September 15, 2024 - Old Prime Equestria

“Woo-hoo!”

In the sky over Maretime Bay, Sunny Starscout flew, her translucent orange wings and her horn shining magnificently with the sun. Sunny did some loops before she landed on the sidewalk near her smoothie cart, where some of her friends, Izzy Moonbow and Zipp Storm, were talking.

“Izzy! Zipp! What’re you doing here?” Sunny asked, her horns and wings disappearing. “I thought you,” She pointed at Zipp. “Were going to be in Zephyr Heights! And you,” She pointed at Izzy. “Were visiting Alphabittle in Bridlewood!”

“Oh, yeah! Hehe, that!” Izzy nervously said, moving something with her rear right hoof. “I was just… uh… getting something! Yeah! Yeah! I needed to get a thingy for another thingy!”

“And I was… just… getting…” Zipp’s eyes darted around the town before they landed on the smoothie cart. “...A smoothie! You see, I was getting really thirsty, and there was a break time in that meeting, so I decided to go back to Maretime Bay and make a smoothie from your smoothie cart!”

“‘Meeting?’” Sunny repeated, raising an eyebrow. “I thought you said you were going to Zephyr Heights for a day with Queen Haven, Zipp.” Sunny said with an accusatory tone. “Are you… lying to me, by any chance?”

“Whaaaaaaaaat?” Izzy said, averting eye contact with Sunny. “We wouldn’t lie to you, Sunny!”

“I was only referring to Zipp, and the fact that you used “we” and averted eye contact with me makes me think you two are hiding something from me.” Sunny said, connecting the dots. “And on my birthday too? Hm?!”

“No! We wouldn’t lie to you on your birthday, Sun-Sun! It’s just… uh…” Izzy stammered, not finding any excuse to get them out of this situation. “You shouldn’t go to the Brighthouse right now!” Izzy blurted out.

“Izzy!” Zipp shouted, punching the unicorn with her wing. “Don’t listen to her, Sunny! Of course you can go to the Brighthouse, but do you really want to walk all the way there? And I thought you were making sure you weren’t forgetting how to fly! So you should just… go back to that!”

“Oh, yeah! You’re probably right!” Sunny said, eliciting a sigh of relief from the unicorn and pegasus. “I do need to practice my flying, and I don’t want to walk all the way to the Brighthouse from the other side of town! So why can’t I do both? I can fly to the Brighthouse!”

“Wait! That’s not what I-” Zipp tried to interfere, but Sunny was already in her alicorn form and was taking to the skies.

“Thanks, Zipp!”

Zipp turned to Izzy and immediately said, “Call them, ASAP! Sunny can’t go to the Brighthouse yet! It’s not prepared!”

“Alright, Zipperooni!” Izzy said, pulling out her phone and quickly starting to open it.

July 22, 2024

The sun was starting to set, and Sunny set her hoof on the warm sand. She looked around and saw multiple families, friends, pets, all playing together in the sand. Sunny took a deep, long breath, instantly recognizing the familiar salt water smell that came to her. For Sunny, while the beach was beautiful, it brought back old memories – memories of her and her father. “It feels so… right being here. Watching the sea, smelling the warm, summer air, playing with the sand…” Sunny murmured, turning to Sprout.

Sprout turned to Sunny, thinking the same thing as his friend. His mother was a business mare, and they don’t spend as much time together as Sprout wished for. They could both remember when they and Hitch first visited the beach, accompanied by their parents, or guardians, in Hitch’s case. Sprout could remember that day well. It was the first day off Phyllis had in a long time, and so Sprout was determined to make their day the best.

After that day, while the mother-son duo had their share of bonding moments, none could ever trump the amazing day Sprout had. “It… does, doesn't it? Heh, do you remember when we first came here? When we first visited the beach? Me, you, Hitch, Mom, Argyle, Granny Figgy…” Sprout asked.

“Mhm,” Was Sunny’s reply. “It was one of the best memories I had in Maretime Bay. I loved everything about the beach, especially since that’s what my father said was my Mom’s favorite place to lounge.” Sunny sighed as her ears twitched. She heard the faint noise of music, a mix of pop and… birds?

