A Very Minty Summer Sun Celebration

Chapters

02 - Snacks & Bits
03 - Great & Powerful
04 - Shakedown
05 - Shopping
06 - Flim Flam
07 - Fireworks
08 - Soirée
10 - Canterlot Castle
11 - The Queen Mother
12 - Ƿhen Ƿorlds Collide
13 - Return to Ponyville
14 - Epilogue
01 - Balloon Ride
09 - Solar Procession

02 - Snacks & Bits

“I’m hungry,” Minty said. “Let’s find something to eat, first thing!”

“That’s a great idea,” agreed Pinkie Pie. She and Minty wriggled into their saddlebags, and the three ponies together trotted off towards the fair grounds. Soon, however, their trot slowed to a walk as all three country ponies gawped shamelessly at the bustling city around them.

“This is amazing,” Minty said. “Look at the streets! They’re all paved. There’s paving everywhere.”

Pinkie Pie said, “I’ve never seen so many ponies wearing fancy clothes. I wish Rainbow Dash was here to see this. She’d love it. We’ve got to bring back something for her. We should bring back lots of souvenirs for everypony.”

“Wow, yeah! As much as we can carry. What do you think, Star Catcher? Isn’t this amazing?”

“I’ve never seen anything like it. Even Pegasopolis seems almost like a backwater compared to this,” Star Catcher admitted. Her gaze shifted to an outdoor cafe where some fashionable unicorns daintily sipped from teacups that levitated before them. In a softer tone, but still loud enough for her companions to hear, she added, “And I’ve never seen so many unicorns with their noses turned up.”

Minty looked around and said, “I can see some other pegasus and earth ponies around. They must have come from all over Equestria for the festival, just like we did.”

Pinkie Pie gasped and suddenly bounded forward. Her companions had to break into a gallop to catch up. She skidded to a stop in front of a fountain, and her friends moved to stand with her on either side. “Look! It’s beautiful!” she exclaimed. Streams of water jetted in all directions, arcing gracefully through the air and splashing down in the fountain pool. The fountain’s centerpiece was a bronze statue of a rather implausibly proportioned pony rearing up dramatically on its hind legs and flaring out its wings.

Minty suddenly put her forelegs around Pinkie’s neck and said, “Pinkie! Don’t jump in the fountain!”

“Huh? I wasn’t gonna jump in the fountain.”

Minty locked eyes with Pinkie. “You were thinking it.”

“I was not!” She held Minty’s gaze until the green pony turned her loose. Then Pinkie broke into a grin and leapt over the curb and into the water. “Woohooo!” she yelled as she jumped and splashed. With a hoof she scooped some water and splashed it in Minty’s direction.

Minty flinched and then yelled accusingly, “Pinkie Pie!”

Pinkie Pie laughed and said, “Come on, you gave me the idea!”

Minty glared for a moment longer, pretending to be angry, but then broke into a laugh and jumped into the pool to splash around with her friend.

Star Catcher shielded herself from the splashing water with a wing, and waited patiently. Disapproving stares from passing unicorns compelled her to pretend she didn’t know the two earth ponies.

After a while Minty and Pinkie Pie hopped out of the fountain, wet and disheveled, and shook vigorously to sling the excess water off in all directions. Looking altogether too pleased with themselves, they trotted back over to Star Catcher. They found her staring upward at the statue above the fountain. She asked, “Girls? Why does this statue have both wings and a unicorn’s horn?”

The other two ponies followed Star Catcher’s gaze. “There aren’t really ponies like that, are there?” Minty asked.

Star Catcher shook her head. “Not that I’ve ever heard of. It must be something symbolic to represent the pony tribes joining together. Although I don’t see anything that indicates an earth pony.”

Both Minty and Pinkie Pie narrowed their eyes at Star Catcher. “Like what, for example?” Pinkie Pie wondered.

“Err… Something like a harness collar, perhaps.” She’d actually been thinking of unshorn, mud-caked fetlocks, but she could hardly say that.

“Riiight. Because earth ponies go around wearing horse collars all the time,” Pinkie snarked.

“Oh, I didn’t mean that! I was trying to imagine something artistically symbolic.”

Pinkie Pie shrugged off the matter. “Okee dokey! So, which way do we go to the fair grounds?”

Star Catcher glanced around the fountain, which rested at the intersection of several streets. “I didn’t get a good look when we were landing the balloon. Just a moment!” She spread her wings and launched herself upward above the fountain. There she hovered for a few moments and looked around. Then she darted a short distance to intercept another pegasus pony. From their viewpoint on the ground, Minty and Pinkie Pie could see the two pegasi conversing and pointing at something in the distance. Then Star Catcher descended and rejoined her friends and announced, “I’ve got it! This way, if you please?” She stretched out a wing to indicate a broad avenue.

The walk was pleasant as they continued to notice the predominantly white store fronts of the city, the surprising number of streams, bridges and fountains, and a number of smaller alicorn statues, often perched like gargoyles on the rooftop corners of buildings. From time to time they had to move aside as a pony-drawn carriage came down the thoroughfare. The buildings thinned out as they came to the fair grounds. Near the entrance carriages had been parked. The entrance itself featured a gateway with towers on either side, and many colorful banners waving lazily in the cool breeze.

As the three ponies entered the fair grounds, their noses quickly drew them to the food vendors. “Look over there!” said Minty. “They have blueberry oat bars — on a stick!”

“Look there!” said Pinkie Pie. “They have chocolate and caramel covered apples on a stick!”

“Look! Chocolate strawberry waffles on a stick!”

“Look at that! Fried ice cream on a stick!” Pinkie gasped as the implications sunk in. “Wait, how is that even possible?”

“It’s maaaagic!” said Minty.

Star Catcher said, “We have to try that. I adore ice cream.”

Pinkie Pie glanced at Star Catcher’s ample flank and sniggered. “Really? I never would have guessed.”

Star Catcher trotted over to the ice cream vendor’s stall, then paused and glanced over her shoulder. “I hope one of you dears remembered to bring some coin. I don’t have any.”

“I’ve got some,” Minty said. “I even traded in a bunch of Ponyland farthings for the new Equestrian bits before we left. They shine like new money — because that’s what they are!”

Star Catcher nodded with a smile. “Thank you dear!” She turned to the unicorn attending the stall and said, “Three ice creams, if you please!”

The ice cream seller’s horn glowed as he levitated three thickly-breaded globes of ice cream into the fryer, briefly, then up to the counter — causing Pinkie and Minty to giggle and bounce. Even simple levitation seemed amazing to them, unaccustomed as they were to being around unicorns. The seller said, “That’ll be six bits.”

Minty reached around with her muzzle into a side pocket of her bags and fished out her coin purse, then three bronze coins from it, gripped them with her lips and dropped them onto the counter.

The vendor picked up the coins with his magic, but then peered at them and frowned. He said, “Ehh? I haven’t seen anything like these. They don’t have a sunburst. There’s only three horseshoes with the letters E, P and U.”

“A what?” Minty asked, peering along with her friends as they tried to see what he meant. “I thought those were the new coins everypony’s gonna use now.”

Star Catcher added, “And that’s the symbol of Equestria, isn’t it? E-P-U: Equestrian Ponies Unite!”

The stallion bit his lip as he inspected the obverse side of the coins with even more puzzlement. Then he said, “I’m not sure what’s up with these coins. If you want to spend them, I’ll take them. But if you want my advice, I’d say take the rest to a moneychanger. You’ll get by with less hassles if you have the same coins that everybody here is familiar with.”

“Thank you! That sounds like a good idea,” said Star Catcher. Then she took her ice cream by its stick and went to the wooden table nearby, followed closely by her two friends. They found the tables incorporated wooden blocks with holes in which the various food-on-a-stick items could be inserted, holding them for convenient hooves-free dining.

Pinkie Pie was delighted to find the fried crust was hot and chewy, but the ice cream inside was still frozen — and nicely soft. Star Catcher broke open the crust on hers and lapped happily at the strawberry ice cream.

All three ponies made short work of their treats, then Minty said, “That was great, but I’m thirsty.” She trotted over to another vendor with Pinkie Pie following, and they looked at the posted menu while another pony was being served. Minty whispered to Pinkie, “They have hard cherry lemonade. I wonder what a hard cherry tastes like?”

“I dunno,” said Pinkie. “I never heard of that. But I like cherries, and I like lemonade. Let’s find out!”

The unicorn ahead of them took his drink, carrying it away with his magic. Minty and Pinkie moved up to the counter and were surprised to find a magenta colored earth pony behind it. She blinked at them and said, “Hey Pinkie Pie! What are you doing here?”

Pinkie gawped. “Huhh? Do I know you?”

The magenta pony laughed. “It’s me, Berry Punch! What’s wrong? You get punch from me for your parties all the time, you silly pony.”

Pinkie sat on her haunches and scratched the back of her head with a fore hoof. “I do? umm… Berry Punch? umm… Are you sure? I’m from Ponyville.”

Berry Punch laughed again. “Well, of course you are. So am I. I brought my caravan to Canterlot this year because I thought maybe I could sell a lot more drinks here. Everypony back in Ponyville has gone nuts over apple cider these days.” She leaned to squint at Pinkie. “And of course you know me. This is some kind of prank, isn’t it? You’re such a joker, Pinkie! Hey, who’s this?”

Pinkie said, “Oh this is Minty, she’s my bestest friend.”

“Hii!” said Minty.

“Pleased to meet you! So, what can I get you?” asked Berry Punch.

“We want to try the hard cherry lemonade,” Pinkie said. “Three please!”

“Oh, great choice! That’s my favorite.” Berry quickly poured three cups full of the purplescent brew.

Minty fished more coins out of her coin purse and tossed them on the counter. Then they took the cups back to their table, with Pinkie setting one in front of Star Catcher.

Minty sniffed curiously at her cup, then steadied it with her front hooves as she took a sip. Meanwhile Pinkie Pie remarked, “That was just weeeeird. What did she mean about getting punch for my parties from her? I don’t remember her, and I thought I knew everypony in Ponyville.”

Minty said, “Yeah! But she didn’t even know me, and I was sure everpony in town knows who I am. Especially after that, um, thing that happened with the molasses.”

Pinkie laughed! “Oh yeah, that was great! Ponyville smelled like molasses for months after that.”

Star Catcher blinked, wondering what the story was behind that. Then she glanced down into her cup and said, “This lemonade has a peculiar whang, don’t you think?”

“It does!” Pinkie said. “But it’s not bad. It really tastes punchy. It must have some kind of secret ingredient.”

“I fink my tongue ith getting numb,” said Minty. “It’th cool!”

While they were drinking the lemonade, a pony came around passing out schedules to the various events around the fairgrounds. Star Catcher snagged one and spread it out on the table so they could study it together.

Pinkie oohed and pointed with a hoof. “That! That!” Then she read from the schedule: “The Great and Powerful Trixie performs amazing magic, classical pantomime and friendly audience abuse. C'est magnifique!”

“Cooool!” agreed Minty. “Unicorn magic is what we made this trip for. But the next performance isn’t for a couple of hours yet.”

They continued reading and then Pinkie said, “Hey! They have a fireworks show, even. We can party into the night!”

Star Catcher seemed only mildly interested in the schedule at first, until something caught her eye. “I want to see the jousting competition!”

Minty squinted at Star Catcher. “Jousting? Really?”

“The stallions! Think of the stallions!” With her wing she pulled Minty closer, lowered her voice and said, “Big and strong, with barding and shining armor. Testing themselves against one another for our entertainment…. straining and sweating…”

Pinkie said, “Whoa, Star Catcher, are you in heat or something?”

“Pinkie! There’s no need to be crude. I merely have a romantic heart. It’s what my cutie mark stands for, after all.”

Minty laughed in her bubbly way. “Okay, okay! Maybe we should check it out.”

“Hey!” said Pinkie. “If we have some time, I want to go on the rides. I could see them from the balloon, they looked like so much fun.”

“Rides? I’m not sure I understand what that means,” said Star Catcher.

Pinkie gasped. “You’ve never been on any carnival rides? We gotta take you right now! Come on!”

They quickly quaffed the remainder of their lemonade and trotted off in search of the rides. A roller coaster was their first stop. After a brief but impatient wait in line, the three of them managed to get seated on a single bench with Star Catcher in the middle and Pinkie and Minty on either side.

With mechanical sounds the car jolted into motion, then began its slow climb into the sky. Star Catcher hung her front hooves over the safety bar at the front of car, and looked outward, then looked down at the ground. “I don’t understand the purpose of this exercise,” she said.

“You will after we clear the top of this hill,” giggled Pinkie Pie.

The cars clanked and clattered almost to a stop at the highest point of the track, then gravity took over and the bottom fell out. Ponies screamed! Pinkie and Minty screamed too, and clutched at Star Catcher with their front legs. As for the pegasus, her sense of wide-eyed alarm was purely a response to the two earth ponies grabbing and screaming at her.

As they went up the next hill, Pinkie yelled, “WOOHOO!! Isn’t this the greatest?”

“That was scary!” added Minty.

“But we were much higher up in the balloon…” Star Catcher started to say. Then the car plunged again. She sighed inwardly and put her wings around both of her screaming, giddy, exhilarated companions.

After getting off the coaster, Minty and Pinkie Pie bounced around like rubber balls, gleefully telling each other how great it was and trying to decide which ride to get on next. “You two go on ahead and enjoy yourselves,” Star Catcher told them. “I’ll go the jousting field! I’ll meet you later back at Berry Punch’s stand, don’t you think?”

“Okee dokey!” agreed Pinkie Pie. “We’ll catch up with you later, Star Catcher.”

Back at the food courtyard, a pair of ponies stopped to buy ice cream: a unicorn stallion treating his mare-friend to a quick snack. Sitting down at the table, he started to levitate his change back into his coin purse, but first gave the coins a cursory glance, an ingrained habit of many years. Then he did a double-take. He floated one of the coins to eye level, his jaw slack in wonder as he inspected the piece closely. “What’s this?” he muttered.

“Is something wrong, dear?” asked his companion. She had already begun to nibble, daintily, on the ice cream’s crust as it floated in the magical glow from her horn.

Rather than answer at once, he summoned a magnifying lens out of his magical equinventory and used it to peer even more intently at both sides of the coin. Then he exclaimed, “Inconceivable! This is a pre-classical two-bit coin. They were only minted for a brief period after Equestria was founded.”

“Ooh, sounds like a lucky find. I guess some of your collector friends will envy you.”

“What? No, you don’t understand… These coins are ancient and extraordinarily rare. Barely a few dozen are even known to have survived. But… This is in nearly uncirculated condition. It’s more than merely valuable. Finding such a coin would send shock waves through the numismatic community — if it’s genuine. Surely it can’t be genuine. How could it have gotten here?”

Not waiting for an answer to his rhetorical question, he jumped up and trotted over to the ice cream vendor, and addressed him. “My good pony! Do you know where you got this coin? Have you seen any others like it?”

“Oh, I’m sorry!” he answered. “I didn’t mean to give you that, but I accidentally got it mixed in with the regular change. A couple of ponies paid for their food with those coins just a while ago. I told them they should probably go to a moneychanger and get coins that are more familiar. I’ll exchange it for some regular bits if you like.”

“No no! Actually, I’d love to get any more of them that you may have. It’s… a bit of a novelty, I daresay, and I have a little nephew who I’m sure would be tickled pink to add them to his coin collection.”

