest of us.”

The area descended into arguing and yelling as Big Mac watched with a frown and took a deep breath. Lily jammed her hoof into Applejacks chest and the two glared at each other.

“Enough,” Big Mac muttered softly. Even though he mostly spoke quietly, everypony stopped and stared. “Good. We co run it. Vote on issues and all that.”

“That just might work,” Roma conceded after a moment and picked up her cap that had fallen off in the yelling. “I approve.”

Everypony looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

“Same,” Daisy sighed and the others chimed in their agreement, Strawberry a moment after. “We can use a room in town hall. And not a word to anypony about this. We can’t risk getting shut down. It’s us against them at this point.”

Roseluck hated that she agreed and she sighed, sitting down against the apple tree.

“I’ll talk to the Mayor. I’m sure her and I can come to an agreement,” Cherry Berry cracked her neck and scowled back towards Ponyville.

Roseluck decided it was better for her if she didn’t ask for further details.

Rainbow Dash groaned as she sat at her desk, eying the pile of paperwork in front of her as she resisted the urge to either burn them or throw them away.

“Rainbow Dash, you got some visitors,” Cloudchaser stuck her head in the doorway. The rainbow maned mare smacked her head against her wooden desk in frustration and Cloudchaser winced as Rainbow rubbed her forehead with a hoof.

Cloudchaser was used to Rainbow doing stuff like that when frustrated enough. Cloudchaser had offered countless times to help with her job as an assistant weather manager but Rainbow was adamant that she could do it alone. Cloudchaser was still slightly happy that she at least got the position and her own office down the hall that she shared with Firebug.

“Send em away. I got too much work to do and paychecks to sign. Tell to come back later,” Rainbow answered and brushed her rainbow mane aside before picking up a quill.

“Can’t. It’s the authorities and Derpy. Apparently it’s about a surprise visit this week from Princess Celestia,” Cloudchaser answered and Rainbow gulped nervously. Refusing to see the royal guards was always bad news. Especially if they got pissed about it.

“Send them in. I’m always down to see Derpy,” Rainbow commented and leaned back in her chair. She wasn’t lying either. She genuinely enjoyed Derpy’s company. And her kids were pretty cute too.

Cloudchaser nodded and disappeared. Rainbow waited patiently as her door opened again and she grinned widely at Derpy, waving a wing at the mare as Silverspeed stood silently in the corner.

Rainbow admired her golden armor for a second before looking away to Derpy shutting the door. Rainbow always did admire the Royal Guards. For a short while, she had contemplated joining. Didn’t really pan out the way she wanted. Too many rules in her opinion. But Rainbow did have to admit, the benefits of joining up were really good. She and most, if not all ponies she knew respected the hell out of the Equestrian military.

“Hey Derpy. What’s this I’m hearing about Princess Celestia coming here? More importantly, what does that have to do with me?” Rainbow raised an eyebrow and stifled a yawn.

She needed her daily nap later today.

“We kind of need some clear sky for the week. No rain preferred. Things have to be perfect. Sunset can’t be here because she’s sick at home with the flu. Pretty bad case of it too,” Derpy sighed as she and Silverspeed both shared a worried look. The others had shared their sentiment of being concerned about her, Trixie doing so in her own way.

“No can do. The schedule calls for rain. And besides, the earth ponies need the rain for the farms. I’m not about to end up on their bad side,” Rainbow shook her head side to side. And besides, she really did like carrots. Most of the farmers were her friends. Like AJ and Junebug, for starters. Only one she didn’t really get along with well was Roma, but nopony got along with her except rare cases.

“Roseluck said the same thing,” Silverspeed sighed and made eye contact with Rainbow. “Just one or two days of sunshine? Or at least, the day Celestia comes to visit?”

“I want to work with you but I can’t risk that. Winter is coming up in a few months. The farmers need as much time to gather food for Ponyville. The politics with this position is difficult. Pissing off the earth ponies and my friends is a horrible idea. We all remember what happened the last time a weather manager in Ponyville did so. He got fired in a week. I’m not fond of losing my job,” Rainbow pointed out flatly and leaned back again in her chair.

“Okay,” Derpy sighed and Silverspeed glanced out the window. “Thanks Dashie.”

“Anytime Derpy. But since it’s you, I’ll try talking to them. And besides, I don’t wanna anger the Royal Guards. Next thing I know, I’ll get her over there following me all over town,” Rainbow rolled her eyes and Silverspeed scoffed, raising an eyebrow.

“Don’t say anything,” Derpy whispered and Silverspeed nodded slowly as she scowled at Rainbow. “Alright, thanks Rainbow.”

“Anytime Derpy. And uh, tell Sunset I hope she feels better. We don’t really see eye to eye but still. Flu is a bitch.”

Derpy gave a brief nod and Rainbow sighed, glancing at the clock. She supposed she could fit a thirty minute nap in.

Roma leaned against her stall, frowning slightly at Shoeshine trotting up with a bag of bits held in her mouth and Roma resisted the urge to make a snarky comment, instead choosing to examine her blue eyeshadow in her mirror instead.

“Hey Roma,” Shoeshine dropped the bag of bits on her stall. “How are you?”

“Oh, just dandy,” Roma grumbled and bit her tongue. Market days were her least favorite day of the week. Especially since what she found out earlier this morning from Roseluck made her less than happy to see ponies.

“Seven beefsteak tomatoes, please?” Shoeshine requested and Roma inhaled. She and the others had made plans to refuse service to ponies that had they deemed were working against them. Pity really. Roma always slightly liked Shoeshine as a friend. Or well, as close to a friend as they ever really got. They never hung out or talked really other than a few words when Roma and Angel were out.

“Sorry, we’re all out,” Roma lied and nudged a box of said produce out of sight under her stall. “Ran out this morning.”

Shoeshine’s face fell and sighed, scuffing her hoof against the dirt.

“Well, damn. I was gonna use them to make dinner for Screw Loose. Beefsteak tomatoes are her favorite,” Shoeshine explained and Roma tried to push the guilt she felt down. “Thanks anyway, Roma. Let me know when you get any?”

Roma managed a weak nod as Shoeshine gave another tired sigh and picked up her bit bag, watching her trot away as Roma rested her head on her stall and gave a groan.

She never really had a problem with Screw Loose. Roma didn’t necessarily think that the groups actions would affect anypony else other than the ponies they intended.

“Hi. How much for four beefsteak tomatoes?” A stallion asked and Roma shrugged.

“Four bits.”

Golden Harvest stood with a scowl as few stalls down from Roma’s, watching Shoeshine trot away with a sad expression. She didn’t necessarily know what was said, but she could tell it wasn’t great.

“Next!” Golden called out and accepted some bits from Caramel. “Have a good day and don’t lose these ones!”

“I won’t!” Caramel called back and Golden resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Golden stifled a curse as Trixie stood in front of her and Trixie smiled at her.

“Trixie would like a bag of carrots for a trick she is planning on this next week.”

“Next!” Golden ignored her and hoofed some carrots to another mare after accepting her bits. “Next!”

“Uhm, I was here first,” Trixie interjected as a stallion walked around her. “What the hell is the big idea?”

“Next!”

Trixie watched in confusion as Golden helped the other ponies around her. Everypony except Trixie. Trixie was too confused to even make a rude comment like she normally would to ponies.

Trixie made a frustrated sound and trotted off with a huffed as Golden smirked slightly at her.

Berry Punch leaned against a wall with a bottle of wine held in hoof and watched in stunned silence. She knew they had talked about it at their impromptu meeting today, but Berry didn’t know they would actually go through with it. Berry personally had no intention of doing so. She, Applejack and Big Mac had all agreed on that in private after the others had all left to go open their respective businesses for the day.

It made her a bit sick to her stomach to think of it. Not that she would ever admit it. If she did, she’d probably be loosing all her friends and be ran out of Ponyville. That was something she refused to allow happen. Ponyville was her home after all. She had her first kid here, after all. She didn’t entirely plan on making Ruby leave her friends and aunts behind.

Berry watched in slight disgust at Roma and Golden leaning against their respective stands and took another long sip of her wine, savoring the slightly sweet taste.

“This is so fucking wrong,” Berry whispered to herself and flattened her ears against her head.

The mulberry mare gave her wine a shake and tossed the empty bottle in a trash can with a sad sigh.

Being sick sucks

Sunset stared at her ceiling, her blinds closed tightly to let no light in from outside. The only light was the lamp she had in the corner and even that was starting annoy her.

“Ugh,” Sunset tossed a bouncy ball up at the ceiling, watching it with her hooves before tossing it up again. To say she was bored out of her mind was an understatement. And her head hurt like hell. The only time Sunset had left her cocoon of blankets was to use the bathroom and make toast, which she promptly threw up thirty minutes later.

Sunset tossed the ball back up and flailed a foreleg, trying to catch it as it bounced off her hoof and went rolling across the room.

“Damn,” Sunset sighed and flopped back on her bed, wincing slightly. She glanced at some of the cards she had gotten and picked up one from Button Mash, idly reading it. “You’d think I’m dying with how many cards and flowers Derpy dropped off. It’s just a simple flu.”