“Wait, Sprout, do you hear that?” Sunny asked, trying to pinpoint the location of the music. “Ooh! I think we’ve found our music!” Sunny squealed.

“And it sounds… so familiar!” Sprout said, moving his ears. “You know Pipp Petal, right? The famous pop star? The youngest child of Queen Haven? The pegasus who rose to stardom after publishing her first music video on YouHoof? Will we actually meet her?!”

“Ooh, yeah! I’ve heard of Pipp Petals!” Sunny said. Okay, in reality, she’s only heard one song made by her, and she only knew it because it was one of the songs Twilight listened to when she had that all-nighter a couple months back. “She’s so good! Like, amazing!” From that one song, which Twilight told her was the worst based on statistics, it was amazing.

“Yeah! What’s your favorite song? Mine’s ‘Raise Your Voice!’” Sprout said, nudging Sunny. “In my opinion, it’s the best song, even if it was the first song Pipp made, which was a chart-topper in just a week!”

“Oh, mine is… uh…” Sunny mentally groaned as she tried to think of the song she heard Twilight listen to. Confidence in the Heart? No. Confidence Everywhere? Nope. Confidental Confidence? No! It was something with confidence… probably. Sunny thought. “Uh… y’know! The one that goes, “Confidence! Keep you going! Confidence? Er, da, da, da?”

“Do you mean Gardens of Confidence? Yeah, I can’t blame you for forgetting the name. It was good, but was it the best? Ehh,” Sprout shrugged. “Gardens of Confidence?” What kind of a name was that?!

“Yes! I totally agree with you on that,” Sunny said, her eyes darting around, which Sprout noticed. “Soo… we should be meeting that pega-popstar right now! Right? Right?” Sunny turned around and trotted towards the source of the sound, Sprout following the mare.

At the source, a beautiful symphony of music played. Being closer now, Sunny and Sprout gasped in awe. While Sprout knew that the pegasus’ music was good, he didn’t expect it to be this good hearing it in front of him. In front of them, a pink pegasus flew, her mane a cool purple. She wore a crown, her eyes were a light green, her cutie mark was a music note, and her wings- her wings! They looked like clouds. Beside the pop star, a yellow pegasus orchestrated multiple birds, which Sunny assumed was the source of the bird song. She had a light pink mane, and her cutie mark was three pink butterflies.

Suddenly, while the music was still good, it became worse. It wasn’t that noticeable before, but now, they all noticed the only blue jay was off-key. “Ooh, and we were doing so, so good! Right, Flutters?” Pipp said, landing back on the ground.

“We were, Miss Petals,” She said, her voice barely registering in their ears. “Um, let me try this…” The yellow pegasus flew in front of the blue jay, and in a soft but kind voice, she politely helped the blue jay by humming the melody. This time, when the blue jay tried it, it wasn’t off-key. “There! That sounds much better now, thank you.” She thanked.

“Oh, oh! Is this it? Will we have a perfect run? And-” Only then did Pipp notice the two earth ponies watching them. “-Hello! Ohmigosh! I didn’t notice you two before! I’m so sorry! Oh, where are my manners?” Pipp stepped forward and took Sunny’s hoof, shaking it hard and long. “I’m Pipp Petals! But, of course, you might know me already, because if you don’t, then what rock are you living under, am I right?”

“I’ve… heard of your music,” Sunny said, pulling her hoof back and scratching the back of her head. “I’m not really a big fan, but my friend here is! He’s the son of Phyllis Cloverleaf, y’know, the C.E.O of CanterLogic?” Sunny nudged Sprout, who was frozen in awe.

“Oh, my gosh! You’re Sprout Cloverleaf! I love CanterLogic! I must have, what, a hundred phones?” Pipp said, shaking Sprout’s hoof as well, not that he minded. “I didn’t know one of my fans made the phones I love!”

“I- well, technically, my Mom made them, but, uh, thanks?” Sprout squeaked. After Pipp let go of his hoof, he immediately fainted and landed on the sand, which Sunny couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

“I tend to have that effect on ponies,” Pipp murmured.

Well, now that that was over, it was time to do what Sunny was here to do. “Ahem, so, the real reason we’re here is-” Before Sunny was interrupted, Pipp quickly cut her off, waving her hoof in her face.