“Why sure!” said the vendor. “Let me dig through the change drawer, I’m sure I got a couple more from those two earth ponies.”

03 - Great & Powerful

No longer tied down by her companions, Star Catcher took flight and, with a bird’s-eye view of the fairgrounds, she quickly located the jousting arena. Wooden bleachers on either side provided seating for the audience — in Pegasopolis they would have had soft cloud banks for the audience to rest upon, but obviously that wouldn’t work here with so many unicorns and earth ponies attending. Star Catcher fluttered down to an open space on the bleachers and dropped onto them with a clatter of hooves, then she found a seat and furled her wings.

Aside from the seating arrangements, things looked pretty familiar to her. The ground was covered with a thin fog bank serving as a safety net. In the sky around the arena were several small clouds where the contestants were preparing for action.

A voice boomed out from the grandstand—with that peculiar, echoing quality that comes from magical amplification—and announced, “Our combatants are ready for the final match! Wielding the red shield, appropriately enough, is Red Sky.” Upon one of the clouds a pegasus stallion reared up and snorted, flaring his wings out in a dramatic pose. His red mane protruded through the slot in his helmet, forming a crest, and he already had his lance strapped to his right side, and the shield strapped to his left foreleg. He flapped his wings and lifted off in a swirl of loose cloudstuff, hovering in view of the crowd as they applauded, stamping their hooves on the bleachers. Star Catcher grinned and stamped with them. This was what she’d come to see!

The announcer continued. “Facing him, with his signature yellow shield, is our reigning champion, a legend in his own time, Lance Wingstrong!” As the stallion reared and pawed at the air with his hooves, the crowd roared with cheers and applause, much louder than they had for the previous jouster.

Star Catcher applauded too, but after the din had faded she wondered out loud, “Why haven’t I heard of this champion, I wonder?”

“What, you haven’t heard of Lance Wingstrong?” came a voice from close by. “He’s just, like, the biggest hero that jousting has ever had. He won the Fire Wings prize five times in a row!” The speaker was a gangly pegasus colt with a steel blue coat and bright blue mane. He sighed wistfully as he turned his gaze upwards again. “I wanna be just like him when I grow up.”

Star Catcher noticed that Rowdy pronounced the word ‘joust’ oddly, so that it rhymed with ‘doused’ instead of ‘dust.’ Perhaps it was a local dialect. She said to him, “Really? Well, I suppose we don’t really get much news of such things on Butterfly Island.”

The colt blinked. “Butterfly Island? I’ve heard of that, but I thought it was only something from a bedtime story. It was a place you could only find by going through a magical rainbow waterfall.”

“What? No! I mean, yes! There’s a rainbow waterfall, but it’s no fairy tale. I live there. I’m the prefect, in fact. My name is Star Catcher.”

“Cooool! I’m Rowdy. So what’s it like… Ooh, wait! They’re about to joust!”

Star Catcher bit back the impulse to correct his pronunciation and instead turned her eyes upwards. The two stallions flew towards one another, each with a shield strapped to his left pastern and using his right hoof to steady and aim his lance. Instead of flying level, they both flapped hard to gain altitude as they approached one another (not easy to do while loaded with jousting gear), each trying to pick up the few extra inches of height that might score a winning hit. Squinting through their helmets, they swung their lances to the left, aiming with care. A sharp crack was heard as both lances broke, each having scored a solid hit on the opponent’s shield, followed by a cheer from the crowd.

The competitors flapped their way back to their respective cloud perches, where their attendants were ready to slot fresh lances into their harnesses and wipe the white chalk marks off their shields, although making sure the judges got a chance to see them first. Meanwhile the announcer’s voice boomed again saying, “Those were solid hits on both shields, and it was close—but according to our judges, Red Sky’s hit was higher, and he’s awarded this tilt. And now they’re coming back to the field for their second tilt.”

Star Catcher and Rowdy watched raptly. Star Catcher commented, “Those lances look a lot lighter than I’ve seen before. I’d hate to face down a stratodon with something that light.”

Rowdy turned to stare wide-eyed at Star Catcher for a moment. “Stratodon?”

“Shush, they’re starting!”

The two stallions flew at one another again, and once again there was the crack of lances splintering. This time, however, Lance Wingstrong’s helmet was knocked off. A loud “OOH!” came from the crowd as he swerved unsteadily from the flight line, clearly rattled. The announcer called out, “Ouch, that had to hurt! Red Sky missed Wingstrong’s shield and impacted his helmet! That’s an automatic foul and loss of this tilt by Red Sky. But will Wingstrong be able to continue after that hit?”

“It looked like that hit really rang his bell!” was Rowdy’s comment. “I hope he’s OK.” Star Catcher merely nodded.

An assistant had already flown to collect the lost helmet and bring it back to Wingstrong’s cloud. The audience watched quietly for a few tense moments as Wingstrong spoke with his attendants. Then an enormous cheer broke out when the crowd saw them put his helmet back on his head and fit a new lance to his harness. He turned to face his competitor, and then pawed at the cloud with his free fore-hoof and snorted a challenge.

“YES!” cried the announcer. “Lance is coming back to finish this round, and everything’s riding on this final tilt. Whoever wins this one will take the round—and today’s entire match!”

Once again the two clashed, and lances shattered, but Lance’s lance scored a solid hit near the top of Red Sky’s shield. Yet another huge cheer and rumble of applause came up from the crowd as the announcer called out, “Wingstrong wins again! The champion stays on top of the pyramid one more time, and what an exciting finish it was!” He seemed to calm down a bit as he continued. “We’ll have the award ceremony momentarily. And before any of you ponies take off, don’t forget that we’re going to have a rodeo for the earth ponies here this afternoon, magic unicorn duels in the evening, and a fireworks show late tonight after the sky is good and dark!”

“That was awesome!” Rowdy said.

“Err, yes… Awesome,” said Star Catcher. “Although I wish I’d gotten here earlier. I only got to see the final round.”

“Aww… That’s a shame. Hey, I’m gonna go find my cousin, Blue Thunder. He was one of the jousters. Would you like to meet him?”

Star Catcher looked at Rowdy, and a smile grew on her muzzle, and she said, “I would love to meet one of the contestants.”

Rowdy trotted away from the stadium’s exit, toward its opposite end, and Star Catcher followed. They went through a gate and wound through some colorful tents where ponies (almost all of them winged) were both chatting and packing up their gear into carts and wagons. Rowdy called out to some of them he recognized, flicking out a wing to wave — a gesture most of them returned in kind. To Star Catcher he commented, “My cousin is a cop in Cloudsdale. But he gets leave from work for big jousting competitions like this one.”

“A cop?” Star Catcher asked.

“You know… A police pony. He catches crooks!”

“Oh, like a constable then.”

Rowdy nodded. “There’s his tent, c’mon!” He trotted over to the tent and stuck his head in, then went on inside, and Star Catcher followed. “Hey Blue!” he called out as they entered.

“Hey Rowdy!” came the reply. Star Catcher saw that Blue Thunder was, indeed, blue with a stormy deep gray mane and tail, and a build that she thought athletic but not overly bulked up. His eyes also settled on her, and he said, “Who is this lovely mare?”

Rowdy started to open his mouth, but she pushed him aside and stepped forward and said, “I’m Star Catcher, and I’m very pleased to meet you.” She smiled… and batted her eyelashes…

Not to be ignored, Rowdy added, “She’s from Butterfly Island!”

“Butterfly Island, really?” He smirked and looked to Star Catcher as he asked, “What kind of stories you been tellin’ my cousin?”

Star Catcher blinked and said, “Nothing, really. We only met a few minutes ago, and Rowdy kindly offered to introduce me to you.” She looked at the ground and scuffed at it with a hoof as she said, “I don’t really know anypony in this town, and I was feeling a bit lost.”

A look of concern creased Blue’s face as he said, “Do you mean to say you travelled to Canterlot to attend the celebration all by yourself?”

“It wasn’t something I planned at all. I’m here almost by accident, you might say. I didn’t even arrive with any money.”

“Oh that won’t do at all! I’ll tell you what… As soon as we’re done packing up here, you can come along and hang with me and my crew. There’s always room for one more.”

Star Catcher brightened up. “What a kind offer! Thank you! Can I help with packing up your things?”

“Sure! The tent stays here, but everything else needs to go into that wagon just outside. We need to clear out and make way for the ro-day-oh contestants.” Then he glanced at the colt and said, “You can help too, Rowdy.” Rowdy responded by tossing his head, then grabbing a small item in his mouth and trotting out of the tent.

“Ro-day-oh?” echoed Star Catcher. “Oh yes, that’s the mud pony thing, isn’t it? I’ve never been to one of those. It might be fun to watch them scramble around in the dirt, or whatever it is they do.” She started to pick up some harness gear in her mouth to take outside, but then noticed Blue giving her a pained look.

“That’s… a horrible thing to say,” he uttered softly.

Star Catcher spat out the harness and said, “What? What did I say?”

Blue Thunder stared for a moment, then shook his head and said, “Never mind! Just… Go ahead and take that out to the wagon, okay?”

Star Catcher’s ears drooped with confusion, feeling as though she’d done something wrong but not sure what it was. “Oh… Okay,” she said, and she picked up the harness and exited the tent, passing by Rowdy, who was already coming back inside to get another item.

She stretched her head into the wagon — a fully covered model, rather fancy from her perspective. She peered around its dark interior, trying to see where to best place the harness. After a moment she spotted some similar pieces of harness gear, and she nosed hers over against them. Just then she heard a rush of wings flapping outside and a brash feminine voice calling out: “Hey Blue! I got your shield back from that guy you loaned it to.”

“Good deal!” she heard Blue say. “Just put it in the wagon with the other one.”

Star Catcher backed out of the wagon and looked around to see who he was talking to, then her eyes settled the newcomer — and a jolt of confused fear shot through her heart. She tried to yell a warning. “Blue, look out!”

Blue just stared at her with a most confuzzled look on his face, seemingly oblivious to the danger right beside him. In desperation, Star Catcher spread her wings and lunged at him, scooping him up and shoving him back into the tent.

“OOF!” went Blue, the sound closer to a cough than a word. Then, “What the HAY, lady?”

“Listen to me! That’s a very dangerous creature out there!”

“What? Naaah. Gilda’s cool. What’s your problem?”

“It’s a griffin!” Star Catcher’s normally soothing and compassionate voice now hissed with fear as she struggled to make him understand. “They’re monsters that renegade unicorns created to fight their wizard wars.”

From outside the tent, a muffled voice: “You know I can hear you guys talking in there, right?”

“Oh no!” Star Catcher glanced around the tent. “We’re trapped like rats. Maybe we can squeeze under the back of the tent.”

Blue Thunder reared up and put his front hooves on Star Catcher’s withers and said, “Hey, whoa! Calm down! I don’t even know what you’re going on about. Is this some kind of joke? Because it’s not that funny.”

“Don’t you understand? They’re hunters! They eat meat! They eat ponies, it’s what they were made to do.”

From outside: “I can still hear you.”

Blue’s face darkened in a scowl, and he said, “Well that tears it. I wanted to be patient with you, but you’re nothing but a bigot, Star Catcher! There’s only one monster here, and it isn’t Gilda. Get out! Go!” He gave her a shove towards the tent flap. “Go on!”

Star Catcher glanced fearfully over her shoulder toward the outside of the tent. “but… but…”

“I mean it! Gilda won’t hurt you, but I might be tempted if you don’t get out of my sight. Go!”

Heart pounding, on the verge of tears, Star Catcher leapt out of the tent and flapped her wings, immediately taking to the sky. Blue Thunder came out of the tent and sat on his haunches as he watched, along with Gilda and Rowdy, as Star Catcher dwindled into the distance over the city. Then he looked toward Gilda and said, “Hey… You okay?”

Gilda rubbed her avian foreleg with a clawed foot and said, “Sure. You know I’ve got a thick skin. But she was definitely uncool.”

Rowdy groused, “I bet she wasn’t from Butterfly Island either. She was just a big fat liar.”

Blue Thunder shook his head. “C’mon, let’s load up the rest of this stuff and then get something to eat.”

“Sounds good to me,” said Gilda. “I’m starved. I didn’t have nothin’ but a bowl of Meaties for breakfast.”

As they staggered away from the Whirl-A-Gig ride, Minty and Pinkie Pie kept accidentally blundering into one another. “Ooooh, the world is going round and round and round,” said Minty.

Pinkie laughed and reared up on her hind legs to give Minty a hug (and incidentally steady herself) with her front hooves. “Let’s do it again! No, wait! Let’s go on the roller coaster again!”

“Don’t forget the magic show!” said Minty. “I don’t wanna miss that.”

“Oh yeah! Let’s go see the great and powerful pointy-head!”

They wandered a meandering path through the fair grounds, past the stands of craftsponies, past the stages where performers sang and played music, or danced, or joked, and past the refreshments—although they stopped long enough at Berry Punch’s stand to have some more hard cherry lemonade.

Following the map printed on the back of the festival schedule they made their way to the stage indicated for the magic show. The stage had a purple curtain drawn across it, but there were properties set up on either side and above the curtain: trumpet-like metal tubes, a large pinwheel, a globe spangled with stars, and what looked like a fat skyrocket. Ponies were already gathering, although they seemed hesitant to get too close to the stage. It seemed as though everypony wanted a good view, but none of them wanted to be right up front. Pinkie and Minty had no such qualms.

Minutes dragged by as a few more ponies joined the crowd and those already present milled impatiently, chatting and horsing around. Without warning a cool breeze gusted across the stage, fluttering the banners. Conversations died as ponies looked up and around. The sky darkened as clouds gathered and began to swirl around a glowing vortex. Pinkie and Minty reflexively leaned against one another as they looked up, wide-eyed, at the swirling mist.

A bold female voice called out from the stage, “Come one, come all! Come and witness the amazing magic of the Grrreat and Powerful Trrrixiiie!” Fog rolled out from behind the curtains, spilling across the stage. A cloud of purple smoke burst on the stage, then dissolved into sparkles of light revealing a pony in their midst. Her coat was blue, her mane a much more pale blue, and she wore a purple cape and wizard hat spangled with stars—the cape clasped in front with a large gemstone, and the tall hat concealing her horn.

“Watch in awe as the Great and Powerful Trixie performs the most amazing feats of magic ever witnessed by pony eyes!” She reared upright on her hind legs and threw her front hooves wide. At this signal fireworks exploded around the stage, colorful flames and sparkles bursting from the trumpet tubes and whistling as sparks spewed from the spinner. The ponies in the audience stamped their hooves and whistled appreciatively, Minty and Pinkie included.

“Conjuration!”

Trixie waved her hooves in the air as a purple glow appeared in front of her, then a bouquet of flowers popped into existence. Smiling, she levitated the bouquet closer, clutching it with her hooves and making a dramatic gesture of sniffing at the flowers.

“Transformation!”

Trixie tossed the bouquet, scattering the flowers in the air above her head. With purple flashes and puffs of smoke they turned into colorful croquet balls.

“Manipulation!”

The balls formed into a neatly spaced ring and began spinning, chasing one another as the whole ring tilted gracefully, all wrapped in the purple aura of Trixie’s magic.

“Projection!”

A bright orange-yellow star flew from Trixie and joined the croquet balls. It followed its own circular path tilted at an angle to theirs, and it left a comet-like trail of light, painting a fiery yellow ring. The crowd oohed and aahed at the mesmerizing sight.