Sunset did have to admit, she was a bit surprised by the gesture. She didn’t really think Ponyville liked her that much as a whole. She was a grateful to be proven otherwise. Even Rainbow and Rarity had sent her a card each.

Sunset had personally thought Rainbow and Rarity hated her. She and those two didn’t necessarily get along well. Sunset rolled her eyes to glare at the door as a pony knocked.

“Enter!” Sunset called out and she winced at how raspy her voice sounded. The knocking continued and Sunset growled. “Oh for the love of-”

Sunset coughed as she flung her blankets off and wrapped a bath robe around herself, trotting downstairs and opened her front door with a scowl, covering her eyes with a hoof.

“I said enter,” Sunset grumbled and raised an eyebrow at Redheart on her doorstep with a bag on her back.

“Sorry. Not allowed to break into houses unless it’s life threatening emergencies,” Redheart answered with a nonchalant shrug and Sunset gave a tired sigh. She supposed that made sense.

“Fine. Follow me. Derpy put you up to this?” Sunset guessed as she led Redheart up to her room and the white pony shut the door behind her before nodding. “Figured.”

Redheart sniffed around as she watched Sunset climbed back into bed and started cocooning herself in blankets.

“Firstly, we need some light in here,” Redheart commented as she set down her bag and opened a set of blinds. Sunset hissed at her and buried her face in her pile of pillows. “You’re not a vampony. You won’t feel better unless you have light and besides, I need to see to do my check up. We can have them half closed if you prefer.”

“Closed. I have a bad migraine,” Sunset rolled over and Redheart opened her bag. “There’s no needles in there, right?”

“Nope. What, one of the saviors of Equestria, element of harmony and Princess’ Celestia’s personal daughter scared of needles?” Redheart smiled at her and it faded as Sunset looked away. “Oh. Well, to be honest with you, yes there is a needle. It’ll only be a brief pain. Won’t even feel it.”

Sunset squeezed her eyes shot before nodding.

“Fine.”

“Perfect. Alright, now let me take your temperature.”

Sunset sighed and opened her mouth. She was getting pretty damn tired of thermometers and cold objects being shoved into her mouth.

"One hundred and seven,” Redheart read out and frowned at her. “That’s not good. How long have you been sick?”

“First noticed symptoms about a week ago. Broke a hundred the other day when Trixie tested my temperature. Started vomiting a few days before. And the migraine is the fucking worst. Can’t even use my magic because-”

“Because using your magic will make your migraine worse,” Redheart finished for her and Sunset gave her an surprised look. “I’m a nurse. I’ve studied all three tribes and species that aren’t Equestrian. Don’t be surprised that I know all about unicorns.”

Sunset gave a nod and sipped her water.

“I hate this. I look so fucking weak and my voice,” Sunset sighed and shook her head as Redheart watched her. “It sounds so weak. This isn’t the commanding presence I like to have. My voice and appearance is the most important thing I have.”

“Well, don’t worry. I don’t have a camera and laws prevent me from talking about my patients other than with Dr. Stable. Now let’s get this show on the road, shall we?” Redheart asked and pulled out a small needle. “I’ll be leaving you some medicine to help with the pain. Between the two of us, it’s just Tylenol. But it works quicker.”

Sunset’s eyes widened slightly before inhaling and holding out her foreleg.

Derpy yawned as she stood in front of her stove, idly flipping pancakes as she glanced at the two ponies next to her wearing matching chef hats and Derpy bit back a snicker.

“Alright, chef Dinky. What do you want with your pancakes?” Derpy asked and Dinky pointed at some blueberries. “That works for me. Chef Sparkler?”

“Chocolate syrup for me. Please and thank you,” Sparkler answered and Derpy nodded. “Thanks mom.”

“Anytime dears.”

Derpy flicked her tail and nudged the two into the dining room with her head before examining the rest of her kitchen.

She didn’t necessarily have much trouble compared to the rest of the elements. According to some unconfirmed rumors, everypony except Derpy, Roseluck and naturally Sunset had problems buying produce yesterday.

Derpy planned on visiting Shoeshine, Silverspeed, Trixie and Roseluck once she dropped off Dinky at school and walked with Sparkler to Rarity’s.

“Have either of you heard anything about ponies having trouble getting stuff in at the market?” Derpy called out and Sparkler frowned at the table.

“I’ve heard somethings,” Dinky answered after a moment. “Angel said her Mom was angry at some ponies. Said she and some others had a plan to deal with them.”

“Roma?” Derpy asked and Dinky nodded. “Weird. I heard she was out of her tomatoes all day yesterday.”

“No she wasn’t,” Sparkler answered and Derpy paused, turning her stove off and moving the pan off the stove. “Yesterday, Rarity and I saw her sell some to Hazel Green. Right after Shoeshine left, if I remember right.”

Derpy’s frown grew and she glanced outside.

“Shoeshine looked pretty down about something. Not like her to be honest. And Roma seemed pretty torn up about something too,” Sparkler continued and rolled a hoof in the air. “It’s a weird atmosphere going out there right now. What did you mean, deal with them Dinks?”

“Refuse to sell to them. It’s not just Roma either. It’s all of the earth ponies excluding a certain few. Berry Punch and the Apples are the few who refused to go along both it. From what I heard, Roseluck knew about this.”

Derpy and Sparkler both shared a frown as Dinky rested her head on the table.

This was the dumbest fight ever

Shoeshine cracked her back and sighed as she rolled out bed to start going through her normal morning routine. Take a shower, brush her mane and teeth, use the restroom and then head downstairs to greet her roommate.

“Hey Carrot,” Shoeshine greeted the mare sitting at the table with a newspaper and a cup of coffee. A plate of toast and another cup of coffee sat across from her. “Uh, Carrot?”

Carrot Top said nothing and Shoeshine sat down awkwardly at the other end of the table. Shoeshine couldn’t remember the last time Carrot gave her the silent treatment and tried to remember if she did anything to piss her off recently.

“Where’s Noi?”

“At school,” Carrot Top answered finally and turned a page of the newspaper. “Why do you care?”

“Uh because I live here?” Shoeshine tilted her head in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“I’ve know you for a long time. You can’t lie to me,” Shoeshine pointed out and Carrot Top dropped the newspaper onto the table. “What’s going on?”

“None of your concern. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get to work,” Carrot pushed her chair out and Shoeshine grabbed her shoulder. “Let me go.”

“Like hell.”

Carrot growled and flicked her tail at Shoeshine’s hind and the blue mare yelped.

“Ow!”

“Sorry,” Carrot winced and Shoeshine glared at her. “I may have smacked your leg a bit harder.”

“Oh, it’s on now.” Shoeshine pushed her back and bit her mane, pulling some of it as Carrot Top yelped.

“Ow! I didn’t bite you!” Carrot shot her a scowl as Shoeshine spit out some hair.

“That was payback, plain and simple,” Shoeshine answered simply as she took a sip of her coffee. “I don’t know what you’re mad about, but I can wholeheartedly say I’m not gonna fight you.”

“I don’t want to fight you either. If you hadn’t grabbed me, I wouldn’t have flicked you. You know I don’t like being touched randomly,” Carrot sighed and Shoeshine winced.

“Okay, yeah that was my bad. My apologies. But at least you’re talking to me. You haven’t said a thing to me since yesterday morning.”

“You should know. Ask Roseluck. She said she will be there this morning,” Carrot picked up her empty coffee cup.

“I’m asking you,” Shoeshine answered and hesitantly rested a hoof on her back. “Carrot, what is going on?”

“The farmers are mad,” Carrot answered simply and Shoeshine sat back down. This was the dumbest fight ever in Shoeshine’s eyes.

“Because of us,” Shoeshine guessed and Carrot nodded at her. “Why the hell did nopony tell us? Why didn’t you tell me, more importantly?”

“Because I’m mad too,” Carrot said and glanced back at her. “The plan was to refuse service to all of you except Derpy. And Roseluck, naturally. She’s the one who told us all. Don’t be mad at her. We had every right to know and prepare.”

“So Roma lied to me,” Shoeshine growled and Carrot nodded again.

“I refused Trixie service. The same thing happened to Silverspeed yesterday and most likely is right now. Same with Trixie again.”

“How could you do that? I thought you were loyal to us and Equestria?” Shoeshine paced around the room and Carrot glared at her.

“I am! But I’m more loyal to my daughter and you than the Princess? You think I wanted this? You all put me in this position picking sides between my daughter and the Princess, not me!” Carrot shot back and jabbed a hoof at a picture of Noi. “What would you think would happen? Us to just go along with it? You and the others put countless others in this exact same position I am. This is my lifes work. This is how I pay my bills, pay for Noi’s food and school supplies. This is not my fault!”

“Then talk to me!” Shoeshine shouted back and Carrot stepped back nervously. “I’m not a fucking mind reader. I can’t tell how you’re feeling by you giving me the silent treatment. What are we, five?”

“It sure as hell got the point across!”

“What point? That you’re friends are being immature or that you’re dumb as hell?” Shoeshine snapped and her eyes widened. “I didn’t mean that.”

“You’re one of us. You’re an earth pony. You know how important it is that we stock pile food for the other ponies in Ponyville. We can’t afford to lose any rain. Not with winter being three, four months away. It falls onto us to do this. Sure, there’s outliers like Strawberry or Blossomforth or Holly Dash, but it’s primarily us earth ponies. I’m not about to force everypony to die this winter just because our princess is coming to town,” Carrot sneered and turned around.