“Yeah, yeah, I know what you’re here for, Sunny Starscout,” Pipp said, smiling. “Zipp told me you were checking on the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. And music is one of them, right? Though, I was told there’d be a Twilight Sparkle and a cute little dragon with you!”

“Did you say… a baby dragon!?” The yellow pegasus shrieked in excitement. Sunny forgot that there was another pony around, but it was always nice to make a new friend. She wished Twilight, she was sure she’d have a similar reaction to Sprout. She should check on him soon.

“Yes! His name is Spike, and…” Sunny retrieved a picture of the little dragon from her saddlebag and showed it to her. “...this is him! Cute right? Does he look like that ‘Sparky’ dragon I’ve heard about?” Sunny asked.

“Well, yes, actually!” She said, “But, um, oh, where are my manners? I’m Fluttershy! And, if it’s alright with you, I would like to know everything there is about Spike!” Fluttershy moved closer to Sunny, her eyes glistening like a filly on Hearth’s Warming Eve.

“Are you done with your music?” Sunny asked, moving her head to look at her and Pipp.

“I mean, it sounds good enough. And I’ve got to get somewhere for a super awesome party to celebrate the Summer Sun Celebration! Eeek! My friend Pinkie Pie hosted it, but-” Pipp stopped herself, a light blush forming on her cheeks. “I’m just bothering you all with my ramblings! Go, go! Walk and talk! I won’t keep you! See you later! Pipp, Pipp?”

“Hooray…” Sprout muttered, slowly regaining his senses.

Pipp giggled as she flew away, leaving Sunny, Fluttershy, and Sprout there on the beach, the latter still in awe. Ooh, what if she, Hitch, Twilight, and Sprout all hung out together?! I mean, Sprout and Twilight shared an interest in Pipp Petals, and Twilight and Hitch shared having a dragon baby- child- sibling- pet(?). It could be perfect!

But, of course, she had to focus on the now, which was the yellow pegasus looking at her like she could explode in curiosity. “So… can you walk and talk?” Sunny asked, helping Sprout off the sand. “I’ve got to head to where me and Twi are staying? Is that alright with you?”

“YES!”

At this sudden outburst of happiness, Fluttershy blushed as she meekly hid behind her mane. “I- I mean, yes, I can.” Fluttershy squeaked.

Sunny chuckled. “That’s nice to hear,” Sunny said. She turned to Sprout… and gave him a hard smack on the cheeks, snapping him out of the awe-struck gaze he had for too long. “Did that snap you out? Come on, we’re heading to the Lighthouse.”

“Ow!” Sprout gave Sunny a deathglare, but Sunny just chuckled. “At least I’ll be able to relive some memories today…” Sprout mumbled, rubbing the part where Sunny slapped him. Hard, if he said so himself.

Back in CanterLogic, Twilight and Hitch stepped outside of Room 304, waving goodbye to Phyllis. “Have a safe trip, dears!” Phyllis called out, waving to them as well.

Twilight sighed as her smile slowly became more strained. Phyllis was a nice mare, but was she a bit… oh, what’s the word? Racist? Egotistical? Stuck up? Yeah, she was all of those things. “Yeah, thanks!” Twilight said, a bit too forced. But, Phyllis didn’t notice.

“Oh, Twilight! Are you done?” Spike asked, the young drake running towards the purple unicorn. “You took, like, twenty minutes? We’ve – and this includes Sunny – been waiting for so long!”

“Yeah, well, young dragon,” Hitch rubbed the back of his head as he sighed. “Phyllis has a tendency to go off and ramble, sometimes during events. At least she didn’t go into a super long one. Anyways, I hope I didn’t keep Sprout too long. I promised him we would go get drinks after this.”

“Oh, oh! Can I go this time?” Sparky asked, his eyes turning into one that resembled a puppy-dog. A really, really, really cute dog.

“No, Sparky.” Hitch shot down the idea immediately, and he didn’t even look swayed by the eyes. If it were Twilight, she would have a… well, 50% chance of doing the same. “Me and Sprout need our own private time! And since I’m technically your dad…” Hitch added the last part playfully.