“And control over the elements themselves!”

The clouds that had earlier gathered above the stage began to disperse, leaving a rainbow hanging in the sky where sunlight filtered through the mist. Suddenly the rainbow came to life and arced down onto the stage, then wrapped itself into yet a third ring, joining the ring of fire and ring of croquet balls above the stage. Trixie reared up again, repeating her dramatic pose and triggering another burst of fireworks around the stage, which only added to the spectacle. The crowd applauded, louder than before.

Trixie waited until the applause began to subside, then removed her hat, overturned it and directed the croquet balls into it while the rainbow and illusions dispersed. “You haven’t seen anything yet!” she announced. “That was merely a warm-up. For the Great and Powerful Trixie’s next spell, however, she will require a volunteer from the audience. What brave pony will step forward?”

Many of the ponies actually took a step backward, away from the stage. Trixie’s eyes scanned the crowd with an almost predatory gleam, then she pointed her hoof towards a pony in the front row. “How about… You, Pinkie!”

Pinkie Pie yeeked, then asked, “How… how do you know my name?”

“Trixie doesn’t. That was more of an observation.” This brought laughter from the crowd. A purple aura engulfed Pinkie and she was levitated upward to the stage, whinnying and waving her hooves in near panic, which only spurred more laughter. The magic deposited her next to Trixie.

Trixie asked, loudly, “Now, Pinkie… You should know that Trixie always endeavors to return her volunteers to the audience in one piece. Do you place your trust in the power of Trixie?”

“Um… I guess.” Giggles drifted up from the audience.

Trixie feigned surprise. “What’s that? Pinkie, my magic is telling me that some of those ponies in the back couldn’t hear your reply. Please say again: Do you place your trust in the power of Trixie?”

Pinkie trembled, ears drooped low, biting her lip. Then she yelled out, “I trust you, Trixie!”

“Outstanding! Finer last words were never spoken! Now, before we continue, Trixie must summon the Cabinet of Doom.” Trixie repeated her earlier motions of rearing up on her hind legs and waving her font hooves in the air. This time there was a flash of light and generous eruption of smoke on the stage. The smoke cleared to reveal an upright cabinet.

Pinkie Pie frowned at the cabinet, noting that it was painted black and covered with mysterious symbols in gold, and the image of a horse’s skull dominated the front. The four legs of the cabinet each ended in a roller so it could be turned and moved easily, and the four corners at the top each had a gargoyle cast in bronze. This cabinet didn’t look like anything a pony would make—or want to be around.

With a faint sizzle and magical glow barely visible under the summer sun, the cabinet door swung open and revealed two compartments: a large one below and a much smaller one above, with a shelf dividing them. Then Trixie said, “Brave volunteer Pinkie, please climb into the Cabinet of Doom!”

Somehow, the more Trixie mentioned Pinkie’s bravery the less she felt it, and it showed in her drooping ears and tail as she hesitantly moved toward the box. Giggles drifted up from the crowd, from ponies amused by her timidity. Then a pony yelled, “You can do it, Pinkie Pie!” That was Minty! Heartened, Pinkie climbed into the box, then smiled and waved to her friend.

“That’s the spirit!” Trixie enthused. Then she moved next to the box and whispered to Pinkie, “Don’t move around too much and maybe I won’t lose any parts of you.” Pinkie’s eyes widened and she gulped as the cabinet door swung shut and latched, concealing her from view.

Trixie backed away a few steps and her horn glowed with magic as the box began to turn in place. Trixie announced, “The mystical forces gather at Trixie’s command, to perform a transmutation beyond the comprehension of lesser ponies!” Smoke erupted again around the cabinet, this time with a generous helping of sparkles. As the smoke cleared, the cabinet slowed and came to a stop with the door once again facing the audience.

“Behold the power of Trixie!” The door swung open, the motion accompanied by a burst of fireworks from the sides of the stage for emphasis. The large compartment where Pinkie Pie had been was empty, but there was something pink in the upper compartment. Trixie floated it out for the audience to get a good look at. They gasped as they saw, and then trampled the ground with applause. It was a plush pony doll that bore an uncanny resemblance to Pinkie Pie, right down to her cutie mark.

Minty was aghast. “Nuuuu! Pinkie Pie! What has she done to you?”

Trixie floated the plush toy down to Minty, who jumped to grasp it with her mouth. The magician cackled and said, “The volunteer is returned in one piece, as promised!”

Minty hugged the toy to her chest and wailed, “I’m sorry Pinkie Pie, I should never have brought you here!”

Trixie grinned down at Minty and said, “I thought you’d like her better this way.”

Minty took the doll in her mouth again, leapt up onto the stage, then spat out the doll onto the floor in front of Trixie. With an angry glare Minty demanded, “Change her back!”

Trixie glared back for a moment, then asked, “What is your name?”

“I’m Minty.”

Trixie then turned to the crowd and raised a hoof. “Fear not! The Great and Powerful Trixie has heard Minty’s plea and will restore her friend.” She then levitated the doll and floated it back into the upper compartment of the box and closed the door. Once again the box spun for a while, the smoke-and-sparkles repeated, and the box spun to a stop. Trixie said, “Minty, would you please open the box and welcome back your friend?”

Minty ran over to the box and reached for the door—but recoiled as black tentacles burst out of it. Minty screamed (along with the audience) and scrambled back as the tentacles whipped about, reaching and groping.

Trixie charged forward, her horn glowing, and yelled, “Back! Back!” Beams of light shot forth from her horn and appeared to burn the tentacles, forcing them to retreat. After battling them for some moments, Trixie got them all back into the cabinet and slammed the door shut with her hooves. She turned to face the audience and said, “Sometimes Trixie forgets her own power!”

Minty cried, “Pinkiiie Pie! Where’s my friend?”

“There!” Trixie pointed towards her wizard hat, which she’d earlier left laying on the stage. A poofy pink pony head was sticking out of it, blinking with confusion. Pinkie squirmed and clambered out of the hat, despite the obvious impossibility of ever fitting into it to begin with.

Minty pounced Pinkie and gave her a crushing hug. “Pinkie, you’re okay! I was so scared!”

Pinkie grinned and hugged back. “I’m better than okay, I’m fantabulous. That was awesome!”

To the crowd Trixie asked, “Was there ever any doubt?” She magically triggered some more fireworks and struck a triumphant pose. Then, after the applause began to die down, she thanked Minty and Pinkie and nudged them off the stage.

When they returned to the seating area, the two earth ponies were so excited that they hardly paid any attention to the continuing magic show. “What happened to you?” Minty wanted to know. “What did you see when you were a doll?”

“Doll? I wasn’t a doll. I just went through some weird places. It was… um…” She struggled to find words, then said, “It was sort of like there was a wall that I never noticed before, and I just went to the other side of it for a while. I’ve never seen anything like it before. I’ve got to figure out how to do that.”

Minty laughed! She said, “We’re earth ponies, silly! We can’t do unicorn magic.”

Pinkie grabbed Minty with her hooves and looked her in the eye with a serious and determined expression that Minty had rarely seen before, and she said, “I’ve got to figure out how to do that. And I will.” Then she broke into a grin again and said, “Just think of the pranks I’ll be able to pull! It’ll be so much fun! But that’s enough magic for now, we’ve still got the rest of the fair to see. Come on!” At that she went bouncing away from the magic show with Minty trotting along trying to keep up.

A dapper gray unicorn stallion navigated confidently through the maze of city streets that visitors to the city often found so baffling, until he came to a small shoppe with a sign indicating “Collectible Coins & Currency”. A smaller sign read, “We Buy Gold & Silver”. Entering, he found a sparse interior, although there were some display cases showing off commemorative and antique coins.

An olive green unicorn stallion greeted him. “Good day! I’m Filthy Lucre, but please feel free to call me Luke. What can I do for you?”

The collector smiled and said, “Don’t you recognize me, Luke? Granted, it’s been a while…”

Luke peered, thinking for a moment. “Oh! Jet Set! My good fellow, it has indeed been a while since you’ve graced my shop.”

Jet Set shrugged and said, “I must admit, my interest in numismatics waned for a time. However, I recently stumbled across some enigmatic coins that I need a regarded professional opinion on.”

“Then you came to the right place! By all means, I would be happy to examine them.”

Jet levitated the three coins from his pocket and spread them out on the counter, upon a black velvet examination pad. Luke peered at them, his eyes going wide. With his own magic he flipped them to examine both sides. He brought over a magnifier and cast a light spell. He muttered, “most remarkable… Where did you find these? But of course, they can’t be authentic…”

“That’s what I want you to determine,” Jet said. “Please do keep in mind, I’m not practiced in casting the authentication spell myself—but I know how to read the results, and I am well-versed enough in magic to tell whether you’re casting it correctly.”

Luke gasped, feigning shock. “Sir! You wound me! I can assure you that the thought of deceiving you never even began to speculate about the merest possibility of crossing my mind.”

“No, of course not,” Jet Set said. “Please do continue.”

Luke stared at the coins with a slight frown, and his horn glowed as he cast the spell. Within a few moments the soft glow of his magical aura was replaced by a brighter one of pure green. He drew in a breath, a very sincere gasp this time, and then softly breathed out, “they’re real…”

Jet Set blinked. “I must admit, I’m rather surprised at that myself.”

“But where did you get them?” Luke asked. “The vast majority of these were destroyed during the reign of Discord, more than two thousand years ago. It’s not the sort of thing one finds in pocket change.”

“How ironic that you should phrase it that way! That’s almost how I came about them. I got them from a vendor at the fairgrounds. He said a couple of ponies paid for their food with these.”

Luke said, “That’s amazing. But… Could those ponies still be wandering around the fair grounds, spending more of these?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, but I suppose if they had three of them, they could just as easily have more.”

Luke pondered for a moment, then turned his head, looking towards the rear of the shoppe, and called out, “Bitsy! Come here, girl, I need you!”

There was a sound of movement and a feminine voice called back, “Coming!” Momentarily a yellow unicorn pony appeared, a young mare barely more than a filly. “What is it, Papa?” she asked.

“Bitsy, I’d like for you to run an errand for me. Go find my old associate, Mister Doubloon. Something’s come up that I need his help with. Tell him it’s a golden opportunity, he’ll understand.”

Bitsy fidgeted and said, “You mean the Basher?”

“Yes, yes… Basher Doubloon! You know where to find him, right? Go on then!”

She tossed her head in an emphatic nod, and trotted out the front door.

Jet Set frowned. “Basher Doubloon, really? I’ve heard of him. It’s not the most savory of reputations, I dare say.”

Luke waved a hoof dismissively. “Oh, he’s not so bad. You know how stories get exaggerated. Anyhow, we don’t have time to waste, and he knows how to get ponies to cooperate. You’ll see. The three of us can head back to the fair grounds, if you’re game, and we’ll beat the bushes until we see what drops out, eh?”

Star Catcher wandered through the fair grounds, head held low, unhappy, grumbling to herself. Wanting to catch up with Minty and Pinkie Pie, she wended her way back to the food court and asked Berry Punch. “I think I overheard them say something about a magic show,” was all Berry could tell her.

Ah. The Great and Powerful Trixie. Maybe she could catch up with her friends there. Star Catcher thanked Berry Punch and went in search of the stage where the magician performed. Within a few more minutes she’d reached it and saw that the show was already in progress. Star Catcher looked around at the crowd of ponies, not seeing her friends. She worked her way around to the front of the seating area, while the other ponies stamped their hooves in applause for whatever trick that Trixie had just performed.

“For her next feat, Trixie requires another brave volunteer from the audience! How about…” Trixie pointed a hoof at Star Catcher. “You! Porky!”

Star Catcher gawped, her jaw hanging open, and she raised a hoof to her chest. “Me?” she mouthed silently.

“Yes, you! Come on up here!” Startled and confused, Star Catcher was engulfed in a purple glow of magic and began to levitate into the air—then sagged back down as Trixie grunted with effort and shed some sparks from her horn. After a few moments of struggle Trixie gave up, dropping Star Catcher back onto her hooves while the crowd hooted with laughter.

Trixie caught her breath, then held up a hoof to silence them. “Trixie is better known for her immense skill and knowledge of magical arts, rather than brute strength,” she announced. Then she looked down at Star Catcher and said, “Could you please give your wings a flap and hop up here onto the stage?”

Blushing, Star Catcher complied, spreading her huge wings and giving a couple of flaps as she hopped up and took her place alongside Trixie.

“Okay, Porky,” said Trixie. “Please tell the crowd your name!”

“It’s Star Catcher,” the pegasus said softly.

Trixie rolled her eyes, then said, “Many of Trixie’s volunteers are nervous when they take the stage. They are afraid of making a mistake. When you speak and the ponies in the back row can’t hear you, do you know what that is? That’s a mistake! Now, would you please tell the audience your name again, so all of them can hear?”

Star Catcher’s face burned with embarrassment. Fortunately, she’d learned to use Command Power during her weather service training. Her instructor had even praised her unique ability to make herself understood over the roar of a tempest. She drew in a deep breath, and then she shouted out, “MY NAME IS STAR CATCHER!”

Banners around the stage were torn and ponies were knocked from their seats by the power of Star Catcher’s voice. Trixie fell back onto her tail and her world went black as her wizard hat was picked up from the stage and hurled into her face. She scrabbled with her hooves to remove the hat from her muzzle, then stared at Star Catcher. “Was that okay?” Star Catcher asked, her voice once again barely audible over the ringing in Trixie’s ears.

“Trixie thinks all of Canterlot must have heard that!”

High up in a tower of Canterlot Castle, in her private study, Princess Celestia sprawled comfortably upon a large cushion, lightly gripping it under herself with her hooves. A report floated in the golden aura of her magic as she perused it. Suddenly her ears perked, and she looked up from the report. Her mouth hung open as she stared out the window of the tower, her ears straining to pick up any sound.

After a few tense moments she sighed and turned her head away from the window. She shook her head and snorted a small, ladylike snort. She mused, “Ridiculous… The centuries must be catching up with me, I’m starting to imagine things.”

04 - Shakedown

In the open space of the fairground, near the food vendors, three pony stallions huddled. Jet Set and Filthy Lucre had been joined by a larger earth pony. His coat was dark gray, mane and tail a rusty red, a red-and-white striped shirt tightly stretched over his burly frame, and (strangely enough) a cutie mark resembling a violin case. “Is dis da joint?” he asked.

Jet Set nodded in the direction of the fried ice cream vendor, pointing with his horn. “There’s the fellow I got the coins from. So, how do you think we should approach him?”

Filthy Lucre shrugged lightly. “Oh, we can’t be bashful about it, can we? Never get anywhere that way. Just follow my lead.” He trotted over to the stall, with Jet Set and Basher Doubloon following. They barged past a few other ponies waiting for ice cream, with Basher giving one a firm shove. Luke addressed the vendor, “Sir! I’d like to ask you a couple of questions, if I may.”

The ice cream seller blinked. “How can I help you gents?”

“Well you see, my friend over here got a few unusual coins from you earlier today, and we was wondering if you stumbled on any more of those.”

The vendor’s mane tossed as he shook his head. “Sorry, nope! I haven’t got any more of them.”

Luke pressed closer. “But have you seen the ponies you got them from? Maybe they passed by this way again.”

“I, err… I noticed they went to the punch stand too. Say, what is this all about? Are they in some kind of trouble?” He glanced at the silent earth pony, who glared back with an angry grimace.