“Yet you’re perfectly fine making Trixie and Silverspeed die right now,” Shoeshine shot back dryly and Carrot paused.

“I’m not a monster. I’m a mother who’s trying to look after her daughter. So is half of the other farmers trying to take care of their families. You think me or Berry can afford our houses with loosing a shit ton of bits just this week? No, we can’t. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry it came down to this,” Carrot looked back at Shoeshine. “You’re my friend. Cherry Berry has a meeting with the Mayor today. We’re forming a union to stand up for ourselves. The other towns nearby have them and it’s helps them out a lot. This way the farmers of Ponyville can formally work together and have written agreements. I didn’t tell you this.”

“Okay. And for the record, I forgive you. And I know you aren’t a monster. You just are stubborn as hell and don’t think when angry,” Shoeshine opened the front door and stared down in confusion.

On the doorstep sat seven beefsteak tomatoes in a bag.

Cherry Berry trotted around her balloon, occasionally tugging on some ropes to make sure they were probably tied.

“Alright, ropes are a check,” Cherry muttered to herself before checking a box. “Next, fuel.”

Cherry examined the fuel and frowned to herself.

“Alright. Fuel is half tank. Reminder to get a new propane tank today at the market. Check. No cuts or tears. The basket is in pristine condition and-”

“Uhm hi.”

Cherry Berry turned to look at an orange pegasus filly with a purple mane standing in front of her.

“Sorry kid, I don’t give out rides for free. And I’m a bit busy right now,” Cherry Berry turned back to her clipboard.

“I wasn’t gonna ask for a free ride.”

Cherry turned back and raised an eyebrow. Kids weren’t her strong suit. Hell, not even adults were her strong suit. Ponies were complicated.

“Uh huh,” Cherry took the bits the filly held out and counted them. “What’s your name exactly?”

“Scootaloo.”

“You’re a pegasus. Why don’t you just fly instead of riding my balloon?” Cherry Berry pointed out and Scootaloo glanced at her wings.

“No reason. I wanna see from a new perspective. I’ve been on clouds before but never on a hot air balloon. I see you flying around all the time.”

“I see. I’m sorry Scootaloo, but I gotta get this done then run to the Mayors office for a meeting to get paperwork. Maybe another time we can,” Cherry Berry commented and hoofed back her bits.

“I can’t fly.”

Cherry faced her and gave her a confused frown.

“Come again?”

“I can’t fly. My wings don’t work. People never will,” Scootaloo repeated and looked her in the eyes. Cherry Berry watched her flutter her wings and fall back down. “Sure, Rainbow Dash takes me up flying on her back but it’s not the same. Being in a balloon won’t be either, but it would be close. You’re one of the only ponies really who can help me-”

“Okay, okay. You had me at the wings part.”

Cherry gestured for her to step into the basket and Scootaloo grinned as Cherry helped her in.

“Rules are no playing around. I don’t want to be responsible for your death. Understand?” Cherry Berry gave her a stern frown and Scootaloo nodded as Cherry Berry started her pre flight check. “I’m Cherry Berry, by the way.”

“I know. Ruby talks a lot about her earth pony aunt who can fly. She’s pretty proud of it.”

Cherry hid her blush and rubbed the back of her head.

“Does she now?” Cherry asked dismissively as she stepped inside the basket and shut it.

“Mhm!”

“That’s nice,” Cherry grunted as she pulled on another string and Scootaloo watched as some flames shot into the air. “Cool, right?”

“Yeah.” Cherry gave a dry laugh and gave Scootaloo a confused look.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in school right now?” Cherry asked and Scootaloo gave a nervous laugh.

“Maybe?” Scootaloo offered weakly and Cherry narrowed her eyes. “Are you gonna tell Miss Cheerilee?”

“Depends.”

“On....?”

“On how well this flight goes and if you annoy me or not,” Cherry deadpanned and looked away. Scootaloo paled slightly at that.

“We’re so high up,” Scootaloo commented and peered over the edge, getting a look from Cherry.

“We’re only seventy feet up. This is nothing.” Cherry glanced at the altimeter. She figured a little over one hundred feet or so was good enough for Scootaloo.

“We can higher?” Scootaloo asked in awe and Cherry gave a dry laugh.

“Kid, we can go much higher,” Cherry answered with a chuckle and pulled the rope again. “But we won’t. Because you-” Cherry poked her gently in the chest. “Have got to get to school.”

Scootaloo stood silently and peered over the edge.

“Woah.”

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Cherry Berry asked and Scootaloo nodded. “Up here, it just stretches for miles. Ponies truly don’t know what they’re missing on the ground. Damn pegasi take all this for granted. They don’t slow down to take in the sights from up here.”

Scootaloo nodded and looked around. They weren’t that high according to the the instruments Cherry Berry had. She didn’t know what they were, but based on the one Cherry checked often said one hundred and thirty feet.

“Why do you fly?” Scootaloo asked and Cherry shrugged. “You have cherries for a cutie mark.”

“Cutie marks don’t define you,” Cherry glanced at Scootaloo’s blank flank. “You’ll understand one day. I grew up one my parents cherry farm. I always knew I was meant for more than farming. When I was your age, my fellow earth ponies and pegasi always told me if I was meant to fly, I’d have been born a pegasus.”

“Kids can be cruel.”

“Ain’t that the truth. It stung for a bit, sure but who gives a damn. You control your destiny, not some mark on your flank and certainly not anypony else. Or in your case, lack thereof a mark.”

“You think I’ll ever get my mark?” Scootaloo asked and looked back at her flanks. “Twist has one. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon has one. Everypony but me and my friends have one. Some ponies like those two don’t deserve marks.”

Cherry gave another laugh and opened shut off the burner to descend.

“Anytime you wanna come for a flight Scootaloo, come find me. You’re welcome aboard anytime,” Cherry Berry told the grinning filly and Cherry slid the bits back.

“Thanks Cherry Berry!” Scootaloo grinned wider as Cherry’s balloon hovered in place above the school yard and Cherry tossed out a rope ladder.

“You should be good climbing down. I don’t wanna get swarmed by children again.”

Scootaloo nodded as she started climbing and a crowd of school ponies stared up at her.

“Oh shit. Cheerilee,” Cherry muttered to herself as the purple earth started trotting up with a frown. “Well, see you later Scootaloo. Time to go!”

“Cherry Berry! Get back here!” Cheerilee called out and Cherry Berry hastily started pulling the ladder back in. “I know you hear me!”

“Sorry, too loud up here! Really windy!”

“It’s not even windy out!”

“Love to stay and chat but I got a meeting. Bye sis!” Cherry grinned and waved before before pulling on the rope.

“I’m gonna kill that mare one day,” Cheerilee growled to herself. “And as for you, Scootaloo, you have detention for being late.”

Scootaloo paled and groaned as the others laughed excluding Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Dinky.

They all fell silent as Cheerilee glared at them.

“Excellent! Now back into the classroom children.”

That was surprisingly easy

Cherry Berry examined the wooden building in front of her and trotted inside, silently reading off the name plates on doors as her hooves echoed on the wooden floor.

“Huh, alcoholics anonymous. When did that become a thing?” Cherry Berry wondered aloud to herself as she peered inside the empty room. “Weekends, one to five.”

“It became a thing after a drunk stallion in Manehatten walked out in front of a cab,” Mayor Mare answered from behind her. “Quite a tragic incident. Believe it or not, your sister, Berry Punch insisted we come up with it. She runs the whole thing. Claims it helped with her own sobriety.”

Cherry raised an eyebrow as she turned to face the mayor.

“Did she not tell you? Strange, she was quite proud of herself.”

“She doesn’t tell me all aspects of her life,” Cherry muttered and shifted back to the door. “That explains why she hasn’t been drinking as much as she used to.”

“Precisely. Now let’s get to why you’re here,” Mayor Mare gestured for her to follow her. “You’re here because you need something.”

“Yeah. I need some paperwork to-”

“Create a union with the farmers,” Mayor Mare finished and snorted at Cherry’s stunned expression. “I hear things. I support it. Not much goes on in Ponyville without me hearing about it. You’ll need a list of all the ponies who are part of it and then you’ll be granted access to a room here in town hall for meetings. All of you will be responsible for keeping it clean and in order. If there’s any damages prior to you taking over the room, visit Dust Devil in maintenance and she will take care of you.”

“And you support this? You do realize it’s becoming a thing because of ponies abusing their authority right? You’re not offended by this?” Cherry Berry asked and Mayor Mare shot her a confused look.

“Of course I’m not offended. I’m a politician, sure, but I become one to support to the ponies who can’t stand up for themselves,” Mayor Mare answered and Cherry snorted loudly. She had heard this before. “I personally think it’s a good idea. Screw anypony who is against you all for this. Stand your ground. But I’d also remind you, that negotiation is a powerful tool. You all hold all the cards right now. You can negotiate with Sunset.”

“It’s not her. She’s sick and is on bedrest until she feels better. Surprised you didn’t hear about this.”