Twilight rolled her eyes as she checked her phone and her eyes immediately widened.

Sunny Starscout
Hey, Twi! So, since it seems like you’re going to take a long time there. And let’s face it, you will. Me and Sprout (an old friend of mine & the red stallion on stage) are going to check on MUSIC!!! You can just head on to the lighthouse when you’re done.

Twilight turned to Hitch, who had a similar message, no doubt from Sprout. Hitch opened another message, and his eyes lit up in joy. Twilight wanted to know, but alas, it wasn’t her business…

But on the other hoof, it was just a simple question.

But on the other, other hoof, she had to get back to the lighthouse. And considering her luck today, she did not want to make another friend… did she?

“So! Twilight, are you going to the lighthouse? Because, Sprout told me he and Sunny were going there, and Sprout said that Sunny said that you’d be heading there, right?” Hitch asked. “Could I tag along? I mean, we’re going to the same destination, and it’s always nice to make a new friend who just happens to be one of Sunny’s new friends.”

“Hm, sure, I guess,” Twilight said, expertly hiding a smile. She didn’t even know Hitch on a personal level, she wasn’t about to get all cozy with him. Even if he was one of Sunny’s old friends, and somepony who could relate to, well, hosting a dragon.

Fast forward to sunset, Twilight, Hitch, Spike and Sparky were approaching the lighthouse. It was big and the walls were a nice light blue color. Around the magenta door, stained glass painting encircled it. The railings of the lantern room — at least, that’s what Twilight assumed it was — were golden, shining bright from the light of the sunset. On the tip of the lighthouse, three fake crystals stood, which Twilight thought was a bit too much. There was a teal one, shaped like two pegasus wings on the bottom. In the middle, a circular white gem. And on the top, an indigo one shaped like a unicorn horn.

“So, did the lighthouse look like this the last time you were here?” Twilight asked the sheriff, turning to the yellow stallion. “Because, woah, it looks amazing!”

“No, it didn’t,” Hitch said, examining the lighthouse carefully. “Are those crystals real? Because Princess Celestia didn’t have to put a lot of work into this if… Sunny’s not staying.”

“They aren’t, but they look so much like a real one it’s uncanny!” Twilight confirmed, shaking her head. “Though, I don’t think Princess Celestia would add that just for fun. I think. Do you think it means something? Ooh, what if it’s a symbol between the three tribes! I mean, you have the wings, and there appears to be one that looks like a horn on the top! So I’m guessing the one in the middle represents the earth ponies, seeing as they’re the only ones left.”

“Twi, do you think they’re edible?!” Spike asked, licking his lips hungrily. Twilight groaned, because apparently, Spike didn’t hear anything she said!

“Spike, did you not hear me saying they were fake?!” Twilight asked, giving the dragon a light glare. The dragon just dejectedly sighed before giving Twilight a “sorry?” shrug. “Ugh, whatever.”

The four reached the entrance, and using her magic, Twilight carefully opened the door. “Uh… hello? Sunny?” Twilight called out, noticing it was pitch black. “Sunny? Are you here? And why is it so dark?!”

The four stepped inside, and the light immediately turned on. “Ah, thank you.” Twilight said. She was calm only for a second before it registered to her what was going on in the lighthouse. She looked around the room, seeing streamers, presents, food, balloons, party hats… and ponies!

“Surprise!”

As party music played, a pink pony with poofy pink hair approached her. Her cutie mark consisted of three balloons, two blue, one yellow. “You! You’re that mare from earlier, right?” Twilight asked, noticing the mare immediately. “What is going on!?”

“It’s a party, silly!” She replied, sprinkling confetti in her face. “Hi! My name is Pinkie Pie! And you must be Twilight Sparkle, right? Right?” Pinkie asked, putting a party hat on Twilight’s head.

“Okay, it’s nice to meet you, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight replied, scanning the room for her friend. “So, care to explain to me why there’s a party happening in my lighthouse?!” Twilight asked.