“Oh, I hope not,” Luke said, affecting a tone of concern. “But we really should check up on the poor dears. Perhaps you could give us a better description of them, aye?”

The vendor glanced at the other ponies waiting impatiently for ice cream. Ears drooping, the pony backed away from the counter. “I, um… I don’t really know if I should. I wasn’t really paying that close attention, I don’t remember any details. Could you, um, just move along and let me serve these other customers, please?”

Luke stepped back from the counter and nodded toward his much bigger companion. The earth pony reared and put his grubby front hooves on the counter, and yelled, “What’sa bucking matta wit you, huh? Buck you! You tink you can bucking hold out on us, you bucker? You better remember what dem bucking ponies look like, you bucking hear me?” Behind him, a lot of ponies suddenly decided they didn’t want ice cream at all, and they scattered away from the stall.

Cringing with his tail between his legs and his ears drooping, the vendor whimpered, “I don’t know nothing, mister. I just sell ice cream. Please don’t hurt me!”

Luke nudged up alongside Basher and said, “That’s all right, we don’t wanna hurt nopony. You just tell us what those ponies looked like, and we’ll leave you right alone.”

The ice cream pony hiccuped, then said, “I-I… Okay already! One of them was all *hic* pink, and the other one was green with a *hic* pink mane and they were with a big white pegasus, and that’s all I remember. I didn’t *hic* look them over that close.”

Luke smiled. “There now, that wasn’t so bad, eh? C’mon, Basher! We’re done with this one.”

Basher snorted before turning to leave the sobbing (and hiccuping) ice cream pony and follow Luke to where Jet Set waited. Jet held a hoof in the air uncertainly, giving Luke a sidelong look, and said, “I say, I say! Was that performance really necessary?”

“Of course it was! I told you Basher knows how to get ponies to cooperate, didn’t I? Can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs, isn’t that what they say?”

Basher perked up his ears. “What wazzat you say, boss? You need me to break some legs?”

“Not now, Basher. Maybe in a while.”

Jet Set frowned, his head low. “I’m afraid I can no longer be a party to this enterprise.”

Luke quirked an eyebrow. “Oh, is that so? Well, if you’re such a dainty toff, you’d better just toddle on home! We can take it from here. You’ve already got your swag anyhow, don’t ya? No need to get your hooves dirty with the likes of us—but you best keep your trap shut about this, am I clear?”

Jet bristled. “Are you threatening me, sirrah?”

“Maybe I am. Basher?”

Basher pawed at the dirt with a hoof and tossed his head.

Jet winced, despite himself. “So that’s how it is? Very well, I wash my hooves of you!” Then he turned and walked away, head held high.

Basher laughed, “Bwaha! What a bucking fruit!”

“Come along, Basher! We’ve got a lead on them. Let’s try the punch stand next.”

They went a short way over to Berry Punch’s stand. Chewing on a piece of gum, she eyed them warily, having been well within earshot of Basher’s outburst. “What do you want?”

Luke forced a smile. “We’re looking for a couple of earth ponies, dearie. One of them is all pink, and the other is green with a pink mane. I heard they came around here.”

“A lot of ponies come around here.”

“And did they buy anything from you, miss?”

Berry popped her chewing gum and said, “That’s none of your beeswax, is it? So, do you want a punch or not?”

Luke glanced to his side. “Basher?”

Basher muscled his way up to the stand and put his hooves up on the counter just as he’d done before, and yelled at Berry, “You bucking think you’re a real bucking smartass, don’t ya? You tink you can bucking backtalk us? I kill you! You’re bucking dead, you hear me?”

Berry’s eyes narrowed and her ears lowered, but she didn’t cringe the way the ice cream vendor had. She said, “You need to chill, mister. Yeah, you could use a cold hard berry punch!” Her hoof caught him upside the head with a hollow-sounding WHOCK!

Basher staggered back from the stand, blinking for a few seconds, then his legs gave way and he toppled over on his side. Luke rushed to his side and tried shaking him. “Speak to me, kid! Say a few syllables! Utter a few adjectives!”

Basher twitched and muttered, “uhhh… dis and dat… dese and doze… da ting of it is…”

Berry called out, “That one’s on the house!” A few ponies that had been hanging around and watching applauded, stamping the ground and whistling.

When Star Catcher finally located her friends, she found Pinkie Pie and one of the vendor ponies struggling to dislodge Minty’s head from a cotton candy machine. Star Catcher sat on her haunches and watched for a few moments, then said, “I swear, I can’t leave you two alone at all.”

Pinkie Pie looked up, though she didn’t take her front hooves away from Minty. “Hi, Star Catcher! Minty had a little accident.”

“I see that. So… Why did she put her head in there, I wonder?”

Pinkie Pie grunted softly as she tugged on Minty’s shoulders. While she pulled she said, “Don’t even try to understand why Minty does things! I gave up on that years ago. It’ll only make your head hurt.” A pained whimper came from inside the cotton candy machine.

The stallion who’d been operating the machine sighed and said, “I’ll get some warm water to pour in. It’ll dissolve some of the sticky stuff and maybe turn her loose.”

While he went for that, Pinkie Pie knocked on the side of the machine with a hoof and said, “Minty, are you okay in there?”

Minty responded by hooking her hooves over the edge of the machine’s bell and trying to pull herself out, but the effort was in vain. Then she gave up and whined, muffled but understandable, “I’m OK, I just want ouuuuut!”

“We’ll get you out, Minty! Hang on!” yelled Pinkie Pie, louder than she really needed to. She glanced around at the other ponies who were gathering to watch.

“Does this sort of thing happen all the time?” Star Catcher wondered.

Pinkie nodded, grinning, and said, “One time I threw a birthday party for Minty and when she went to blow out the candles on her cake her mane caught on fire. That was a party nopony will forget. Oh, and then there was the time she wrecked Ponyville’s Christmas tree…”

“Don’t tell her about that!” yelled Minty from inside the metal bell. She pushed with her hooves, trying again to get free.

Pinkie thumped the machine with her hoof again and said, “What about the time you hid your sock collection in my oven?”

“Not my fault!” cried Minty. “Why would you even light a fire in an oven without looking in it?”

“It’s called pre-heating, duh!”

Just then the other pony came back with a pitcher of warm water and started pouring it into the machine around Minty’s head and neck. She strained again, and gradually she pulled free—with sticky strands of her mane trailing behind until the stallion splashed them with water again.

Once out of the machine, Minty slumped to the ground, ears drooping. “I’m really sorry, mister,” she said.

The vendor pony sighed and said, “At least you’re all right. Now I’ll have to clean the whole thing before I can start it up again. You just leave the machinery to the pros from here on, okay? Here’s a wash rag, so you can get the sugar out of your hair.”

Pinkie Pie took the rag in her mouth, dipped it in water, and started dabbing at Minty’s mane. While she was thus occupied, Star Catcher said, “Minty… Why did you stick your head in the cotton candy machine?”

“I had to! The candy was the same color as my mane.”

Star Catcher stared for a moment, waiting for the rest of the explanation, then realized that was all she was going to get. “But that… that doesn’t even… unnngh!” She winced and rubbed her forehead.

Pinkie spat out the wash rag so she could speak. “See, Star Catcher? I tried to warn you about that.”

Minty stood up, shakily, on all four hooves. “Hey mister!” she said. “You should add peppermint to your cotton candy formula. I bet peppermint cotton candy would be really cool. And then you could do wintergreen too, with green coloring. I wonder if you could make them both together in the same machine?” She jumped up and put her hooves on the edge of the machine starting to peer into it again.

“Nono!” yelled the stallion as he moved to block her and then push her back. “Please stay away from that!”

Minty pouted. “I’m only trying to help.”

“I don’t need any help. Please, for Celestia’s sake, just sit over there and do nothing!” Minty slunk away and sat on her haunches beside her friends.

Pinkie Pie looked at Minty, then at Star Catcher, and said, “Hey, Star Catcher… I thought you went to the jousting matches. How was that?”

“Oh, I arrived late and missed everything but the final round. I did get to meet one of the jousters, though. And I saw a griffin.”

“No way!” said Pinkie.

“Coool!” added Minty. “I didn’t know griffins could joust.”

Star Catcher slumped. “I don’t think it did,” she said. “But I just don’t know why they would even let a griffin in the city. I tried to warn the ponies, but they treated me like I was crazy. And they… they chased me away.”

“That’s just mean,” said Pinkie Pie, and she hugged Star Catcher’s neck briefly.

Minty said, “Maybe it was a tame griffin.”

“I guess,” said Star Catcher. “I didn’t think that was even possible. I thought they were only made to be soldiers and killers—like manticores, cockatrices, gnolls, minotaurs, and all the other monsters from the wizard wars.”

Pinkie nuzzled. “You better just forget those ponies that were mean to you, Star Catcher. We came here to have fun. We’ve still got partying to do.”

Minty nodded agreement, and Star Catcher forced a smile. “You’re right,” she said. “I’m not going to let it get me down. However… Girls, there’s something strange about this city. There’s been a whole lot of things since we got here that don’t add up, and I want to figure it out.” She glanced upward towards the castle spires rising from the mountainside above the city. “From the first glimpse I got of that castle, I had a feeling something wasn’t right. So let’s be careful, okay? Keep your eyes open, and your ears too. Listen to what ponies say.”

Pinkie and Minty both nodded. Then Pinkie said, “Is there gonna be any more jousting? Did we miss it all?”

Star Catcher folded her wings neatly once again and said, “I’m afraid so. However, tomorrow the grand tournament is scheduled. That’s a mock battle with earth, unicorn and pegasus ponies all fighting together, and I gather they’re going to have a fire-breathing dragon too. That should at least be worth watching.”

Minty frowned. “Wait, a dragon? That sounds a lot more dangerous than a griffin, even.”

Star Catcher shrugged again. “Maybe it’s not a real dragon. Or maybe it’s a hatchling. Or maybe the unicorns have cast some kind of powerful charm or geas on it. I’d have guessed a fake dragon for a fake battle, but I’m not sure about anything here anymore.”

“A fake drake!” Pinkie declared. “Wait, I thought a drake was like a duck. Maybe that’s why they put geese on it? If you made up a goose to look like a duck, and swim like a duck, and quack like a duck, you’d have a… mrph!” She was brought to stop when Minty stuffed the damp rag in her mouth. Pinkie’s jaw continued to work and she made muffled sounds for a few moments. Then she spat out the rag into her hooves and rolled her tongue around in her mouth a couple of times. “Hey, that tastes like sugar. And, um, menthol?”

Minty giggles softly and asked, “So what do you girls wanna do now?”

Pinky said, “I know! Let’s go get some more hard cherry lemonade, then we can look at the schedule again and see what’s next.”

“Aster! Aster! Over here!” Bitsy called out across the street to her friend and waved a hoof.

The young pony trotted over and replied with a smile, “Hey, Bitsy! What’s up?”

Bitsy bounced with excitement. “You won’t believe this. I overheard Papa talking with a pony in the shop, and he said that he got some rare coins from one of the vendors at the fair grounds. He was buying something there, and he got them in change.”

“What, like a wheat shilling? I’ve found those in change before.”

“No, it was something way better than a wheat shilling. It was something really rare, and Papa even had me go get the Basher to help them go and look for more.”

“Wow. I wonder if we could find one?”

“Papa seemed to think so. I mean, the pony who came in had like three of them. There’s got to be more. Wanna come with me and give it a try?”

Aster hmmed. “We’ll need some bits, won’t we? Nopony’s gonna give us change unless we buy stuff, right?”

Bitsy put a hoof on her friend’s withers and said, “We’ll just have to break open our piggy banks. If we find one of those coins it’ll be like winning the lottery. Do you have any idea how much they could be worth?”

“How much?”

“Lots!”

“Wow! Okay, I’ll run home and get some bits. Maybe Amy Dextrous can come too? She’s always got spending money.”

“Hmm, yeah, she’s okay. But don’t tell anypony else! I’ll meet you at the fair grounds entrance.”

Author's Note

I know it's not much, but at least I'm still alive here!

05 - Shopping

When they made it back to Berry Punch’s stand, she was quick to wave them over. “Hey Pinkie Pie! A couple of guys came around here looking for you and your friend.”

Pinkie blinked. “Huh? Why were they looking for us?”

“I dunno, they didn’t say. I don’t think it was anything good. They had a really bad attitude. I had to smack one upside the head to get him to back off.”

Pinkie and Minty and Star Catcher all traded glances, seeing if any of them knew what this might be about. “I don’t get it,” said Pinkie. “Everypony I know is back in Ponyville, and none of them have bad attitudes. They’re all my friends.”

“Well, you girls just be careful, and keep an eye out. If anypony hassles you, come to me — or tell the guards. So… Would you care for some more lemonade?” Pinkie and Minty nodded. “Okay, coming right up!”

After the three ponies had sat down and enjoyed their lemonade, they decided to go browsing for souvenirs and gifts among the many stalls and shops that had been set up around the fair grounds. Ponies had brought their wares and crafts from all over Canterlot and beyond: clothes and jewelry, toys and games, art and musical instruments. Although some of the shops were little more than open stalls, there were also some larger and quite permanent-looking buildings.

Star Catcher sniffed at the air. “There’s an enticing odor. Let’s take a look, shall we?” She followed her nose to a nearby vendor’s stall, nestled among a small grove of trees. Minty and Pinkie followed, their curiosity piqued. They soon saw where the scent was coming from, as each corner of the structure had a bundle of incense burning. It was good advertising, since the shop was largely filled with incense and burners, in addition to candles, soaps, and numerous mysterious jars.

“Welcome to my emporium!” said a cheerful orange unicorn mare wearing a gypsy scarf. “I’m Heaven Scent. Feel free to ask about anything you see — or smell — that catches your interest!”

The three ponies wandered around, sniffing at this and that. Minty found herself nosing into a rack of small white jars. “What are these?” she wondered aloud.

“Let me show you!” said Heaven Scent. With her magic she grabbed and opened a jar, then she carefully dipped the very tip of her horn into it. A few drops of pale yellowish liquid adhered. Then she waved her horn in front of Minty and said, “Taste it!”

Minty blinked. “You… You want me to lick your horn?”

“Go on!” urged the unicorn. “It’s not dirty, it won’t hurt you.”

Pinkie Pie and Star Catcher were watching now. Feeling uncertain, Minty extended her tongue and licked a drop from the horn. She rolled her tongue in her mouth and then said, “Hey! That tastes like peaches. It’s nice. What is it, some kind of peach syrup?”

“It’s personal lubricant,” Heaven said. “A jar of this could make your next date with your colt-friend very memorable.”

Minty’s ears drooped with confusion for a few seconds, then her eyes went wide, and she blushed and started backing away. “Oh, um… wow.” Meanwhile Pinkie Pie snerked, struggling not to laugh out loud, and then gradually broke down into a giggling fit.

Heaven Scent simply smiled and wiped her horn clean with a damp rag while Minty slunk away and developed a sudden interest in soap. Star Catcher, though, moved closer to the proprietor and asked softly, “How much for a jar?”

After leaving Heaven Scent’s shop — having also picked up some incense to bring home for Kimono — they continued browsing among the others. After they found a shop that had colorful socks, they practically had to drag Minty out the door. Pinkie Pie bought a mustache-shaped baking mould (“Perfect for a mustache party!”) for herself, and a set of bamboo pan pipes for Star Catcher.