“Well, hope she is better. She has the best looking after her,” Mayor Mare paused and opened a drawer, hoofing over a pile of papers. “Have them all sign these, bring them back to me and you’re good to go. I’ll hold room twenty six for you.”

“Thanks.”

That was surprisingly easy, Cherry thought as she started to trot towards the exit.

“This gives me a migraine,” Trixie rubbed her forehead as she rested her foreleg lazily on the table, ignoring the coffee in front of her.

“Agreed,” Silverspeed agreed and fluttered her wings in agitation. “I find it funny how Roseluck isn’t here. Probably working against us again.”

Silverspeed glared at the door and leaned back. Out of all the elements, she was the most angry being the element of loyalty and all.

“I don’t think so. She’s probably just late,” Shoeshine answered and stuck her straw in her mouth.

“Or she’s causing chaos somewhere else,” Silverspeed answered and folded her forelegs. “It’s what she does best.”

“Hey!” Trixie snapped and some other patrons glanced over. “Trixie is the best at causing chaos, nopony else. Ever. Understand Trixie?”

“Okay, first Trixie then Roseluck,” Silverspeed amended and rolled her eyes. “At least you’re not a traitor.”

“Silverspeed!” Derpy shot her a dirty look as Shoeshine watched with a bored expression. “Be nice.”

“It’s true. She betrayed us,” Silverspeed pounded the table and their drinks jumped. “We are supposed to be a team. Teams communicate. We learned that at Westhoof. She turned her back on us.”

“No, she didn’t,” Derpy rolled her eyes. “She has a different opinion. That’s not betraying us or turning her back on us. This isn’t the military, we’re not soldiers. Only you are.”

“So that just throws out the fact we’re supposed to be a team and should communicate?” Silverspeed raised an eyebrow. “If Sunset was here, she’d be annoyed.”

“You’re not wrong. And if Sunset was here, she’d be working to find a solution, not sit around arguing,” Derpy answered and Silverspeed gave a brief nod.

“How is Sunset?” Shoeshine asked and the two glanced at her.

“She’s fine. Today was my day to visit her. She was asleep when I went inside. Cleaned up a bit, lots of vomit in her bucket. Gave her a new one. It was sickening,” Silverspeed turned green slightly. “I don’t want to talk about it. Please.”

“Talk about what?” Roseluck asked and Silverspeed shot her a distrustful look. Roseluck decided not to question it as Trixie eyed her coldly.

“You don’t wanna know, trust me. It’s your day to go visit Sunset,” Shoeshine told her and pushed a shake to her. “Drink. We got some things to discuss.”

“Yeah, we do. I have a faint idea about what this if for. You’re all mad at me for telling them about Celestia visiting and you demanding them change up their schedules in a crucial time in the harvest season.”

“You got that right,” Trixie grumbled and looked away. “You made Trixie look like a fool at the market.”

“And me too,” Shoeshine added and Silverspeed made a growling sound.

“And I also got you your tomatoes,” Roseluck answered and licked up a cherry with her tongue and started eating it. “Well, with Roma. She already felt bad enough.”

“Never should have came up with the idea,” Derpy muttered and eyed her disapprovingly. “Or well, refusing service to these three I mean.”

“It wasn’t my idea so don’t blame me. That was Caramel and Strawberry,” Roseluck shot back with a frown. “Don’t put that on me.”

The four shared looks as Roseluck spit the stem from her cherry into a trash can and tossed another in her mouth.

“Now that we got that sorted out, what else do we gotta do?” Roseluck asked and Silverspeed raised an eyebrow. “Just because I was against one idea doesn’t mean I’m not going to help with the others so hit me with it.”

The four shared a look and Trixie nodded finally.

“We still need to clean up around town. Lots of branches. Berry Punch and Carrot Top are getting a banner as we speak,” Trixie answered and Roseluck idly noticed she fell into first pony instead of her favored third. “Derpy and Silverspeed are gonna a check up on them-”

“Actually Roseluck and Silverspeed can. Derpy and I can clean up the town,” Shoeshine suggested and Silverspeed shot her a glare that didn’t go unnoticed.

“Fine by me,” Roseluck answered and brushed her mane aside. “Hey, what’s that thing Fluttershy has?”

The group gave each her confused looks at the topic change before following her gaze outside. Fluttershy was trotting past with a fuzzy green ball on her back that was smiling and looking around.

“What in Equestria is that?” Trixie asked and Pinkie glanced outside, her eyes widening.

“Oh no,” Pinkie muttered.

“It’s kinda cute,” Derpy mused and shrugged. “In a weird sorta way.”

“It’s not cute, it’s a menace to society!” Pinkie shouted at them behind the counter and they all jumped. “They are evil. The scourge of ponykind.”

“Uhm what?” Shoeshine asked as Pinkie opened a can of frosting and smeared some under each eye. “What are you-?”

“This is war.”

Everypony inside watched her disappear up into her room and gave each other looks, each deciding to not ask.

Author's Note

Dropping this good ass story here. https://www.fimfiction.net/story/566282/its-a-big-sky-scootaloo

What in Equestria is a parasprite

Lyra laid in bed and groaned as Bon Bon and Liza watched her as Bon Bon set down a bowl of soup next to the unicorn.

“Achoo!” Lyra sneezed and wiped her nose with a tissue. “You don’t gotta be here Bons.”

“Meh. You’d do the same for me,” Bon Bon scoffed and wiped Lyra’s forehead with a wet towel. “You’re sick. Pretty high fever too. About a hundred.”

“Joy,” Lyra grumbled and glanced at Liza. “Go to your room Liza. I don’t want you sick.”

“Okay mom,” Liza leaned up and nuzzled her. The two other mares watched her leave and Lyra stretched out on her large bed as Lyra nuzzled into the mint green comforter with her cutie mark emblazoned on the side.

“Cold,” Lyra muttered and Bon Bon draped another blanket over top of her. “Thanks Bon Bon.”

“Anytime. You’re not the only one who’s sick. Caramel got sick the other day, Cheerilee, Holly Dash, Rumble, Button, Thunderlane, Open Skies, Sunset. A few others. All the same symptoms as you. The flu will pass. It is the season, after all,” Bon Bon commented and pushed her pinl curl out of her eyes. “Eat.”

Lyra picked up the bowl with a hoof and Bon Bon settled down on the floor with her tail wrapped around her, idly watching Lyra.

“What is this?” Lyra asked warily and eyed the soup, stirring her spoon around.

“Tomato soup. I made it myself. It’s my mom’s recipe,” Bon Bon answered and winced slightly. She didn’t really get along with her parents and wasn’t entirely fond of mentioning them.

“Oh okay.”

Lyra silently tasted the soup before nodding and Bon Bon smiled slightly.

“I’m surprised you don’t have more friends. Remember how we met?” Lyra asked and Bon Bon nodded. “At Sunset’s party when she first moved here. Before Nightmare Moon returned. You were sitting in a corner alone with a box of chocolates. You looked so uncomfortable being surrounded by so many ponies you didn’t know.”

“I was. You know my cutie mark?” Bon Bon jabbed a hoof at her flank and namesake as Lyra nodded slightly as she started drinking her soup. “I bake because it’s my cutie mark, but also because baking is fair. Follow the recipe, you get a bon bon. Screw the recipe up, you don’t get a bon bon. It’s clear, precise. To the point. It not complicated. Ponies are.”

“I suppose.”

“I shouldn’t be talking about this. You’re sick,” Bon Bon stood to leave. “I’m sorry. I’ll go check on Liza and make sure she’s okay before going.”

“Stay.”

Bon Bon paused and looked back as Lyra patted the bed.

“Sorry?”

“Stay,” Lyra repeated and turned pink. “My bed is big enough for two. You’re my best friend. And well, I don’t wanna sleep alone.”

“We shouldn’t,” Bon Bon shifted anxiously on her hooves and crossed them. “It’s weird. Isn’t it? My dad always told me two mares sharing a bed was unnatural.”

“Not really. Surely your mom slept with you when you were a filly?” Lyra asked with a yawn and Bon Bon nodded after a moment. “Bed?”

“Sure.”

Fluttershy trotted down the street with her pet ball thing on her back. She didn’t necessarily know what it was, but she knew it was cute and that’s all that really mattered to her.

“You doing good back there, Fluffles?” Fluttershy asked and it bounced with a smile. “Good.”

“Hey, what is that?” Apple Bloom asked as some ponies crowded around Fluttershy.

“Uhm,” Fluttershy looked around nervously at the three balls on her back. “Uhmm what?”

“It’s cute. Can I have one?” A mare asked and some others chimed in their agreement.

“I uhm don’t know?” Fluttershy asked weakly as she looked around anxiously for a way out. Ponies weren’t her strong suit, animals and other creatures were.

“It’s a parasprite!” Pinkie screamed from the crowd as she galloped past with a trombone she had borrowed from Lyra. Or well, would have borrowed if Lyra was awake. Pinkie planned on returning it later after she was done.

“What in Equestria is a parasprite?” A stallion wondered aloud and Fluttershy saw her chance. She inhaled and shoved the parasprites into her mane, taking off into the sky. “Woah.”

“Where’s she going?”

The crowd grumbled to themselves and slowly dispersed.