“Gladly!” Pinkie giggled. “So, when I first met you and Sunny — I talked to her earlier! — I didn’t recognize you! And I know everypony in Maretime Bay, and I mean everypony!” As Pinkie rambled, Twilight sighed as she trotted to the buffet table. “And if I didn’t know you, that would mean you were new! And if you were new, that meant you didn’t know anypony! And that made me sad! And since I was planning to host a party at this super cool new lighthouse for the Summer Sun Celebration, I thought, ‘Pinkie, why don’t we invite the new kids?’ I had expected for you to arrive together, but when Sunny came here early, I found out that you two split up! And that this was where you were staying! So we had decided to do the same thing again until you came, and we had waited for so, so, so long! But now you’re here, and it turns out–”

As Twilight grabbed a drink, Sunny, Sprout, Hitch, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Zipp, Pipp, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Izzy appeared next to Izzy. “-you two made loads of new friends today! Isn’t that just so amazing!?” Pinkie said.

“Aw, hey, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash flew over to Twilight and gave her a friendly punch, and Twilight, in return, gave her a half playful glare. “I can’t believe you’re staying in this place! Heck, I didn’t even know something this cool existed!”

“Twilight! Isn’t it amazing?” Sunny trotted over to Twilight, who grabbed another hors d'oeuvres and placed them on her plate with her magic. “Pinkie Pie hosted a party just for us! Well, technically us and the entirety of Maretime Bay, but it’s about us!”

“Oh, yeah, it’s just so amazing, Sunny,” Twilight said, her tone dripping with sarcasm, sarcasm Pinkie didn’t get.

“Thanks!”

Twilight rolled her eyes as Pipp flew to her, and when Twilight saw her, like Sprout, she was frozen from shock- and surprise. “It’s just so nice to finally meet you, Twilight Sparkle! Zipp’s mentioned you like, what, one or two times? And I hear you’re quite a fan of my music, right?” Pipp asked, shaking Twilight’s hoof.

“I can’t believe it,” Twilight murmured. “You’re real. Like, really real! Pipp Petals, in the flesh, is standing right in front of me! Wow, I didn’t think I would meet you ever!” Twilight said, shaking her hoof with the same force Applejack gave her earlier in the day.

Before Pipp could respond, Sprout jumped forward. “Hi! Yes, hi!” Sprout said, breaking the hoofshake between Pipp and Twilight. Pipp just rolled her eyes before she flew away, no doubt to find Zipp. “I’m Sprout Cloverleaf, y’know, one of Sunny’s old friends before she moved to Canterlot? And I’m also the son of Phyllis Cloverleaf, the C.E.O. of CanterLogic?”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s so nice to meet you too, Spurt.” Twilight said, a bit angry that her conversation with Pipp was abruptly interrupted.

“Heh, it’s Sprout.”

“Yeah, that’s what I said. Sprout.” Twilight said, before she grabbed a drink of red punch and sipped it in one slurp. “Ugh, Sunny! Why are there ponies in our lighthouse?! I thought I would have time to read without distractions!” Twilight asked, gulping down another drink.

“It was a surprise party, Twi! Just enjoy it! And besides, I’m like, 90% sure Nightmare Moon isn’t real.” Sunny said, patting Twilight on the back. “Come on, loosen up! Enjoy the night!” Sunny said.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll… I'll…” Suddenly, Twilight shook her head as she waved her hoof as she fanned her head. Her eyes watered as Applejack cooed.

“Aw, she’s just so happy she’s crying!” Applejack said, not noticing that Twilight’s face was progressively growing redder. “Those are happy tears, right?” Applejack asked, moving closer to Zipp.

“Why is it so… spicy?!” Twilight grabbed one of the drinks of milk and gulped it down. But no, it wasn’t enough. It felt like she had drunk the sun, and the milk only did so little to cool it. Twilight drank three more milk glasses before she ran upstairs, to where Sunny remembered was the bedroom.

Sunny sighed. Twilight, while so close, was still not out of her shell. Sunny knew Twilight had made a new friend, their earlier interaction with Rainbow Dash proved that. But there was something missing. Something that Twilight needed to actually accept friendship. And until Sunny found that piece, she just had to have hope.

Because Twilight Sparkle was her friend, and she refused to give up on her.