One shop was particularly large, with a broad porch and a life-sized statue of a buffalo in front. Star Catcher paused to look at a gray kitten that was running about and playing. She looked around. “Where is your mother, little kitten?” she wondered. “Where are your litter-mates?” She watched for a few moments, then followed her companions into the store.

The first thing she saw upon entering was more different kinds of candy than she’d ever seen in one place before. Minty and Pinkie Pie were already fully engaged in pointing out different candies to one another: “Jaw Breakers!” “Peanut brickle!” “Fudge!” “Gumballs!” “Look at all the flavors of jelly beans!” “Look at all the gummis!” “Whoah… There’s a whole wall covered with salt water taffy. And they have peppermint! And spearmint! And wintergreen!”

Star Catcher asked the attendant for a small bag of jelly beans with mixed flavors. She watched as the sales pony gripped a scoop handle gingerly with her lips, and filled the bag, and weighed it. After she’d paid for the candy, Star Catcher ventured, “How did you come to be here in Uni…, um, Canterlot, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I grew up here,” was the cheerful reply. “My regular store is over on Destrier Drive, but this is the fifth year in a row that I’ve rented this space for the celebration.”

Star Catcher nodded and asked, carefully, “What’s it like for an earth pony growing up here?”

The other pony shrugged. “What, you mean because there’s so many unicorns living here? It was a unicorn city way back, even before Equestria was founded. But that’s no big deal.”

“That long ago…” Star Catcher muttered, more to herself than to the sales pony.

Just then everypony perked up as they heard a piercing shriek, followed by, “Oh! My! Gosh! Minty! There’s a whole room full of toys and puzzles back here!”

Seeing that Pinkie and Minty were likely to be there for A While, Star Catcher told the sales pony, “If my friends look for me, please tell them I’ll be just outside, would you dear?” Then she took her bag and returned to the porch. She hopped onto a wooden bench and set her jelly beans on the adjacent table. She overturned the bag so some of the candy spilled out onto the table, and she could easily pick out individual beans with her lips. Then she settled her body down on the bench and ate her jelly beans at a leisurely pace, one at a time. Although small, they were the most flavorful jelly beans she’d ever had. While she waited she watched other ponies come and go, and casually listened to snippets of conversation.

There was a scratching sound, then the kitten’s head popped into view at the edge of the table. With tiny claws extended, it climbed onto the tabletop then meowed at her, loudly, “YOW! YOW! YOW!”

She craned her neck and sniffed at the kitten, and it sniffed back. She tried stroking the kitten with the bristly hairs under her chin, rubbing along its head and down its back to the base of its tail. The kitten arched its back and hiked its tail and immediately purred. She giggled softly and stroked it a few more times with her chin.

Just as she started to pull her muzzle back, the kitten’s paw struck out hooked its claws into Star Catcher’s nose. She gasped, “Aaah! Nono!” as she reflexively jumped to her feet and partially unfurled her wings. She brought forth a hoof and used the edge to carefully dislodge the prickly claws from her nostril.

“You little monster!” she scolded, but the kitten was already batting a jelly bean between its paws. The bean bounced off the edge of the table, and the kitten followed in a flash. “You must be the most scatterbrained animal I’ve ever seen.”

She settled back down on the bench, began to chew another jelly bean, and kept a wary eye on the kitten as it scampered about frantically, startling passing ponies as it frisked around their feet. Star Catcher wondered briefly if it was going to be trampled, but it seemed only ponies were at risk as the kitten nimbly dodged their darting hooves.

After some time the kitten ran out of steam and stretched out on the table beside her for a cat nap. Star Catcher smiled softly, and resumed chewing on her jelly beans, one at a time, and wondered how her friends were coming along with their shopping.

Pinkie squealed and grabbed Minty. “Look at this! This is what I’ve always needed so bad and I didn’t even know!” Grinning maniacally, she pushed a small tin box into Minty’s face. Minty blinked and sat back on her haunches, grasped the box between her front hooves, and squinted at the writing on it: EMERGENCY INFLATABLE CHICKEN.

“What is this? I don’t even…”

Pinkie grabbed it and turned the box around so Minty could read the label on the other side.

Any serious situation can be deflated by the introduction of a rubber chicken, but traditional rubber chickens are so impractically large for daily use. This vinyl Emergency Inflatable Rubber Chicken slides easily into any saddlebag or purse waiting to be introduced at the exact moment a little levity is needed. Inflates to 16” long.

Star Catcher had pulled out her new pan pipes and began to practice, playing softly while the kitten slumbered. It had been years since she’d played the pan pipes, when she’d learned along with Star Song and some other ponies in school. However, it was an easy instrument to play, and the memories began to come back to her quickly.

Other passerby paused, pleasantly bemused by the beautiful pegasus playing her music next to a table scattered with jelly beans and an adorable sleeping kitten. “It looks like you found a friend,” one commented Star Catcher merely smiled and continued her tune.

Shortly, however, an annoying mechanical sound began to intrude upon Star Catcher’s music. She stopped playing, ears perked up and looked around. Letting the pipes dangle from their cord around her neck, she slipped off the bench and moved out into the sunlight. Gazing upward she saw what looked like a massive, wide-eyed purple sea creature somehow swimming through the sky with thick and powerful flippers. It was from this monstrosity that the mechanical noises issued, along with twin plumes of white clouds that trailed a short distance before dissipating.

Star Catcher froze, her mind whirling. Was the city under attack? She glanced about. Other ponies were looking upward and pointing, but there were no screams of terror. She glanced up again at the beast, which seemed on a course almost straight toward her. “I’ve got to get a closer look at that!” she muttered, and she leapt into the air.

Soon she was keeping pace alongside the thing and, from this perspective, could easily see how she’d been wrong. What she’d taken for the creature’s body was, in fact, a large and elongated balloon with a decoratively embroidered cover in the shape of a sea beast. Below the balloon thick cables held suspended a graceful hull painted purple and festooned with propulsive and steering fins covered in gold leaf. Relieved, although still amazed by what she beheld, she waved at the crew ponies she could see moving about on the deck.

Several other pegasi had the same idea as her and were flying along with the strange craft, although they all kept a respectful distance from the airbags, propellers and backwash. Star Catcher intercepted one of the other pegasus ponies and shouted to him over the noise of the motor, “What is it?” She waved a hoof toward the nearby vessel.

“It’s one of the new steam-powered airships!” he yelled back. “They must be training to race in the Alicorn Cup. It’s only a couple of months away, you know.”

“Steam powered? How does that work?” All Star Catcher knew of steam was from a tea kettle.

“It’s just like a steam carriage!” the other pony yelled, unhelpfully. “They can go way faster and farther than magic propulsion.”

Star Catcher nodded and then flapped her wings and swooped over and around the ship, getting a good look, and then turned to glide back to the shop where she’d left her friends. Upon landing she noted the kitten had already scampered off somewhere, so she collected the candy she’d left on the table, and she went inside. She found the pony at the candy counter and asked, “Have you seen where my friends went?”

The pony nodded. “They went into the back room, down those steps and toward the end. They’ve been back there a while now; they must have found something that really grabbed their attention.”

“Thank you!” Star Catcher said, and she went to track down her friends.

In the darkened back of the shop, Minty and Pinkie Pie stared in wide-eyed wonder. Minty said, “This is amazing!”

Both ponies were bathed in an eerie blue glow from the object of their fascination. “It’s incredible!” said Pinkie.

Minty inched closer to the thing, although not daring to touch it. Her nose was close enough to feel warmth emanating from it. She said, “This… This must be the most amazingly magical thing in the world!”

“I could watch it all day long,” said Pinkie. “Look at that!”

Both ponies’ eyes went even wider as two globs of molten wax collided and fused together inside the lava lamp.

06 - Flim Flam

Aster trotted along the street, his hooves skipping lightly on the paving stones as he darted around other ponies, past vendor stalls festooned with colorful toys and trinkets, banners flying and paper lanterns twirling in the breeze. He skidded to a stop when his eye was caught by the pony he sought; Amy was standing on her hind legs, front hooves propped up on the edge of a table as she nosed at some bright feathers in front of a stall, while a couple of other ponies giggled by her side. “Hey Amy!” he called as he approached.

She dropped to all fours and turned to look, and smiled. “Hey Aster, what’s up?” He saw that she already had a dozen bead necklaces draped around her neck.

He took a breath and blurted, “Bitsy said some of the vendors are giving out rare coins in change when you buy stuff. They’re worth a lot. I think it’s like a contest or something. She said you’d help us.”

She squinted at him. “Say what? You mean all we have to do is buy stuff? I’m already doing that.”

He nodded. Then he pointed with a hoof. “How about those necklaces? Did you get change when you bought ‘em? Let’s go through the coins and see if there’s anything good!”

One of Amy’s companions chimed in, “That sounds fun. Can we help too?”

“Okay,” Aster said. “But don’t tell anypony else!”

As the children moved away from the vendor’s stall, a young mare turned to her boyfriend and nosed at him to get his attention. “Hey, did you hear that? That colt said ponies are finding special coins in their pocket change. Maybe you should check yours.”

Off to the side of the fair grounds was an area not visited by the festival crowd, but where large tents were arrayed and some ponies moved about, carrying tools and supplies to and fro. Sounds of hammering or sawing or other work came from some of these tents.

Within one such tent, a young mare named Olive was sorting bags of candy while listening with an ear cocked to a small tirade unfolding.

A portly earth pony named Big Cheese was grinding his teeth with rage. “Those donkeys!” he fumed. “Those—those provincials! How dare they?”

“Relax! It won’t give them any advantage,” said Flim, grinning. He was one of a pair of identical twin unicorns, and nothing ever seemed to deflate his manic cheeriness.

“What’ll they gain by telling everyone they’re Canterlot’s only all-unicorn entry, anyway?” said Flam, the other twin, distinguishable only by a red mustache on the end of his muzzle. He nudged Big Cheese in a friendly way. “Everyone will think they’re nasty bigots, won’t they? And there are two earth ponies and a pegasus on the Judging Committee this year!”

“I suppose you’re right,” grumbled Big Cheese, as his anger calmed somewhat. “I suppose someone might give some thought to spreading an effective rumor or two about such vicious enemies…?” The vicious enemies he referred to were the Harness District Player’s Guild, rivals of some years’ rancorous standing to Big Cheese’s own festival group, the Comestible District Phantasists.

Olive frowned, but the twins looked at each other, their grins widening. “Hmmm,” said Flim, and Olive knew he and Flam were communicating somehow, in that unspoken way they had.

“Could always go to a few taverns and imply that actually they’ve hired on a few changelings who only look like unicorns,” said Flam, bright-eyed.

“Splendid idea!” Big Cheese gave an enthusiastic tromp with his front hooves. “I knew I could rely on you.”

“All we need now is a crown for expenses,” said Flim. Big Cheese made a face, but dug into his purse.

“Well worth it,” he said, and flipped Flim a crown piece to catch with his magic. “Go forth and blacken their names!”

“Do you want to come along, Olive?” Flam turned to her.

“No, thanks.” Olive shook her head. She disapproved of such tactics. “But wait! The Master of the Revels will be here to inspect the float soon. I saw him going into the tent of the Olde Towne Fools not fifteen minutes ago.”

Flam tossed his head. “Right! We should be here when he comes in for the inspection.”

Flim waggled his eyebrows and said, “Or at least one of us should be. You can catch up with me after the Master is done.” He turned and darted out of the tent, with the crown piece still floating along with him.”

Flam called after him, “You’re incorrigible!”

“I know!” came the reply from outside.

“I love that about him!” Flam turned to Olive and said, “Well, you can have the pleasure of dazzling the Master with your sparkling conversation. I’ll trail after Flim and harass him.”

“You need to harass him more often,” Olive said with a grin. “But no, I can't explain all this stuff you've built. You need to be here. It won't be long, OK?"

He grumbled but waited, impatiently.

Indeed, it wasn’t long before Olive heard the sound of hooves on the cobbles outside, and in came a tall, dignified unicorn with a finely trimmed beard and dapper top hat perched atop his head. He was announced as The Master of Revels by an attendant who followed at his heels, and he stepped inside the tent, looking around with an air of mild disapproval. "Entry number eleven? Comestible District Phantasists? I trust your Entertainment is ready for inspection."

Big Cheese came over and said, "We are indeed. Big Cheese, at your service." He gave a modest bow.

"By the authority vested in me by the power of the Crown and the Ruling Council of Canterlot, I will inspect your entry."

"Of course you shall," agreed Big Cheese. "It awaits your approval." He indicated the obvious.

The Master nodded, then lifted his eyes to the float they had constructed, depicting Nightmare Moon rearing up against her foes atop a chariot made from broken swords and spears, and pulled by two armored bat-ponies. The Master raised an eyebrow skeptically as he examined it. “I must say,” he began slowly, “I thought I was here to inspect a Summer Sun Celebration float. Is this one not more suited for some other occasion?”

Big Cheese answered, "Very perceptive, Sir! It was, in fact, created for Nightmare Night. It was a huge success, if I may say so, and we felt compelled to bring it back due to popular demand—an encore appearance, as it were."

"A recycled float? Most irregular. Rather a large shortcut, I should say." His attendant opened a scroll and readied a stylus, while the Master walked slowly around the float. "Hmmm. This references the unfortunate events of the Great Treason. Is this quite a respectful subject, sirs? You must know that Princess Luna is in attendance at this year's festival."

"Of course it's respectful," Big Cheese insisted. "It was accepted without concern during Nightmare Night, and surely the very same work cannot be inoffensive to the crown at one time of the year, and disrespectful at another."

Olive added, "Staying up all night is a big part of the Summer Sun Celebration. It's become just as important as the day that follows. It's only right that Princess Luna get a nod of acknowledgement."

"Acknowledgement, perhaps, but the tone… Are you the artificer?"

"Heavens no! But Flam is here to answer any questions about the workings."

Taking his cue, Flam stepped forward with an easy smile. "At your service, of course. And if I may demonstrate?" His horn lit up with magic, and the mechanisms of the float sprang to life. The figure of Nightmare Moon reared and flared her wings threateningly while her mane billowed as though in a breeze. Her companion figures upon the float, faceless night-gaunts, whipped their ropy tails and reached outward with spindly arms as if longing to grab spectators and carry them away. The illusion was perfect and unsettling. The Master gaped at it, then cleared his throat so violently a collar stud popped.

"That'll do," he muttered. "What are those tubes at the back?"

"Originally, mounts for fireworks," Flam replied. "Those were used during the Nightmare Night presentation, but we won't be using them tomorrow."

"Indeed I should think not," The Master agreed.

The Master asked to see the bags of candies and other treats that were meant to be distributed to spectators as the float passed by. These Olive presented for his approval.

Next he pointed to smaller gargoyles perched near the feet of Nightmare Moon and her night-gaunts. He'd spotted tubes inside their open maws. "What do these do?"

"They exhale smoke, sir!"

"I see." The assistant continued scribbling notes. The Master frowned and asked, "Incendiary devices?"

"No, something better!" Flam was grinning from ear to ear as he unearthed a colossal glass container from a box. Inside was something as dark as night. "It's one of our own creations: a special blend! It goes into the tank beneath the float and interacts with the air, creating a black cloud of smoke that comes out of the gargoyle's mouths!" he explained excitedly. "It'll give Nightmare Moon her own rolling cloud of nightmares."