Silverspeed hovered a few inches above the ground as she and Roseluck kept moving forward to the center of Ponyville where Berry Punch and Carrot Top were at apparently according to Derpy.

It had been a silent walk, the two occasionally glaring at each other and quickly looking away.

“I know you’re mad at me,” Roseluck broke the silence and looked at Silverspeed out of the corner of her eye. “You’re bad at hiding it.”

“Maybe I’m not trying to hide it,” Silverspeed retorted with a frown and her purple eyes narrowed slightly. “You betrayed me. You didn’t even talk to me and the others. Instead, you just went ahead and told everypony we were going to screw them over. You didn’t even let us come up with a solution.”

“Not like any of you would have listened,” Roseluck grumbled and Silverspeed gave her a incredulous look.

“You didn’t even try!”

“I didn’t think you would care enough to listen,” Roseluck answered sheepishly and curled her mane around her hoof. “I mean, why would you? I’m the youngest out of us all. Nopony cares about my opinion or little old Roseluck.”

“You seriously think that?”

“I said it, didn’t I?” Roseluck snapped and rolled her eyes as she shifted her posture slightly to glare up at Silverspeed. “Nopony cares what the eighteen year old has to think ever. Why would you all start caring now?” Silverspeed stared at Roseluck with wide eyes.

“Why in Equestria do you think we never cared about your opinion? I have always listened to you,” Silverspeed dropped down on the ground and folded her wings onto her side and tilted her head.

“Oh puh lease,” Roseluck scoffed and trotted in a slow circle around the pegasus, Silverspeed turning with her to maintain eye contact. “We never do what I want to do. When our group gets together, it’s always Trixie deciding or you. Nopony ever let’s me decide where we go to eat or what movies we see. It’s always what you all want instead of me.”

Roseluck pushed her hoof into Silverspeeds chest and the mare barely moved as she looked down at Roseluck.

“See? Even with me being an earth pony, I can’t move you. I’m just not strong enough. I’m never be good enough of an earth pony like Shoeshine is,” Roseluck grumbled and kicked some dirt as Silverspeed opened her mouth. “Save it. We’re here.”

Silverspeed closed her mouth and sighed, cracking her neck. She always hated whenever she wasn’t allowed to speak.

Silverspeed and Roseluck stared in confusion at the banner. In red paint it read, “Welcome Princess Celest.”

“How do ya like it?” Berry asked proudly as she and Carrot Top gestured at it. “Come on.”

“Uh where’s the rest of her name?” Silverspeed asked and they both looked at it before shrugging.

“Oh, we ran out of space. We couldn’t fit it all in,” Carrot Top explained sheepishly and rubbed her mane with a hoof as Roseluck snickered. “What?”

“That’s what she said,” Roseluck answered and giggled as Silverspeed rolled her eyes with a faint smile and Berry laughed as Carrot groaned. “Trixie would definitely have said that if she was here.”

“I hate that you’re right,” Carrot grumbled as Roseluck and Berry kept laughing and Silverspeed bit her lip hard enough to draw blood and she spit out the crimson liquid onto the ground.

“Here,” Silverspeed tossed them some bits. “Go get a bigger banner and redo it please. And Carrot Top?”

“What?”

“Make sure you can fit it all in,” Silverspeed commented and winked as Roseluck laughed again.

Silverspeed grinned slightly at Roseluck and nodded. She wasn’t as good as Trixie at making ponies laugh not by a long shot, but she did her best.

Well, that happened

Celestia’s hooves echoed down the halls of the castle with Raven struggling to keep up with the taller mares stride.

“Your schedule for tomorrow to visit Ponyville has been set. The royal guards are preparing your carriage as we speak Princess,” Raven exhaled as Celestia slowed down to allow the younger mare to catch up.

“Excellent. Thank you Raven,” Celestia briefly smiled at the mare as she glanced at her.

“Your wish is my command Princess,” Raven bowed slightly and stifled a yawn as she watched the moon start to rise from the window nearby. “Are you looking forward to seeing your daughter?”

“Yes,” Celestia answered as she glanced at a door across the hall with a shimmering sun carved into the wood along with various other dents. It was the one door in the castle she refused to replace. “Seeing Sunset is always a highlight of my day and life.”

Raven nodded slightly as she looked at the door. She was the mare Celestia trusted most with watching over Sunset when Celestia was dealing with her court or in meetings. Raven had no idea that kids could be a hoofful until she had met Sunset.

Sunset was a wild filly and Raven was exhausted every time she got done foal sitting her.

Raven smiled slightly as she remembered how often Sunset would randomly her or run up to random guards to hug them. Not even the normally stoic guards could resist smiling at Sunset. The mare had brightened up the castle a lot as a filly.

Raven herself had been there the day Sunset had gotten her cutie mark and personally helped plan her cute-ceñeara.

“Have you gone inside her room since she left?” Raven asked and Celestia hesitated before shaking her head no. “I haven’t either.”

“It’s been empty in the castle without Sunset. I’m used to hearing her randomly laughing from her room or hearing from the guards about some crazy project she’s conducting in her quarters. During our meals, she would go on and on about the most random stuff. Philomena misses her too.”

Raven honestly felt the same. Sunset had often employed her for helping with her various studies or her more secret projects. Raven may or may not have bought Sunset her first drink, grudgingly of course. That mare was very persuasive.

“Do you remember Sunset’s rock phase she went through when she was fifteen?” Raven asked and Celestia laughed before covering her mouth with a hoof. “That was a very unique time at the castle.”

“She is still going through it. I remember very clearly being awoken by the sound of a electric guitar many nights. I remember one time she entertained a group of royal guards on their break. That was a very interesting in the castle history,” Celestia mused and a guard nearby snickered softly. “I vividly remember when she was six and she teleported inside the cake, popped out of it and was covered head to hoof in strawberry frosting. I still have the picture.”

“I remember that. I also remember she fought you viciously about taking a shower after wards,” Raven smirked and Celestia winced. Sunset and her had fought for almost an hour, the filly teleporting away and Celestia having to teleport her back each time before Sunset quit. “I really love that mare. She’s changed a lot from that excitable foal you found on the doorstep.”

“That she has,” Celestia admittedly with a fond smile. “I’m proud of her. I don’t tell her that enough.”

Raven scuffed her hoof against the crystal flooring before she and Celestia resumed walking to Celestia’s quarters for her to sleep for the night.

“Permission to speak freely?” Raven asked and Celestia glanced at her.

“Of course. You’ve earned that right, Raven,” Celestia chided playfully and a guard opened her bedroom door and saluted her. “At ease, Corporal.”

The stallion nodded curtly and shut the door behind Celestia and Raven softly.

“Maybe you trying to keep things professional between the two of you isn’t wise. Maybe you can tell her that tomorrow,” Raven suggested and flicked her tail as Celestia laid down on her bed, tossing her crown onto her night stand and started to remove her golden shoes and necklace, levitating them onto the dresser.

“Maybe. Thank you Raven. You’re free to go rest for the night,” Celestia told the mare and Raven bowed her head gratefully. “Good night.”

“Goodnight, Princess.”

Silverspeed laid on her bed, staring up at the ceiling as light from the moon and stars spilled into her room across her dark purple sheets that covered her up, her silver curtains blowing slightly in the wind.

She always liked sleeping with the windows half opened. It always helped her sleep. The sound of the wind was calming to her. But tonight, nothing helped her sleep.

“I’m such an idiot,” Silverspeed muttered to herself and her eyes fell briefly on a picture of her and Roseluck with the other four. “Ugh.”

“And why do we think that tonight?”

Silverspeed jumped slightly and glanced at Princess Luna standing next to her, idly examining an award Silverspeed had earned years ago. For what, she didn’t even remember.

“Oh, it’s just you,” Silverspeed gave a brief sigh of relief.

“Indeed.”

“Well, I mean aren’t I an idiot? I never really knew how Roseluck felt. I called her a traitor for crying out loud. She was just angry because she felt we didn’t listen to her ever. She’s anything but a traitor. She was being loyal to her friends. Naturally, I respect the heck out of that. I should have tried harder to understand her.”

“Aren’t you being too hard on yourself?” Luna questioned and set the award back on the book shelf. “You can’t do anything if she doesn’t talk to you. Communication is a two way street, we think the term is?”

“Yeah, that’s the term. And I guess but still. I feel like an idiot. Roseluck has been acting off the last few times we all got together. Now I know why,” Silverspeed grumbled and leaned over to her nightstand to sip her water. “Just because she’s the youngest doesn’t mean we ignore her.”

Luna stayed silent as Silverspeed continued talking to herself and Luna faintly made out words.

“I take it you know what to do now though, right?” Luna questioned and Silverspeed nodded as she stared at the picture again.

“I’m gonna tell the others and we’re gonna make it right. Hey, are you really here or am I dreaming?” Silverspeed asked suddenly and Luna smiled slightly at her.

“That is for you to decide,” Luna answered and her horn glowed before she disappeared with a pop.

Well, that happened, Silverspeed thought to herself as she curled up closer to her pillow and closed her eyes with a small smile.

That night, Silverspeed slept better than she had recently since this week started.

Infestation

Bon Bon leaned against the counter of Lyra’s admittedly small kitchen as Liza continued doing the dishes.

“You do this often?” Bon Bon broke the silence and Liza nodded. “Huh.”