A few hours later, it was almost midnight, and Twilight was on a bed which looked designed for her. She was trying to read a book as the party kept going outside of her room. But, because of the loud music, and the occasional sounds of things breaking, she couldn’t. Twilight groaned as she closed the book and placed it back on the shelf next to her bed.

The door creaked open, and Sunny carefully entered, making sure she didn’t startle Twilight. Twilight just flopped on her bed, threw the blanket over herself, and used her pillow to cover both her ears. “Twilight? Are… you awake?” Sunny asked, walking to Twilight’s bed.

Twilight sighed as she got up and turned to Sunny. “What do you want, Sunny?” Twilight asked, crossing her hooves.

“You sure you aren’t going to go down and, well, party? You look pretty bored up here,” Sunny said, sitting on Twilight’s bed. “Were you trying to sleep? Because, well, it’s been like six hours, and you’re awake.”

“No, Sunny, of course I’m not trying to sleep,” Twilight retorted, her horn lighting up the dark room with a small magenta glow. “I would be at the lighthouse’s library right now, but I don’t want to get caught in another conversation. And because I don’t think it’s soundproofed, and since I would be down there… it would be louder.”

“Twilight—”

“Sunny, just… just stop, okay? Nothing you will say is going to make me go down there and… become a wild party animal!” Twilight said, keeping her eyes away from Sunny’s. “It’s 11:30, Pinkie Pie should really be wrapping the party by now. We have to head to Town Hall to see Princess Celestia raise the sun.”

“I… yeah, you’re right,” Sunny said, getting off the bed. “And Twilight, just so you know… while you may not be open to the idea of having friends yet, you already have some. You have me, Rainbow, Hitch, Sprout, Rarity, Izzy, and everyone else you’ve met today. Twilight, please, I don’t want to see you alone in the future.”

When Twilight didn’t respond, Sunny sighed. “You know, Twilight, the Mare in the Moon is just a foal's tale. Nightmare Moon is not coming back, Princess Celestia made sure of that. You have nothing to worry about.” Sunny trotted out of the room and gripped the handle with her hoof. “I’ll see you at the Town Hall.” Sunny turned to look at Twilight one last time before leaving.

Friends? I don’t need friends, Sunny. All they do is cause pain, suffering… and heartbreak. Rainbow Dash is not a friend, Zipp is not a friend, and you… are not a friend. Twilight thought, getting off her bed. You’re family, and that’s all I need. She grabbed her saddlebag before Twilight turned to leave, but one last thought still came.

I don’t need friends… I don’t. Snowswirl proved that for me years ago.

Unbeknownst to Twilight, outside her window, the “mare” formation on the moon disappeared.

Twilight exited her room, pushing aside all her thoughts about friendship away. She trotted downstairs, and to her surprise, nopony was there. Huh, I guess they cleared out pretty quickly. Twilight looked at the buffet table, and saw that there were still some snacks. Eh, it won’t hurt to get a few snacks, right? Twilight ran to the kitchen and checked the cupboards and found some paper bags, which looked to be recently bought. I guess Princess Celestia got groceries as well. Twilight looked in another and found some plastic boxes. She hurried back to the buffet table and put leftovers inside the box neatly. She put it in her saddlebag before exiting the lighthouse.

“I should really get it cleaned, I don’t want the Princess to think I’m a snob, right?” Twilight said to herself, making a mental note to get that done. Twilight made her way to the Town Hall, and around it, multiple stands were set up. And heck, some of them were run by ponies she saw at the party!

Twilight opened the doors to the Town Hall, and inside, there was a big crowd. Twilight took a deep breath, and exhaled and tried to work her way through the crowd, hoping to find Sunny… or at least somepony she knew. Maybe not Sprout, she had mixed feelings about the stallion.

Amongst the crowd, she spotted Zipp, who had spotted her as well. “Zipp! Zipp!” Twilight called out. She had run — well, tried to run — to Zipp. “You’re here?” Twilight asked. “I thought you would be in Zephyr Heights with Pipp. I mean, why would you be in Maretime Bay Town Hall, which is full of ponies cramping us, instead of a luxurious castle in Zephyr Heights?”