"I beg your pardon? Am I to understand you are incorporating an unapproved substance in an entertainment for public display?"

"That's right!" Flam said, completely unruffled. Olive groaned inwardly and brought her hoof to cover her face. How many times had she reminded them to register the formula?

"A substance that has not been submitted to the Guild of Alchemists for testing?"

"But it's perfectly safe!"

Olive added, "The float only uses a small amount. Barely a cupful for its entire run."

"Unacceptable! Assistant, take note of this! The rules clearly state—"

"We will be happy to submit a sample," said Big Cheese.

"Pointless! The Guild offices are closed and will not reopen until after the festival."

"But it dissipates quickly," Big Cheese said, a wheedling tone coming into his voice. "Harmlessly. I saw it tested myself."

"Irrelevant! This substance cannot be used."

Star Catcher eventually coaxed Minty and Pinkie Pie away from the lava lamp. As they left the store she ventured, “It’s getting close to supper time, isn’t it?”

“Hey, we got candy!” said Minty.

Star Catcher snorted. “That’s not supper. If you eat nothing but sugar, you’ll make yourselves sick.”

Minty’s ears drooped. “What, do you think you’re my mom now?”

Pinkie Pie chimed in, “This is party time! We can eat right the rest of the year.”

Star Catcher blinked, then turned contrite. “I’m sorry. You’re right, I’m not your mother, and you’re not little foals. I shouldn’t tell you what to eat. I just had some jelly beans myself, but they only whetted my appetite for something more solid. I’m going back to the food court. You don’t have to follow if you don’t want to; I can find you later.”

Minty and Pinkie glanced at one another. Then Pinkie said, “Of course we’ll come with you, Star Catcher. Maybe we’ll find something we’d all like.”

Their walk back to the food court was relatively quiet. It had been a long day, and even Pinkie Pie’s natural exuberance was beginning to wane. Star Catcher was particularly quiet as she pondered her recent experiences. Making their way around the food vendors and the various types of carnival fare, they ended up with bowls of apple slices lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon.

As they ate, Star Catcher’s mind was in turmoil. She thought about all the homes and farms she’d seen during the balloon flight, where she had expected only wilderness. She thought about the unicorn who’d said Minty’s balloon belonged in a museum. She thought about all the strange reactions she’d gotten at the jousting competition. She thought about an airship powered—somehow—by steam.

Most of all she thought about what the earth pony at the candy counter had said. She’d grown up here, in the unicorn city. “It was a unicorn city way back, even before Equestria was founded.” Star Catcher was sure she’d heard that clearly. A noxious lump grew in her belly as she wondered just how long ago that was.

“Did we somehow drift through the sky in dreamless sleep for a hundred years or more?” she silently wondered. It didn’t seem possible. However, Star Catcher had seen mickle magic in her time—enough to know that anything just might be possible.

“Star Catcher!”

Startled by the sound of her name, she blinked at Pinkie Pie. “What?”

Pinkie squinted suspiciously at her. “I just asked where you wanted to go next. Are you okay? You seemed sort of blanked out there for a minute.”

“I’m sorry, I was really lost in thought. I’m sure I’ll be happy to follow you two around.”

“Are you sure you’re okay? You look worried.”

Star Catcher quirked a smile and said, “I’m always worried about something, Pinkie Pie. It’s a hobby of mine. I’m just not happy unless I’m imagining something going wrong.”

Pinkie brought her hooves to her mouth, overcome for a moment. Then she suddenly laughed. “My granny is just like that too! Well, whatever makes you happy is okay with me.”

Author's Note

This was supposed to be the conclusion of Chapter 5, but I couldn't simply edit it into that chapter, because then nobody would be notified.

07 - Fireworks

As twilight settled, lights began to appear around the fair grounds. In the gathering gloom more and more of them flickered to life, transforming the scene into a new wonderland for the visiting ponies. Back in Ponyville they had candles and firefly lanterns, and not much else. Now they saw warm lights at the vendor stalls, colorful lights on the rides, and bright white lights supported on columns above the paths that wound through the fairground.

Pinkie and Minty marveled at this and pranced about with excitement, but only briefly as the long and eventful day was beginning to wear down even their natural, exuberant energy.

“Isn’t there going to be a fireworks show?” Star Catcher reminded them, and then she added, “I’ve never seen one of those. We don’t have any fireworks on Butterfly Island.”

Pinkie gasped. “You’ve never seen fireworks?”

“Have you? I thought only unicorns knew how to make them.”

Pinkie and Minty both nodded. Pinkie said, “There’s a unicorn that comes to Ponyville every fall for a couple of days to visit with Kimono. He always brings some fireworks in his cart, and he gives a fireworks show down by Cayuse Creek.”

“The old goat!” Minty chimed in.

“That’s what some ponies call him,” Pinkie nodded. “Because he has a beard sorta like a goat, and he’s a grumpy-pants sometimes. But he’s not a meanie-pants. And he’s not a goat.” She jabbed lightly at Minty. “His name is Star Swirl.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot,” Minty admitted. “I loved the fireworks, though! I got to see them one time.” Then she frowned and lowered her head. “But he never let me come back after that.”

“Yeah, Minty. He was pretty burned up about what happened that night. But I’m sure all the scars are healed and he’s forgot about it since then.” Pinkie moved closer to Star Catcher and whispered, “Let’s keep Minty way back from the fireworks, OK?” Star Catcher glanced toward the mint green pony and nodded vigorously.

They made their way toward the fairgrounds where the jousting had happened earlier in the day. It was easy to tell they were going in the right direction, since ponies were beginning to drift to the same place. They paused only to grab some more hard cherry lemonade, which they’d taken quite a liking to. Berry Punch’s stand was fairly mobbed with customers by this time. After the wait in line, and drinking their lemonade, they had to hurry to catch up with the migrating crowd.

When they continued, Pinkie Pie said softly, “I’ve never seen so many ponies in my life. I didn’t even know there were this many ponies in the world.”

Even outside the stadium, on the grass and on rooftops, ponies were gathered to watch the show. Minty wondered, “Are they going to try watching the show from out here? How can they even see it? Those must be some powerful big fireworks that they’re gonna set off, way more than anything Old Goat ever had.”

The three of them found a spot where they could see the stage, and Minty pressed herself against Pinkie and Star Catcher so that she could feel a little bit more secure. She already knew how loud fireworks could be.

As the crowd settled and an expectant hush fell over the stadium, Pinkie Pie bounced in place with anticipation. She loved fireworks! This was going to be so exciting!

Suddenly, with a loud boom that made everypony jump, a bright red firework exploded in the sky above them, sending out a shower of sparks. Minty squeaked and pressed herself against Pinkie's side.

"It's okay, Minty," Pinkie reassured her friend. "They're supposed to be loud."

A cheerful music started playing from up on stage as hundreds of tiny sparkles lit up the night sky like stars. It was breathtaking as even more colorful lights started filling up the sky creating patterns that weaved in and out of each other, forming circles, stars, hearts and all sorts of shapes that looked like they were made out of rainbows. Fireworks were shot off from different places across the ground making it appear as though an entire galaxy was exploding in front of them in a dazzling array of colors and shapes.

Minty peeked out from behind her hooves, which she had been using to cover her eyes. "Wow," she breathed. "That's so pretty!"

More fireworks followed in rapid succession, each one more dazzling than the last. Green, blue, purple and gold sparks lit up the night sky in intricate patterns. Some of the fireworks whistled and crackled as they ascended before exploding in bursts of color.

Star Catcher watched in amazement, her eyes wide.

"Ooh, look at that one!" Pinkie exclaimed as a particularly large firework burst into a shimmering silver star shape.

The show continued, building to a grand finale that left the ponies breathless. Dozens of fireworks exploded at once, filling the sky with a dazzling array of colors and shapes. The booming echoed off the surrounding buildings, making it feel like the whole city was shaking.

As the last sparks faded away, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause. Pinkie bounced up and down, whooping with glee. Even Minty was grinning from ear to ear, her earlier nervousness forgotten.

"That was amazing!" Star Catcher said, still staring up at the sky in wonder. "I've never seen anything like it!"

"I told you fireworks were awesome!" Pinkie said, giving her friend a playful nudge. "But you're right, that was way bigger and better than anything Star Swirl showed us back home."

The crowd began to disperse, and the three friends followed. Leaving the fireworks show behind, Minty and Pinky wandered groggily. For a few minutes they could only tell one another how amazing the fireworks had been.

“Did you see the one with all the gold sparkling things like bees?”

“I know! Did you see the ones with the purple things that went everywhere?”

“I know!”

And so forth. After a few minutes, though, fatigue began to set in, for they’d had a long and eventful day. They'd already gathered that the tradition at this festival was to party all night, until the sunrise ceremony, and there were certainly many festivities still ongoing. In practice, however, a fair number of ponies around the fairgrounds were finding comfortable places on the grass and among the little groves of trees where they could grab a nap. Instinct led the trio to one such grove. Star Catcher nuzzled the other two and said, gently, “I’m going to roam and investigate some things. If you want to rest here for a little while, I’ll find you later. Perhaps at the sunrise procession that so many ponies have mentioned?”

They agreed and hugged her, and she wandered off into the fairgrounds. Minty said, “Is it weird that I have to keep reminding myself that she’s not my mom?”

“I know!” said Pinkie. “Her voice is so full of love and warmth. Until she starts giving orders, and then I feel like I was caught raiding the cookie jar. But I don’t think she’s even that much older than you and me.”

They walked into what seemed like a peaceful copse, but it was not as empty as they had assumed. There they saw a small tent among the trees, and a lantern filled with fireflies hanging by the entrance, which was draped with flowing, gauzy material. Illuminated by the lantern was a wooden sign with cracked but still colorful paint. There was the image of a large orb, a crystal ball, sitting on a pedestal, and strange symbols surrounding it. Above it, as though gazing into the orb, was the outline of a long, slender face with two graceful horns curving upward. Below the image were the words:

MADAME MARIMBA
SEES ALL
KNOWS ALL

There they paused, at first still thinking of a place to lie down, but then their attention was drawn to the sign, and the inviting glow and aroma of incense that also came from within the tent. An exotically accented voice called out to them:

“Come in, and enter without fear! Marimba knows why you are here.”

Pinkie and Minty glanced at one another. Minty said, "Ooh! I want to have my fortune told by a unicorn. C'mon, Pinkie Pie, this'll be fun!"

Pinkie pulled back and argued, with a strained laugh, "Haha! Fortune telling? What do you think, that a pony can have a twinge or a sneeze and knows what's going to happen? That's just crazy talk!"

Minty was already nosing her way into the tent. "What do you mean?"

"It's fake," Pinkie said. "Everypony knows that. A trick to get silly colts and fillies to spend their bits."

"Let's find out!" Minty said, and pushed forward into the tent. Pinkie followed reluctantly. Then the two ponies looked around in wonderment as their eyes adjusted to the low lighting in the tent. The walls were of richly patterned fabric and hung with beaded strings, tapestries and feathers. Oil lamps cast a flickering light over wooden shelves filled with strange objects and bottles of oils and incense. On a low platform at the far end of the tent was an elaborately upholstered chair, behind it stood a sort of being that neither Pinkie nor Minty had ever seen before: an antelope with a glossy brown coat and long, spiraled horns.

Madame Marimba smiled warmly at Pinkie and Minty, her horns curved elegantly above her head. She wore a long robe of shimmering purple velvet, encrusted with sparkling jewels. Her eyes were heavy-lidded, warm like honey and glowing with wisdom. This exotic being greeted the two ponies:

"Welcome, dear ponies, to my mystical den, where destiny is revealed to those who enter in. I am Marimba, seer of the unseen; in my crystal ball, your destinies will gleam. Step forward, brave souls, and let your hearts be light, for the secrets of tomorrow shall be unveiled tonight."

Pinkie grabbed Minty and whispered (not terribly quietly) in her ear, "That's no unicorn!"

Minty stage-whispered back in kind, "But look at those horns! She must be twice as magical as any unicorn."

Marimba laughed and said:

"Thank you, kind miss, for your words of praise! Now, if you'll take a seat, I'll gaze. . ."

She waved a slender, cloven hoof, indicating the table.

"Into my crystal ball to see what unfolds, and tell you what the future holds."

So saying, she moved to take her seat at the table, and motioned for the two ponies to take their place at the other side, upon a plush ottoman. They did so, and watched expectantly.

The fortune teller cleared her throat and gestured towards a bowl by the side of the table containing a few coins. A small sign read: 5 BITS

Minty eagerly put her coins into the bowl, and Pinkie did as well, though with less enthusiasm. Minty said, "Me first, please!"

Madame Marimba smiled and nodded, then reached for a small, dark crystal ball that was sitting on the table. After placing her cloven hooves on either side of the sphere, Madame Marimba began to speak in a melodic voice:

"Behold the ancient glass of my sight, wherein the secrets of your future take flight! Let me look deep within the depths of its soul, and the scrolls of fate we shall unroll.

Lamp light bounced off the glass and seemed to be drawn inside, like a whirlpool. The interior of the orb began to glow with a silvery light as Marimba moved her hooves over it in slow circles, sending sparks of colored light swirling around within.

Then she leaned forward with an expression of concentration, murmuring softly under her breath. The crystal ball seemed to spin on its own as images began to appear within the depths.

The antelope frowned as though puzzled. She said:

"Mystic crystal globe beyond reason and rhyme, let me see the through the eyes of time! Two ponies are here, their fates entwined. The turn of tide, cycle of season, will it be kind?"

As she recited this, her long face became more furrowed with distress. She muttered, “I dimly see. . . No, this can’t be!” Eyes wide with shock, Marimba looked to Minty, then Pinkie Pie. Then she jumped up from the table and said, in a harsh tone, “You must leave! I can't give you the fortune you seek. Go, now!” She pointed with a hoof toward the exit.

The ponies cringed, and Minty almost cried, "But why? I don't understand."

Pinkie said, "Yeah, and we paid you for a fortune reading too."

Marimba reached over and shoved the money bowl toward them. "Take your coins! You have no future. I can't help you. Nobody can help you." Then she turned and fled through a fabric flap in the rear of the tent.

The two friends sat stunned for a moment. Minty sobbed, "What did I do wrong this time?"

Pinkie hugged her and said, "You didn't do anything wrong, Minty. Maybe she's crazy, or she's trying to scare us." Pinkie Pie looked at the money bowl and said, "Well, that's a shame. I guess we lost our chance to find out what happens in the future."

Minty sniffed and nodded. "Come on, let's go."

Thus the two ponies left the tent, feeling disheartened and confused. They crossed a foot bridge and found a place where they could lay down on the grass, where the sounds of ongoing revelry were softened by distance, and a tree provided shade from the cold glare of the moon. As they lay down, Minty said, “Longest day of the year means shortest night too, doesn’t it?”

“That’s how it works, yep. We’ll just grab a little shut-eye, then get up and be ready for those Unicorn Wizards to raise Mister Sun.”

“I wonder if Old Goat—I mean, Star Swirl—will be there? How many unicorns does it take to raise the sun?”

“Lots! But I had no idea there were even this many unicorns in the whole world, before we came here.”

“Where will they do it?”

Pinkie scratched her chin, and shrugged. “Not sure. But if we follow all the other ponies, I’m sure they’ll lead us right to the ceremony.”

That was obviously sound herd-animal logic, so the two of them settled down to sleep.