“Mom has chores for me to do. In return, I get bits for doing them. It helps her around the house,” Liza answered and gritted her teeth as she started scrubbing a plate harder with her wash cloth held in her hoof.

“No magic?”

“Nope. We use magic in the house a lot, sure but mom taught me to be amb-?” Liza rubbed her muzzle and Bon Bon snorted.

“Ambidextrous?” Bon Bon suggested and Liza nodded.

“Yeah that.”

The two fell silent as Liza kept cleaning the dishes. Bon Bon wasn’t great with kids or how to to talk to ponies in general. Lyra was different than anypony Bon Bon had ever met. It was easy to talk to Lyra, Bon Bon had found out when she first met her.

Hers and Liza’s ears flicked at Lyra’s groan upstairs.

“Are you allowed to go play with Dinky?” Bon Bon asked as Liza shrugged.

“Normally but I got to finish these dishes or mom will be disappointed. I don’t like when she’s disappointed in me. She gets a look on her face.”

“I’ll tell her I told you. And what is that?” Bon Bon asked and pointed a hoof at a pink ball with eyes and a mouth pop out of Liza’s mane.

“Oh, that’s Dusky. He’s my parasprite friend I got from Fluttershy. She has about three hundred or so? Most left to go into the woods but some other ponies adopted some. Cute, right?” Liza grinned as she nuzzled Dusky with a purr. “He’s so cute and nice.”

Bon Bon examined him further and recoiled slightly. He looked off to Bon Bon. Something about him made her feel anxious and uncomfortable.

“Something isn’t right about him. I’m gonna go take your mouth out for something to eat. If you behave when Her Majesty arrives, I’ll bring you something sweet to eat,” Bon Bon winked and rubbed Liza’s mane with a warm smile. Or well, she hoped it was a warm smile.

Bon Bon was widely liked by the kids. Mostly because of her candy store that the fillies and colts almost always dropped by at after school.

The two jumped as Dusky made a gagging sound and continued retching as Liza gave him a confused look. He spit out a brown blob and Liza gave it a disgusted look as Bon Bon simply raised an eyebrow.

“What was that?” Liza asked as the brown blob opened it’s eyes.

“If I had to guess, that’s how they reproduce,” Bon Bon answered and stepped away.

“What’s that mean?”

“You’ll learn when you’re older.”

“Ugh. I hate when I get told that,” Liza grumbled and sat down on her plot to fold her forelegs across her chest. “Do you want the brown one?”

“I think I’ll pass on that offer, thanks. Now go check up on Dinky, Liza. I’ll bring some pie from ugh, that other place,” Bon Bon gagged and resisted the urge to say the name Sugarcube Corner. She felt sick even thinking of that damn place.

She hated everything Sugarcube Corner stood for with how they mass produced their baked goods. Baking was a thing to be enjoyed, not just mass produced to crowds. And Pinkie was fucking nuts. Bon Bon was not prepared for that crazy ball of energy or the Cakes.

But for one of her only friends, Bon Bon was grudgingly willing to go into enemy territory. Even if her friend was crazy and oddly pretty.

“Bon Bon, where are we going?” Lyra gave a tired sigh as she leaned against Bon Bon. The cream colored mare kept trotting with Lyra as the building Bon Bon always dreaded seeing started to appear.

“I know exactly what will make you feel better,” Bon Bon answered and Lyra sighed.

“I don’t see how one of your chocolates will help me, Bonnie.”

Bon Bon gave a smirk and rolled her eyes.

“My candies are god tier, I agree but this is different from what I make. This is your favorite pie from Sugarcube Corner and I have it on very good authority that Mrs. Cake made a new pie this morning and that there is one slice left.”

“You don’t mean-”

“I do. Their strawberry pie with fresh strawberries and strawberry glaze as you like it.”

“You are the best,” Lyra nuzzled Bon Bon before hastily turning away to cough into her hoof. “Or well, second best. Liza is the best at everything.”

“I’m certainly not, but thanks. You go inside. I’m uh not well liked inside there,” Bon Bon shifted anxiously on her hooves and place a bag of bits in front of Lyra. “Go crazy, Lyra. Or well, not like you can get any crazier than you already are.”

“Haha. Very funny.”

Bon Bon gave a dry chuckle and wandered around till she claimed a random table outside, looking around while whistling to herself.

She idly noted Sassaflash flying overhead, pushing some clouds as Bon Bon tapped a hoof against the table surface.

“I’m backkk,” Lyra sang out as she carried a plate on her back. “I got you a muffin. Banana chocolate chip, as your favorite.”

“Thanks LyLy.”

Bon Bon unwrapped the muffin and took a bite. She wasn’t that impressed to be honest. But in her defense, once you had a muffin from Derpy, muffins from anypony else never quite stood up to Derpy’s baking. Not even Bon Bon could rival her.

“Hey, what’s that?” Lyra asked and pointed her hoof at a large cloud of dust coming to town.

“Not sure,” Bon Bon squinted and her eyes widened. “Oh, sweet Celestia. It’s a stampede of those parasprite things Liza had earlier. They must have reproduced enough to create an infestation.”

Lyra ducked as the parasprites descended upon Sugarcube Corner and they watched in stunned silence as they ate the part of the building before two parasprites focused on the table Lyra and Bon Bon sat at.

“Hey!” Bon Bon snarled and swung a hoof at one, slamming it hard against the ground. Tears welled up in Lyra’s eyes as their bought goods were stolen. “That’s my muffin and her pie.”

“I’ve been sick the last three days. My back hurts, my hooves ache and my horn hurts. My nose is runny and I can’t stop vomiting, sneezing and coughing. This was one of the few things I had to look forward to and those fucking parasprites fucked my day up,” Lyra cursed angrily and Bon Bon gave her a shocked look. Lyra almost never cursed unless she was genuinely angry. Lyra barely even got angry unless it was serious enough.

“I’m so sorry Lyra. I’ll steal the recipe and make you one,” Bon Bon leaned over the pat her hoof. “Let’s go find Liza. It’s not safe for her to be around one of those things.”

Lyra nodded and the two galloped for the school house. That was pretty much the main place Liza and Dinky hung out at.

“Talk about a bad day for Celestia to visit, eh?”

Bon Bon cursed internally as she and Lyra skidded around a corner.

“Got that right.”

Bon Bon just hoped most of the houses weren’t damaged.

Never doubt Pinkie Pie

Celestia rested her hooves on the carriage, admiring the view as the wind blew her mane around. She always did enjoy flying, whether it be her using her wings or being flown by the guards to her destination. Raven, on the other hoof, was holding onto the side of the carriage for dear life with her green face as Raven resisted the urge to vomit her breakfast up.

“Do not worry dear Raven. It is only merely a few more moments till we land,” Celestia reassured her and Raven gritted her teeth.

“Oh joy. A few more moments of hell,” Raven grumbled and Celestia giggled softly to herself. “Laugh it up, you.”

“I am.”

Raven rolled her eyes and braced herself against the wooden door of the carriage. Landing was always the worst part to her. No matter how many times she flew, she never got used to the damn landings. Her first one she vomited for a solid ten minutes.

“Ponyville seems different today,” Comet Chaser commented idly as she flapped wings and the other three guards nodded their agreement.

“Got that right,” Thunder agreed and flipped his mane as he gazed down at the town. “What do you think they’re running from?”

“Who knows? Got a feeling we will be finding out soon,” Comet grunted and waved a hoof in a circle motion above her head before pointing downwards.

Raven lurched forward as the four pegasi dove towards the ground and Raven glowed a light gold.

“Thanks,” Raven muttered as Celestia’s horn still glowed gold. “Oh lord have mercy.”

Comet and the others hooves slammed into dirt road, sending a large cloud of dust up into the sky as they dug their hooves into the dirt to slow down.

“Another fun landing,” Raven commented sarcastically and rolled her eyes.

“My apologies, ma’am,” Comet Chaser commented as she shrugged off her harness and adjusted her gold helmet as she folded her wings to sides. “Two of them are still pretty new.”

Comet opened the door and stepped back, saluting as Celestia stepped out.

“Easy,” Thunder Wing caught Ravens foreleg as she stumbled out. “Take a seat next to the tree.” Comet rolled her eyes and smirked as she turned to the two other guards under her command.

“Alright you two. Water break,” Comet ordered and tossed them some water bottles. “Rest up. It’s a long flight back to Canterlot.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“We’ll be awaiting your arrival, ma’am,” Comet saluted Celestia and Raven. “The carriage will be clean and ready for take off when you two return.”

“Thank you sergeant,” Celestia nodded her way. “We won’t be gone long.”

“This is bad. This is really bad,” Trixie danced nervously on her hooves as she and the four remaining elements watched in stunned silence at the parasprite cloud around them.

“Alright. Trixie, Roseluck, try to help the town folk move to a safer area in an orderly manner. Shoeshine, Derpy, try to corral as many parasprites as you can,” Silverspeed ordered and the four nodded. “I’m gonna get some clouds. We’re gonna trap the parasprites inside the cloud and take them as far away as we can.”

“You really think that’ll work? They made pretty damn short work of Ponyville,” Roseluck pointed out and winced as she looked around. “Won’t they just eat the cloud?”