“Eh, too lazy to fly back there at this hour after partying for like, six hours? Or seven? And besides, I have to look after Pipp, she’s still here.” Zipp replied.

“Ah, right. I almost forgot that Pipp was your sister.” Twilight said, chuckling. “So, uh, when does it start? Because I can only stand to be here for so long.” Twilight kicked a small uninflated balloon away from her.

“Midnight, obviously. Even if this is a yearly celebration, it feels weird having the sun up at 12:00 A.M.” Zipp said, stretching her wings with the limited space she had. “You’re not going to stay in Maretime Bay after the S.S.C, right?”

“No, nope. My life’s in Canterlot, not here. Maybe Sunny would stay, but not me. I have nothing here in Maretime Bay.” Twilight said. “Not anymore.” Twilight added that last part softly, and for a second, she thought she saw a frown on Zipp’s face, but when she looked again… it wasn’t there.

“Fillies, mares, and gentlecolts,” Twilight and Zipp turned to the upper balcony, where Mayor Mare — a light brown mare with a greying mane — stood, holding a microphone. “It is exactly 11:55 P.M., and in a few minutes, we shall watch our beloved Princess Celestia raise the sun!”

“It looks like it’s starting,” Zipp said.

“Yeah, shh,” Twilight shushed Zipp, and the pegasus gave the purple unicorn a playful roll of her eyes.

“As you may know, today is the 1000th Summer Sun Celebration, and is truly an honor for it to be held here in our lovely Maretime Bay.” Mayor Mare said. “After the celebration, Princess Celestia will give a speech, and then will we host games in celebration of the 1000th year!”

On the upper right balcony, Fluttershy orchestrated her birds as Pipp played the instrumental of her most famous songs. “Now, please welcome our lovely Princess of the Sun—”

Twilight took a glance at the moon, and when she realized the mare formation was gone, she immediately paled. “—Princess Celestia!” The curtains behind Mayor Mare opened, and Princess Celestia flew off the balcony. Not too long after she went airborne, blue wisps started to swirl around the upper balcony. A yellow glow bathed Mayor Mare and she was teleported to the ground floor.

As the blue mist started to swirl faster, it took on a shape. A shape Twilight recognized. The blue mist formed an alicorn, the same stature as Princess Celestia. The mist immediately disappeared, and in its place, Nightmare Moon stood, showing her fangs towards the audience.

Princess Celestia shot a yellow laser at Nightmare Moon, but the dark alicorn dodged it almost immediately. “Well, this isn’t the warm welcome I expected from you, Celestia.” Nightmare Moon growled.

“Please, Luna, stand down!” Celestia pleaded, lighting her horn again. “I do not want to fight you! We can settle this peacefully!”

“Peacefully? Hah!” Nightmare Moon lit her horn before she shot an indigo blast at Celestia. “Any hope of settling our feud ended the moment you banished me to the moon, sister!” Nightmare Moon flew towards Celestia, who shielded herself with a shield shaped like her cutie mark.

As the battle waged on, only Twilight, Zipp, Sunny, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Hitch, Sprout, Applejack, Pipp, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Izzy, and a crowd other ponies (who were recording) stayed, while most of the others fled for their lives.

“Twilight,” Sunny said, running towards the purple unicorn. “You were right. You were so, so right. Nightmare Moon did come back, and I didn’t believe you! I’m so sorry!”

“It’s fine, Sunny. I admit, I might’ve sounded a little crazy,” Twilight said, her eyes focused on the fight happening. “But right now, we need to escape. Princess Celestia can handle Nightmare Moon… hopefully.”

“And if she can’t?” Pipp asked, cowering behind Zipp, who put a wing over her sister.

“Then… I don’t know.”

Author's Note

Well, this is (so far) the longest chapter at 5k words. I think I've learned how to make more visual sentences for ya'll, but I'm still improving, so give me that feedback! But anyways, we've met everyone for the Mane Group of Arc 1. I may have added some stuff that will eventually explain Twilight's hesitance to friendship. Who is Snowstorm? What did they do to make Twilight so hesitant? And will we find out more of them soon?

If there's any problems, spelling errors, or anything, please comment it or private message me so I can change it! Hate comments will be deleted, so don't even try and hate!