08 - Soirée

Star Catcher had taken flight again, ascending and gradually turning in higher and larger circles above the city. Despite having decent night vision, most pegasus ponies instinctively found night flying uncomfortable and tended to avoid it if possible. Now, however, the moon and the lights of Canterlot were enough to keep her oriented, and the cool breeze was refreshing.

She visually scanned the imposing white palace that dominated the mountain peak. She suspected that many answers to burning questions could be found inside, but she wondered what would happen if she approached it. Surely some guards would intercept her, and she couldn’t guess how severe their sanction might be. She decided to wait a while before risking that.

Given the lights and movement she saw all over the city, it was apparent that the festival ground was not the only area where the Summer Sun Celebration was observed. Many residences also had lights burning and carriages parked nearby. She soared over what she assumed to be the most exalted of neighborhoods, which included some estates that she could easily have mistaken for royal palaces themselves, had she seen them before this night in more familiar contexts.

It appeared that space was a premium in this city, built as it was on a table land of limited area. At one end of the geologic formation was a peak, or horn, which had originally perhaps been of modest size, but now appeared exaggerated by the towering, gleaming white palace that had been constructed around and upon it. Below it lay the city, mostly flat, but its boundaries were constrained by a sharp drop to the rolling plains and forests even further below.

Thus it seemed, an estate with large grounds and gardens had become the highest of status symbols, sported by only a few of the very most sumptuous mansions. Star Catcher selected one of these where signs of activity were visible, and she angled toward it.

She reasoned that if she were caught intruding into a private affair where she was not wanted, she was more likely to be merely escorted out, rather than tossed into a dungeon.

Within the walls of the garden, some lights glowed, but no ponies were about. The soirée, it seemed, was indoors. Star Catcher came to a gentle landing on the garden path, in a corner some distance from the mansion. Although she thought she had been unobserved, as soon as her hooves were upon the path, a momentary flash of red rippled out through the garden, from lamp to lamp. Some sort of magical alarm? She froze for a moment, but then decided to press onward.

She strode at a measured pace through the garden, until she emerged by the patio. There some ponies were carousing, seemingly a spillover crowd from the main festivity taking place inside. Music drifted out through the wide open doors.

As Star Catcher approached, she saw at once that she was under-dressed for the occasion. She’d already observed that ponies in Canterlot wore much more clothing than the residents of the villages she knew back home. The trend was carried even further among this high-society crowd, as it appeared every mare wore some form of elaborate gown, and every stallion a waistcoat and jacket. Her hopes of going unnoticed were dashed.

Indeed, a stern-faced unicorn stallion immediately moved to intercept her, and he had some sort of stick or wand floating in his magical grasp. She considered turning and fleeing, but decided that it would look more suspicious. She stopped, and waited, standing her ground as the stallion approached, his stern expression making her heart race. He stopped before her, his magical aura lifting the wand to point directly at her.

“Excuse me, madam, but this is a private gathering. I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to leave,” he said, his voice clipped and formal.

“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to intrude,” said Star Catcher. “I was a bit lost and merely came to rest here for a moment.”

He nudged with the wand. “That’s more than obvious,” the stallion sniffed, “’What business could you possibly have—” He stopped in mid-sentence, mouth open, as his gaze suddenly shifted to his wand. The gem at its tip had developed a purple glow. He glanced between it and the bemused Star Catcher.

The unicorn’s eyes widened, and his demeanor changed in an instant. He lowered the wand, a look of shock and embarrassment crossing his face. “Oh my goodness! I do apologize, madam. I had no idea...” He bowed deeply, his voice now dripping with deference. “Please forgive my rudeness!”

Star Catcher blinked, confused by the sudden change. “I... It’s quite alright,” she managed to say.

He straightened up, now smiling broadly. “No, no, it is not alright at all. To think I almost turned away such an esteemed guest! Please, allow me to make amends. Would you care for some refreshment? Perhaps some of our finest champagne?”

“That’s very kind, but I don’t understand—” Star Catcher began, but the stallion was already gesturing to a nearby server.

“Quickly now, our best champagne for the lady,” he ordered, then turned back to Star Catcher. “Please, allow me to look after your bag during your stay!” Without waiting for a response, he levitated the travel-worn saddlebag from her back. Then he said, “I must inform our host of your arrival immediately. He’ll be absolutely thrilled to have you here.”

Before Star Catcher could protest, the servant was already trotting towards the mansion’s entrance, leaving her standing bewildered on the patio, wondering who she’d been mistaken for, and why. Meanwhile the other ponies nearby on the patio slipped sidelong glances, curiously trying to size her up without making it obvious that they were doing so.

Soon Star Catcher was sitting awkwardly, clutching the flute of champagne that had been thrust into her hooves. She drained it quickly, if only to be rid of the glass, only to be instantly offered another, which she politely refused. She watched as ponies in glittering gowns and sharp tuxedos mingled nearby, their laughter and chatter filling the air. Her eyes darted nervously towards the mansion’s entrance, wondering what would happen next.

A distinguished-looking unicorn stallion emerged, white in color, slightly heavyset with a larger than average horn. His powder-blue mane was perfectly coiffed, and he wore an elegant waistcoat that sparkled in the soft lighting. A monocle perched delicately over his right eye. This, Star Catcher realized, must be the host. She stood to meet him.

The stallion’s face lit up as he caught sight of her, and he made his way over with a graceful trot. “My dear, what an unexpected pleasure!” he exclaimed, his voice warm and refined. “I am Fancy Pants, and I’m absolutely delighted you’ve chosen to grace us with your presence. I apologize that you were not recognized at once. Please forgive my majordomo; it’s his job to keep out the riffraff. He’s Crudley, by the way.”

Star Catcher muttered, “Oh, sorry to hear!”

Fancy Pants chuckled as if this were a merry jest.

She swallowed hard, her mind racing, then said, “It’s lovely to meet you, Fancy Pants. I’m Star Catcher.”

Fancy Pants’ eyes twinkled with amusement. “Of course, Your Grace. ‘Star Catcher’ it is, then. How marvelous of you to join us in such a... creative disguise.”

Star Catcher’s heart skipped a beat. Your Grace? Disguise? Who did he think she was? Should she try to correct him?

“I must say, Your Grace, you had poor Crudley in quite a tizzy,” Fancy Pants chuckled. “But not to worry, your secret is safe with us. We’re simply honored you’ve chosen our humble soirée for your incognito adventure.”

Star Catcher felt a bead of sweat form on her brow. She was in too deep now. If she admitted she wasn’t who they thought she was, she’d likely be thrown out—or worse. She forced a smile and decided to play along. She said, “Thank you for your discretion, Fancy Pants. I hope my unexpected arrival hasn’t caused any inconvenience.” This was how unicorn ladies talked in story books. She hoped she was getting it right.

“Inconvenience? Perish the thought!” Fancy Pants beamed. “Your presence elevates our little gathering immeasurably. Please join us!” he insisted and gestured for Star Catcher to precede him inside. As they walked through the grand entryway of the sprawling mansion, she was able to take in details of its lavish decorations: luxurious carpets from distant lands; large paintings depicting heroic deeds; intricate tapestries hung on nearly every wall; ornate chandeliers casting warm light over everything; and beautiful marble statues of unicorn nobleponies interspersed around the rooms. To the rustic pegasus it was breathtaking.

Fancy Pants led her down a hallway into a large chamber filled with many more ponies who were conversing and partaking in the evening’s entertainments while a string quartet performed nearby. A lavish buffet of foods and beverages was laid out on a table that spanned the width of the room.

As Star Catcher entered, all eyes were on her. She felt a chill, but it wasn’t from the air. Conversations had dried up.

“Please, help yourself to whatever you wish. Feel at home. We’d be honored if you’d share in our festivities.” Fancy Pants smiled broadly as he said this, loudly enough to be overheard by others.

She felt self-conscious under curious gazes from all sides, but the silence warmed, conversations restarted. She was confused by the situation, but Fancy Pants seemed friendly, even cheerful, and the other party-goers were contented to follow his lead. If he regarded this unfamiliar, very under-dressed pegasus as a friend, so would they.

Fancy Pants gently guided Star Catcher towards a quieter corner, still within view of the other guests. He gestured to a pair of plush cushions, inviting her to sit.

“So, Your Grace,” he began, his voice lowered conspiratorially, “have you been enjoying the Summer Sun Celebration thus far?”

“Yes, I have,” she answered. “I wandered the fairgrounds for some time with a pair of friends. We sampled the food, the rides, and I caught the end of the jousting tournament.”

He nodded. “Seeing the event from a different perspective, eh? Mingling with the common fair-goers? What a jolly idea! It must be a refreshing change of pace for you. The festival always has a way of revealing the true spirit of Equestria, doesn’t it? I find it absolutely fascinating to observe how ponies from all walks of life come together in celebration.”

“I have noticed the same,” she agreed.

“Hmm. I hear there’s been quite a stir about some ancient coins circulating among the vendors.”

Star Catcher’s ears perked up at this tidbit of information. “I haven’t heard about that,” she admitted. “What sort of ancient coins?”

Fancy Pants leaned in, clearly relishing the chance to share some gossip. “Well, rumor has it that they’re pre-classical era coins, perhaps dating back to the founding of our nation. Quite valuable, I’m told. There’s been something of a treasure hunt developing among the fair-goers.”

Just then another white unicorn approached. Her proportions were striking, with an unusually long horn, long legs and a rail-thin build. She wore an elegant, flowing gown, its soft aqua color contrasting tastefully with her pastel lavender-pink mane.

“Ah, my dear!” Fancy Pants said. “Allow me to introduce a new guest at this evening’s event, and a most distinguished one indeed. Her Grace is attending under the cognomen of Star Catcher, so as to avoid public fuss.” He continued, “Star Catcher, this elegant being is Fleur de Lis, the lady of the house.”

“I am pleased to meet you,” Fleur said, raising a foreleg and momentarily dipping her head.

Star Catcher nodded acknowledgement. “Likewise, to be sure!”

Fancy Pants then asked, “Fleur, my dear, would you be so kind as to show her around? I’m afraid I have some matters to attend to.”

Fleur smiled and nodded politely to Star Catcher before turning back to Fancy Pants. “It would be my pleasure,” she replied graciously before leading Star Catcher away from the buffet table and introducing her around to the other guests. These ponies, without exception, made their best efforts to conceal their uncertainty over Star Catcher’s identity, though not always with complete success.

Star Catcher followed Fleur as they wove through the crowd. Fleur’s voice was soft and melodious as she spoke. “I must say, your arrival has caused quite a stir. It’s not often we have such… unexpected guests.”

Star Catcher swallowed hard, unsure how to respond. Fleur, sensing her discomfort, smoothly changed the subject. “Have you tried the hors d’oeuvres? Our chef outdid himself this evening.”

As they passed by various groups of ponies, Fleur would pause to make introductions. “Lord Gilded Frame, may I present our distinguished guest?” Fleur said to a portly stallion with a monocle. “And here’s Lady Silverstream, one of Canterlot’s most renowned poets.”

Star Catcher nodded politely to each pony, trying to keep her composure as she was introduced to what seemed like half of Canterlot’s elite. She noticed how Fleur never attempted to explain her supposed identity (or state of undress, for that matter) leaving the other guests to draw their own conclusions.

As they moved through the party, Fleur kept up a steady stream of light conversation, peppering Star Catcher with questions about her thoughts on the latest fashions and gossip from the capital. Star Catcher did her best to give noncommittal answers, grateful for Fleur’s skill in keeping the conversation flowing despite her reticence.

Fleur de Lis was extremely well-mannered, spending nearly an hour introducing Star Catcher to ponies of every kind, from the major noble families in Canterlot. During these rounds Fleur de Lis whispered bits of gossip about the other ponies to Star Catcher, who nodded along despite having absolutely no understanding or concern about such matters.

After some time, Star Catcher gathered her courage and asked, “Fleur de Lis, can I ask you something?”

“Certainly, my dear,” Fleur replied with a kind smile.

Star Catcher hesitated for a moment before continuing, “Who does Fancy Pants think I am? Why is he calling me ‘Your Grace’?”

Fleur de Lis paused, her brow furrowing in thought. “That’s a peculiar question. I’ve known Fancy Pants for years, and he’s never mistaken someone’s identity like this before. It’s quite out of character for him.”

“Oh,” Star Catcher said, confusion etched on her face. “So it’s not something he does often?”

“Not at all,” Fleur reassured her. “I wonder what might have led him to this conclusion. Did anything unusual happen when you arrived?”

Star Catcher thought back and nodded. “Yes, the doorman, Crudley, used some sort of wand on me. It turned purple, and then his attitude changed completely.”

Fleur’s face lit up with understanding. “Aha! He used the verifier on you. Those little enchanted gadgets have become all the rage around Canterlot, ever since the Changeling Invasion. They were invented to detect changeling imposters. It would glow red if one were detected. But you know, mages soon began to modify them with additional enchantments. They were made to glow green if exposed to a pony of wealth, or gold if the pony holds a rank of nobility.”

Star Catcher nodded. “Yes, the tip turned purple when he jabbed it at me.”

Now Fleur’s eyes went wide. “Purple? That should only happen when it detects royalty.”

Star Catcher snorted. “Well then, the spell obviously made a mistake. There’s nothing royal about me. The highest title I’ve ever held is Prefect, which is basically like what you would call a Mayor or maybe a County Judge.”

A grin emerged upon Fleur’s muzzle. “I’ve never heard of the spell failing. What a delicious mystery! It must have had some reason. Maybe you’re the secret inheritor of some forgotten royal bloodline.”

Star Catcher shook her head. “It’s hard to imagine how. Pegasus society has never been organized that way. We don’t have a royal family where I come from. We don’t even have nobility.”

Fleur de Lis smiled. “My dear, I have learned that there are many things in Equestria that I would not have believed possible.”

“I suppose.” Star Catcher wasn’t sure where this line of thinking was leading, but she decided to follow up on it, just in case it got more interesting. “So, if his spell reacted like that, he would naturally think I was one of the princesses, right?”

“Absolutely.” Fleur nodded. “And which of the princesses it was would be easy to guess.”

“Oh? Which one?” Star Catcher prompted.

Fleur gave Star Catcher a suspicious glance. “Are you quite sure you’re not teasing me?”

“Heaven forbid! I assure you, I’m Star Catcher and nobody else. Please speak freely!”

Fleur suggested, “Let us step into the drawing room for a moment to discuss the matter, shall we?” She led Star Catcher off to the side, and into a smaller but well-appointed room, and with her magic closed the heavy door, shutting out the noise of the party.

Then Fleur explained, “There have been rumors around Canterlot, persistent ones, though I personally had dismissed them as little more than urban myths or wishful thinking, that our sovereign ruler, Princess Celestia, does occasionally disguise herself as a common pony and wander through the city. In such a guise, it is said, she can freely observe and interact with the residents of the city, in candid terms.”

Star Catcher blinked. “Really? The ruler of the city? I mean, do I even look like her?”

Fleur shrugged lightly. “Princess Celestia is one of the most skilled and powerful of conjurers, and she surely could alter her appearance however she wishes. However, I have to say, you do share several outward traits with her as well. Your white coat and multi-colored mane are reminiscent. Even your voice and manner of speaking—which I feel some envy for, by the way—are not entirely unlike hers. So, I can see how my sweet Fancy Pants might have inferred some connection.