“Not a chance,” Silverspeed shook her head confidently. “Only pegasus can make clouds into drinks, not random creatures from Tartarus itself. We will launch those damned things straight up into the atmosphere.”

They nodded and Silverspeed pushed herself off the dirt, the ground shaking slightly from her takeoff as she flew towards probably the biggest cloud she could find.

“Well, you’ll do,” Silverspeed shrugged and started flying in a circle around it in a blur of gold and silver, occasionally nudging the cloud with her hooves gently.

“Come with me. Nice and slow,” Roseluck pushed some wood from a house off a stallion. “Follow Trixie. She will get you and the others to a hill over Ponyville.”

“Follow the Caring and Kind Trixie. Right this way,” Trixie flared her cape out and Roseluck nudged some of the ponies to start walking. “Come on Rosie. We got everypony we could find over here.”

“But there’s the rest of the town we have to worry about,” Roseluck pointed out with a frown.

“And we will come back for them, I promise,” Trixie placed a hoof on her back. “I can’t watch all these ponies alone. We’re gonna come back and help them too.”

Roseluck glanced back at the town as Derpy and Shoeshine galloped towards the cloud of multi colored pest.

“Okay,” Roseluck relented and sighed. “Let’s go, everypony. I just hope Derpy and Shoeshine will be fine.”

“They will,” Trixie promised and removed her hoof.

“Do you care to tell me exactly what your plan for rounding them up is?” Derpy asked as she ran alongside Shoeshine.

“Well, I was just gonna get a big enough net or something. Grab them all in one go. It’ll be like those mass fishing boats they got up near the oceans,” Shoeshine explained as she used a light pole to fling herself around a corner. “Pinkie has one. You ever go fishing?”

“Nah, I’m not patient enough for that. Believe it or not, I’m really not a patient pony,” Derpy confessed and rubbed her head with a wing as Shoeshine spared her a quick glance. “It’s different with my kids. I don’t like sitting around doing nothing. Gets me anxious.”

“Relatable,” Shoeshine commented as she and Derpy stared with wide eyes at the wreckage that was Sugarcube Corner as the sign fell with a loud crash. “Holy shit.”

“Woah.”

“Alright, change of plans. Let’s just try to get them as close together as we can. Then Silverspeed and you can do your pegasi thing, shoving them in the cloud and getting them out of here.”

Sunset yawned and spit out some vomit before opening the blinds and hissing. Redheart might have been right about her being a vampony instead. Her eyes widened once they adjusted to the light as she observed Roseluck and Trixie helping some ponies leave Ponyville, Silverspeed flying a a cloud close to ground as Derpy and Shoeshine tried to corral some multi colored specks.

Sunset bit back a curse before she opened her door and trotted down the stairs.

“Of all the times things could go to shit, it’s when I’m sick and Celestia is visiting.”

Sunset reached her front door, shoving some sun glasses on and flung it open.

“This is really not going well!” Shoeshine called out as she nudged some of the parasprites into Derpy’s hooves. “The more we shove in, the more comes out.”

“Tell me something I don’t know. Westhoof really doesn’t teach us about these things in class,” Silverspeed retorted with a frown. “This cloud isn’t gonna last much longer- woah!”

The cloud dissipated with a loud pop, Silverspeed spinning head over hooves from the amount of parasprites emerging from what remained of the cloud.

“Ugh.”

“What the fuck is going on here?”

The three watched in silence as Sunset stepped forward, holding the parasprites in a teal glow as she winced, sweat dripping off her face as she swayed on her hooves.

“I can’t hold this much longer. If you’re gonna do something, do it damn it,” Sunset gritted her teeth as the burning sensation at the base of her horn grew. Using magic when sick was never a good idea. The last time she had hurt this bad was when she had a concussion.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Trixie commented as she and Roseluck galloped up. “We got everypony we could find out.”

“Good. Get Sunset back to her room and- what the hell?” Silverspeed and the others stared in confusion as Pinkie trotted past with various instruments, Trixie vaguely recognizing one as her own that had gone missing recently.

The parasprites started bouncing up and down, slamming against Sunset’s ball of magic she trapped them in as it disappeared and she collapsed into Trixie’s hooves.

“Get Sunset back to bed,” Derpy told her and Trixie nodded. “Somepony should find Celestia.”

Trixie started carrying Sunset away as they all watched the parasprites following Pinkie into the Everfree.

Never doubt Pinkie Pie, Derpy thought to herself as they all turned at hoofsteps behind them. A stunned Celestia and Raven stood behind them, looking around at the damage as a door fell off a house.

“What happened here?” Celestia asked finally as she licked her lips.

“That’s uhm a long story Princess,” Derpy told her as she and the others bowed.

“I see. Well, I have one more question first.”

“Uh what is it?” Roseluck asked as she and the others stood back up.

“Where is my daughter?”

That was the worst day of my life

Sunset laid on her back, groaning as Trixie tucked her in, running a wet wash cloth over her forehead. Trixie gave the thermometer a concerned look before setting it aside. Sunset’s temperature had gone down a bit, which Trixie was grateful for.

“And yeah, that’s all that happened. Why they started eating the town, I’ll never know. I assume they were hungry.” Trixie’s ears flicked as she made out Derpy talking downstairs.

“I see.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow as Celestia traveled up the stairs before she listened to additional hooves trotting up the stairs and Trixie turned to face the taller mares with six other shorter ponies around her. Celestia trotted forward as Trixie stepped aside.

“Hello Trixie. How is she?” Celestia asked as she rested a hoof against Sunset’s cheek.

“Somewhat better. Her temperature went down to ninety three. Better than what it was before but not great,” Trixie answered and stepped back to join the others.

“We will uh give you some space,” Derpy nudged Roseluck and they all nodded.

“Thank you. Firstly, I need Raven and Silverspeed to go find my four guards. Have them help clean up around the town. And have Comet send orders to Canterlot to have additional guards come to assist in cleaning up and repairing the town please.”

“Yes Princess,” Raven bowed her head as she and Silverspeed trotted out, the others following suit and Roseluck shut the door softly.

“Mom?” Sunset’s eyes opened slowly and her bed creaked as Celestia levitated the blankets to make a space as the mare tossed her crown and regalia carelessly onto Sunset’s couch before laying down next to her.

“I am here,” Celestia nuzzled her forehead and draped a wing over Sunset. “You’re very warm.”

“I don’t feel so good,” Sunset mumbled and nuzzled into Celestia’s wing. “You shouldn’t be here. You’ll get sick.”

“For you, I’ll tolerate being sick, little Sun,” Celestia dropped the blankets them and wrapped her hooves around Sunset. “Rest. I’m here.”

Sunset nodded and wrapped a hoof around Celestia, sighing contently as she yawned.

“I’m very proud of you,” Celestia nuzzled her cheek and stifled a yawn herself as she waited for Sunset’s reply which came in the form of a quiet snore. “That will wait till the morning, I suppose. You always did fall asleep quickly.”

Celestia tightened her hug and closed her eyes, using her magic to close the blinds.

Comet Chaser yawned as she rested against a tree, munching on a pear as she idly watched Thunder, Artic Breeze and Cobalt playing a game of blackjack, their helmets resting on the ground next to them.

“Damn it!” Arctic cursed and Thunder chuckled as he accepted the pile of candy. “I swear, Cobalt is rigging this shit.”

“How?” Cobalt snapped as the mare shuffled her cards. “You both are watching me place the cards down.”

Comet tuned them out as she flicked an ear, idly listening to the sounds of hoofsteps crunching over leaves and she sniffed a times. She could smell the scent of Raven and a pony she didn’t know. Whoever it was wasn’t Celestia.

Raven and probably the largest pegasus the four had ever seen trotted around some trees. Comet raised an eyebrow as she examined the silver mares golden armor before glancing up at her.

“Just where did you come from?” Arctic blurted out as the white stallion stared with wide eyes. “Good heavens, you’re the biggest pegasus I’ve ever seen.”

“Uh huh,” the silver mare commented dryly and rolled her eyes. “And you’re the shortest pony I’ve ever seen this side of Ponyville. I bet one of the foals are bigger than you.” Thunder and Cobalt snickered as they each stood up, stretching out their wings.

“I like her,” Thunder turned to Comet and smirked as he picked up his helmet and tossed it on his head. “Anyway. I’m Thunder, this is Cobalt. This is Arctic and the bored one by the tree is Comet Chaser. And you are?”

“Private Silverspeed, element of loyalty and Sunset Shimmers personal guard,” Silverspeed answered and saluted. Thunder, Arctic and Cobalt shared a stunned look. Being the guard to the princess’ daughter wasn’t something that happened to just anypony.

“That’s right,” Comet cracked her neck and stood up, only coming up to Silverspeeds muzzle. “I heard about a Royal Guard becoming an element of harmony and helping down take Nightmare Moon. I read about this is the newspaper. You really put us in a good light, private.”

Silverspeed blushed and rubbed the back of her head as Raven coughed into her hoof.

“As much as I appreciate you all meeting, we have a bit of a problem. Celestia sends orders to contact Canterlot and have two extra patrols at best come to assist in Ponyville. It seems there was a parasprite infestation I believe?” Raven glanced at Silverspeed and she nodded. “Pretty much destroyed the town. You four are to assist with helping clean up town.”

“Any injuries?” Thunder asked and they all looked at Silverspeed. “You’re the one who presumably was helping out based on the scrapes on your forelegs, fill us in.”

“Yeah, there’s some. Nothing too major to my knowledge,” Silverspeed answered and fluttered her wings. “Trixie and Roseluck got a good majority out of the way.”

“Let’s move out,” Comet turned to Cobalt and Arctic. “You two, grab the first aid kits. There could always be more injured ponies we don’t know about. Thunder, grab the case of water from the back. I’ll go make contact with Canterlot. We’re moving in five minutes.”

“Yes ma’am!” The three chorused and broke off to their respective tasks as Silverspeed watched curiously.

“Come on, you ever see these crystals before?” Comet asked as she fished a small ball out of her saddlebags and Silverspeed shook her head. “You really are new. Crush one under hoof, it’ll open a straight connection to Canterlot headquarters to talk to anypony available. I’ll show you how to use it.”

Silverspeed nodded enthusiastically and fluttered her wings excitedly as she followed.

Shoeshine tossed some broken doors into a trash pile as Derpy sat talking to Dinky and Sparkler. Shoeshine cracked her back and gave a content sigh as she sat down next to the three.

“That was easily the worst day of my life,” Shoeshine flopped onto her back and crossed her hind legs, her mane splaying out under her. “Or well, one of the worst at least.”

“Agreed. I don’t know how we will come back from this. That’s a lot of damage,” Derpy looked around and Shoeshine shrugged. “My house thankfully wasn’t touched.”

“Same,” Shoeshine agreed as she yawned loudly. Silverspeed and Silver Spoon hadn’t been so lucky. Half their house had apparently been eaten according to Big Mac.

“Princess Celestia has a fund set aside specifically for emergencies like this. You’ll be taken care of guarantee,” Silverspeed reassured them as she and a stern faced white mare trotted up. “This is a sergeant from Canterlot. They are already aware of what happened and sending assistance as we speak. Where’s Sunset and the Princess?”

“Oh, they’re sleeping together in Sunset’s room according to Roseluck. It was adorable she said also. Took a picture too,” Shoeshine rolled a hoof in the air. “Hey, since you Celestia is apparently staying the night, you need a place to sleep Silverspeed?”

“I want just gonna use my room at the residency and share a bed with Silver Spoon,” Silverspeed admitted and shrugged. “Meh, we can stay with you. Especially since Sunset’s house is practically a sick ward.”

“And your guard friends?”

“Don’t worry about us,” Comet brushed off Shoeshine’s question. “The motel was untouched. The Guard pays for us to spend the night at motels if needed. And hey, we found out why they started eating the town. There was a patrol nearby. Caught a stallion who accidentally cast a spell on them to eat everything. He meant to try to cast a spell to leave Ponyville. Never cast spells drunk. He’s being let go with a fine.”

Silverspeed rolled her eyes and yawned. She was ready to go sleep. Her hooves ached and she was sweaty after flying around all day. She was also hungry and idly started planning on dinner.

But first, she needed a shower.

No letter this time

Sunset yawned as she stretched her hind legs out as she nuzzled Celestia again, swishing her tail happily. The taller mare had her hooves wrapped around Sunset as Celestia snored softly. Sunset couldn’t remember the last time she had shared a bed with her mom. Sunset smiled warmly and pressed her muzzle into Celestia’s chest fluff and curled up in a ball closer to Celestia.

“You’re so warm,” Sunset muttered and Celestia smiled slightly.

“I faintly remember telling you that last night,” Celestia teased and Sunset gazed up at her. She hadn’t known she was awake. Celestia was always good at pretending to be asleep. “Good morning, my little sun.”

Sunset blushed at the nickname as Celestia kissed her forehead. Sunset didn’t really expect Celestia to remember that nickname. Sunset certainly did. Kinda hard not to after the kids at school had found out about it.

“Are you feeling better?” Celestia asked and Sunset nodded quickly.

“Mhm. I can actually use magic and it doesn’t hurt anymore,” Sunset’s horn lit up and she levitated some stuff around before placing them back. “Want to make pancakes?”

“Like we did when you were little,” Celestia mused and Sunset nodded.

“Mhm!” Sunset slid out of Celestia’s hooves and Celestia resisted the urge to levitate Sunset back into her hooves. “I haven’t cooked in ages but well, I have multiple cook books all over the place and-”

“I’m sure we can make it up as we go,” Celestia smiled and rolled out of bed, idly noted Luna had raised the sun in her absence. Celestia left her crown and regalia on the couch where she had left them the previous night.

“I agree- Raven?” Sunset paused after opening her door and stared at the mare tidying up Sunset’s office. “Holy heavens!”

Sunset trotted forward with probably the largest grin she’s had on this week and hugged Raven, nuzzling the mares cheek.

“It’s been ages,” Sunset commented and Raven hugged her back before the two separated. “What are you doing?”

“It’s only been six months Sunset, but yes, it’s been too long,” Raven agreed and tossed a folder into Sunset’s filing cabinet. “As for what I am doing, I am organizing this mess of an office. This is ridiculous Sunset!”

“It’s not even messy!” Sunset shot back and Raven raised an eyebrow.

“It’s chaos!”

“It’s organized chaos!”

“Organized chaos- that’s not even a thing!”

Celestia watched as the two went back and forth as Raven smiled with a head shake as Sunset waved her forelegs around.

“Alright you two,” Celestia giggled behind a hoof and the two fell silent, gazing at Celestia expectantly. She often had to break up arguments between the two, though she knew they weren’t true arguments. Raven was the pony Celestia had trusted with Sunset most, after all.

Spitfire occasionally had watched over Sunset when visiting the castle, but that was when Sunset was considerably older. That was only because Celestia decided to test Spitfire before she became the Wonderbolt Captain.

“Now let’s hurry along. I don’t know about the either of you, but I’m hungry for pancakes. Do you still like strawberries?”

Sunset rolled her eyes with a smirk and levitated several cartons of strawberries out of her fridge.

“You don’t even have to ask.”

“The town is coming well,” Artic commented and the desert tan stallion brushed his yellow mane aside.

“For a pony named Artic, you’re surprisingly not white or blue,” Trixie muttered as she and the other elements stood Celestia’s carriage.

“Royal Guard armor has an enchantment on it. Changes our coat color to white except for high ranking officers. It’s about uniformity. You can switch it on and off. This is my normal coat color,” Artic explained to the magician. “Cobalt has a bright blue mane and a very pale blue coat. It’s almost white. Comet Chaser has a pink coat and Thunder is a dark gray.”

Silverspeed and the others tuned the two talking out as Sunset hugged Celestia. It was a bit weird for everypony in Ponyville except Raven and Sunset to see Celestia without her crown on.

“More ponies will be arriving later in the week to assist with repairs,” Celestia informed the others and nodded at Raven. “My advisor here has all the details she left at your houses. I hope to see you all soon. And I presume you all learned something this week?”

“Yeah we did,” Silverspeed and the other five smiled at Roseluck who blushed. “We all learned we should communicate better. Communication is important in friendship, especially ours. Sunset was out most this week, but I’m certain she can agree.”

“Absolutely.”

“What was she even sick with?” Shoeshine wondered aloud and Raven cleared her throat.

“She had a flu that affects mainly unicorns. It’s a fairly common flu. I remember Sunset had it once before as a child. She was up most of the night crying. Celestia and I barely got any sleep that week. Other tribes can be affected by it, but it is primarily unicorns. Lots of rest and tea is key to a quick recovery along with warm baths,” Raven explained and the others nodded.

“We’re ready to go,” Cobalt gave a brief salute as she stretched her wings out.

“It was an honor meeting you all. Anytime you need me or any of us, we’ll be there,” Comet nudged Silverspeed with a smirk. “Take care of yourself. I hope to see you soon. I believe Thunder said he wants to at least try practice fighting you one day.”

“He can try,” Silverspeed snorted and Comet gave a low laugh.

“I’ll look forward to seeing this. Until next time,” Comet stepped back and saluted Silverspeed. Silverspeed hesitated before returning the gesture. She wasn’t entirely used to ponies who outrank her saluting her first. It was usually the other way around. “You have my information along with the other three. Whenever you’re in Canterlot, track us down and we will get some drinks off duty.”

“I will.”

“Saying goodbye is always the worst,” Sunset muttered to Derpy. “I hate it.”

“Why don’t you all go visit Canterlot sometime? I gotta stay behind. Bits and all. Train tickets are expensive,” Derpy responded and Sunset rubbed her chin with a hoof.

“I’ll pay for you tickets. You, Dinky and Sparkler. Or I’ll throw my royal weight around as Mom’s daughter,” Sunset winked as Roseluck scrunched up her muzzle.

“Achoo!” Roseluck sneezed and her eyes widened as she wiped some snot off. “Oh, come on! I was the only pony to be around Sunset the least amount of time. Why am I the one to get sick?”

Sunset snickered and shrugged. Bad luck, she guessed.

Author's Note

I'm gonna have to get Comet, Thunder, Cobalt and Artic drawn now. I quite like them. Who knows, they might return in future events? 👀