Star Catcher nodded. “That makes sense. I suppose I should try to correct him.”

“Must you? He is having such a wonderful time, imagining that he’s keeping the princess’s secret. You could let him keep believing it, if you’d like. I can tell him about our conversation later, after the festivities have ended. In the meantime, let’s steer clear. Perhaps I could give you a tour of the manor?”

“Sure, that sounds nice,” Star Catcher replied, relieved to be away from the spotlight.

Fleur de Lis smiled, and they moved off, while the gathering continued to murmur and make small talk.

Throughout the tour, Fleur kept up a running commentary, sharing her many insights and observations. Though Star Catcher wasn’t that interested in the details, she was very glad to have someone to talk to. Soon they entered a cozy side room and Fleur began to describe the many artifacts and curiosities on display. Star Catcher’s eyes were drawn to a complex-looking contraption in a corner of the room. It was made of wood and brass with several silver buttons, dials and what appeared to be a large horn attached to it.

“What is that?” Star Catcher asked, peering closer at the strange device.

Fleur grinned, her eyes lighting up as she explained. “That,” she said proudly, “is a phonograph! It’s a recent invention of Pat Pending.” She pointed out the various components—the needle arm which held the needle that goes into the record; the turntable; and finally, the diaphragm and loudspeaker horn—which amplified sound from within. She paused for breath before continuing excitedly, “In short, it plays music from these shellac records by using vibrations produced by that needle.”

“You mean it makes music without any instruments?” Star Catcher asked, deep in fascination. “That’s amazing.”

“Pity that Fancy Pants isn’t in here. He would love nothing more than to demonstrate and explain it. But maybe it’s for the best that he’s engaged elsewhere. Get him started on the subject, and he might never turn you loose. However, I’ll be happy to give it a quick spin for you.”

Suiting deeds to words, she levitated a record onto the turntable, magically cranked the lever at the side of the machine, released the clutch so that the turntable began to rotate, and then ever-so-carefully cued the needle to the outer edge of the record. Then a crackle emitted from the speaker horn, followed by somewhat tinny but very credible music. Star Catcher’s face lit up with delight and wonder.

“Fantastic! If only Minty and Pinkie Pie were here, they would love it. This is the sort of magic they came to Canterlot to see.”

“It’s hardly magic,” Fleur responded. “Merely an application of the mechanical arts. You could operate it yourself just as easily.”

They both listened for a few moments, then Fleur mused, “For centuries ponies with mechanical talent were dismissed by society as mere tinkers, itinerant menders of pots and pans. It’s only recently that their contributions have begun to garner recognition, in some cases beginning to rival magic itself.”

Star Catcher’s delight subsided, she glanced at the floor and fidgeted her hoof, and then she looked up and said, “Fleur des Lis, may I confide in you?”

Fleur lifted the needle and stopped the turntable, and said, “Of course. What troubles you?”

“All day I’ve been struggling with a growing mystery, and I don’t think I can solve it by myself. I met my new friends, Pinkie Pie and Minty, while they were coming to Canterlot—or Unicornia, as they knew it—to see the Summer Sun Celebration. But ever since their balloon went through a storm, nothing has seemed right. It almost seems as though we drifted into another world, or a different time, from the one we knew.”

Fleur shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

“It began with the landscape below us, which seemed much more populated than I remembered.” She went on to outline several of the discrepancies she’d noticed during the course of the day. “And even this…” She pointed to the phonograph. “It seems so far beyond anything I heard of back home at Butterfly Island. Nor do I know anything of these princesses that are so talked about. As far as I know, Equestria is ruled by the Council of Tribes.”

Fleur listened attentively. Then she said, “This is all beyond me. It almost sounds like you somehow traveled through time. I’ve never heard of anything like that, though. Fancy Pants is more studied in history than I am, so maybe he could help figure out exactly what’s happened to you. Or maybe… Maybe you need to seek the help of Princess Celestia herself.”

“Do you think she would see me?” Star Catcher wondered.

“I’m certain of it,” Fleur assured. “Whatever magic carried you here would be of great interest to her. And my dear Fancy Pants has connections at the palace. I’m sure he can expedite an audience.”

“You don’t know what a relief it is to hear that,” Star Catcher said.

Fleur cleared her throat. “It will have to wait until after the celebration, though. Everypony is tied up now, Princess Celestia most of all. In fact, her procession to the Sunrise Ceremony will begin soon. I believe some guests are already departing and beginning to make their way to the Grande Avenue. You should do the same, if you want to see it.”

“Oh. I suppose I should. I know Pinkie Pie and Minty will be there, and I ought to rejoin them.”

Fleur nodded. “After the crowds disperse, bring your friends back here! I’ll make them welcome, and we can all put our heads together.”

10 - Canterlot Castle

Not long after Luna had departed for her chambers, an attendant announced: "Your Captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armor, is here, Ma'am."

Celestia nodded. "Ah, send him in!"

The unicorn who entered was white with a blue mane, neatly attired in an officer's red coat. He paused to snap a salute and said, "Your Highness! You wished to see me?"

"Indeed, Captain. I have a couple of concerns to discuss. First, can you tell me why Luna and I were hustled away from the Sun Raising Ceremony? I had planned to mingle with my little ponies and walk back to the palace among them."

Shining Armor said, "I was made aware that Princess Luna wished to return to the palace. And, frankly, I've received growing reports of unrest from the fair grounds, not far from where the ceremony was held. It seemed prudent to bring you back here with your sister via chariot, Ma'am."

Celestia frowned with puzzlement. "Unrest? Could you be more specific?"

He explained, "Yesterday afternoon there were several altercations among the fair-goers, and some vendors were harassed. The reports were not entirely clear about the cause. It seemed related to a contest gone awry, which involved giving out some sort of prize coins. It's outside of the Royal Guard's purview, of course. It was the city constables who tipped us off to a possible problem."

"I see," Celestia said. "And you don't want to step on any hooves, that's understandable. Do continue to monitor the constabulary reports, though, would you?"

He nodded. "I'll see to it, Ma'am."

She glanced down with a distracted expression. Adept at reading her mood, Shining Armor waited patiently for a few moments, then gently cleared his throat and asked, "Was there anything else that concerns you, Ma'am?"

Celestia took a deep breath and then said, "During the procession I caught sight of a pony that I recognized. It was one who I have not seen or heard from in a long time. Her name is Star Catcher, and it would please me if she can be located and invited to the palace."

"Star Catcher," he repeated. "Could you offer a description, Ma'am?"

"That's right. She is a white pegasus with unusually large wings, a naturally multi-colored mane, and a decorative pattern dyed upon her forehead. Her sigil is…" Celestia paused for a moment with a wistful expression. "A heart. I'd almost forgotten."

Captain Armor nodded. "And she's to be invited to the palace. Is there anything else?"

"If she is found, please see that she's afforded the utmost courtesy."

He nodded again. "The VIP treatment. Very well. I'll have every effort made, Ma'am."

Pinkie Pie and Minty traced their path back to the fairgrounds and at once saw that all was not well. A few constables were present with their blue-jacket uniforms. The same vendors who the pair had bought refreshments from yesterday were now visibly distraught, some talking to the constables, some cleaning up scattered and ruined goods. Other ponies were hanging about, concerned, or curious, or both.

Pinkie Pie, with Minty at her heels, trotted over to the one vendor she sort-of-knew. "Berry Punch! What happened?"

The purple-maned earth pony looked up with a haggard expression and shook her head. "It was horrible," Berry Punch said. "During the wee hours, a gang of hooligans burst into the fairgrounds and started stealing things. They said they were looking for something called 'prize coins' for a contest. But there's nothing like that going on. I'd know if there was. It's all just some stupid rumor that got out of control."

The vendor pointed to the overturned stalls behind her and continued, "When they didn't find what they wanted, they knocked over stands, snatched up merchandise, and made off with three crates full of food from one seller. They even made some vendors turn out their purses! Most ponies were away to see the sunrise ceremony when it happened."

Berry Punch hung her head sorrowfully before adding in a quiet voice, "This is supposed to be a time of celebration."

Pinkie Pie's eyes widened with concern as she looked around at the devastation. She had never seen anything like this before. Her mind raced with possible solutions to help these vendors and the rest of the fairgrounds get back on their hooves. She turned to her friend and said, "Minty, we need to do something about this. We can't just ignore this chaos and pretend that everything is okay."

Minty nodded, likewise glancing around at the mess before replying, "I agree, Pinkie Pie. We have to do something to help and make things right. What are you thinking?"

Pinkie's eyes twinkled with determination as she said, "We need to find these hooligans and stop them from causing any more harm. And, while we're at it, we should try to find any information about these 'prize coins' that they were looking for. Maybe we can figure out what they are and where they came from."

Minty nodded, impressed with Pinkie's quick thinking. "Okay, so how do we start? Should we talk to the constables and ask for their help?"

Pinkie shook her head. "No, I don't think that's a good idea. They might not take us seriously and we'll just waste valuable time. Besides, we have our own ways of getting information and finding troublemakers."

"Uh, we do?" Minty looked a bit worried at the prospect of going up against dangerous thieves, but Pinkie's enthusiasm was contagious. She gave her typically nervous laugh and said, "Okay, Pinkie Pie, lead the way!"

Pinkie grinned and headed towards the direction the thieves were last seen running towards. As they trotted along, Pinkie's eyes scanned the area for any clues, any evidence that might help them catch the criminals. Soon, they spotted a discarded scarf lying in a nearby alleyway. Pinkie picked it up in her teeth and examined it closely.

"Minty, look at this! It's got a symbol on it, like a star with a heart in the middle. I bet this belongs to one of the thieves!"

Minty peered at the scarf and nodded in agreement. "Ooh! You're right, Pinkie Pie. This could be a valuable clue. But how will we find out who it belongs to?"

Pinkie's eyes sparkled with excitement as she replied, "We'll have to do some investigating! Let's ask around and see if anyone knows who wears this symbol."

Together, they set off towards the vendors and other fair-goers nearby, asking questions and showing them the scarf.

The grand hall of Canterlot Palace was adorned with elegant tapestries and shimmering chandeliers. Soft music filled the air, played by talented minstrels, setting a serene atmosphere for the gathering of VIPs who had come to pay their respects to Princess Celestia after the successful sunrise ritual.

Princess Celestia stood resplendent in her regalia and an elegant gown, a gracious smile on her face as she warmly welcomed each guest who approached. Around her, there were various activities which the Princess would look in on, each in its turn.

To one side of the hall, courtiers engaged in light conversations, discussing the beauty of the ceremony and the harmony that Princess Celestia's words had inspired. They shared laughter and exchanged stories, creating an air of joy and camaraderie.

In another corner, a group of young unicorn foals was gathered, eagerly demonstrating their fledgling magical abilities to the Princess. Her eyes twinkled with delight as she watched them, encouraging them with gentle words of praise and guidance.

Next, a group of diplomats from neighboring kingdoms engaged in discussions with Princess Celestia on matters of friendship and alliance, as she gracefully navigated the complexities of diplomacy with wisdom and tact.

Amidst the crowd, some of the palace staff could be seen serving delectable treats and refreshments, ensuring the guests were well taken care of. Plates of delicious pastries and cups of fragrant tea were offered, adding to the ambiance of hospitality and warmth.

In short, Celestia was doing a masterful job at concealing her concerns and distraction. None of the guests suspected anything was amiss as Shining Armor approached her. He waited for her to acknowledge him, then he came closer, and she lowered her head so that he could speak softly in her ear. He said, "We've located Star Catcher. She was involved in a traffic accident and presently is in hospital."

Celestia reared, entirely losing her composure, as she blurted out loud, "Mama's in the hospital?"

Frozen in stunned incomprehension, Shining Armor silently mouthed the word, "Mama??" From around the room was near-silence, punctuated by the tinkle of breaking glass, as some unicorns had lost the magical grip on their drinks and dropped them onto the marble floor.

Celestia, wide-eyed, glanced around the grand hall and found every set of eyes locked on her, and more than a few ponies with mouths hanging open.

Thinking fast, Shining Armor cleared his throat and said, "Uh, yes... The blue rose bloomed at midnight. The chessboard is set, and the queen moves next. But perhaps I should brief Your Highness on these matters elsewhere?"

Celestia carefully, quickly, reassembled her composure. She straightened her posture and her ears, took a quick breath, and said, "By all means, Captain. If you would lead the way?"

After the two had retreated to a private chamber, Celestia bluntly ordered her Captain, "Tell me everything!"

He levitated a sheet of paper and read from it: "A pegasus matching the description you gave me collided with a structure and crashed into the street. Medics assessed her on the scene and transported her to Canterlot Medical Center with moderate injuries. After she was admitted, she identified herself as Star Catcher and asked for somepony to contact Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis, who she named as recent acquaintances here in Canterlot. When contacted, they confirmed that they know her, and Fancy Pants asserted that he would personally cover any medical expenses that she might incur." He glanced up at Princess Celestia to gauge her reaction.

She said, "Shining Armor, is there any possibility that this Star Catcher could be a changeling imposter?"

He considered for a moment, then shook his head. "Given that she was medically examined when she was brought into the hospital, that seems virtually impossible. There are other forms of disguise that might be possible, I suppose. But as a pegasus pony, she can't cast illusionary spells like a unicorn. Do we have any reason to doubt her identity, if I may ask?"

"Only that my mother, Star Catcher, passed away from this mortal coil a very long time ago."

"Oh. Oh! That does raise quite a mystery, doesn't it? I'm sure our medical system would never have admitted a ghost or a zombie pony into the hospital, at least."

Celestia thought for a moment, nodded, and then asked, "Did she provide any indication of why she was here in Canterlot?"

He glanced at the report again. "She said she came here to attend the Summer Sun Celebration, and she expressed some concern that her two traveling companions are still somewhere in the city and likely worried about her. She wishes for them to be found, as she put it, 'before they get into mischief.' Their names are, let's see... Pinkie Pie and Minty. Hmm, that's odd. Isn't Pinkie Pie one of my sister Twilight Sparkle's friends?"

There was no immediate answer. He glanced at his sovereign and noticed that the color had drained from her muzzle and ears. She said, in a tightly controlled voice, "Could you repeat that, please? The names."

He blinked and glanced at the report again to be sure. "Pinkie Pie and Minty."

She said, "Oh no... No, no. If Minty is loose in Canterlot, then Heaven help us!"

11 - The Queen Mother

Celestia had wanted to go immediately to the hospital to visit, but was assured that Star Catcher’s injuries were minor and that she could soon be released and brought to the palace. With some reluctance, Celestia saw the wisdom of this. She also directed that Princess Luna be wakened, if necessary, and briefed on the situation.

She then ordered Shining Armor to help her prepare a special mission for his lieutenants. Within an hour they were ready.

Royal Guard officers filed into the briefing room. As each one entered, he paused just for an instant before managing to conceal his surprise. Most of them had never before been briefed by Princess Celestia herself. Yet, here she was—in all her imposing, outsized glory—sitting on a cushion fit for royalty. By her side was a painter’s easel, covered by cloth, and on the other side of the easel was the captain of the guard, Shining Armor, wearing the red jacket of his duty uniform and sitting on a bare floor fit for soldiers.

When all the guards had come in and gotten in order, he stood and addressed them. “Troops, we face an unexpected challenge today. It’s hard to believe, but the Princess has informed me that Minty is in Canterlot.” He glanced at his audience, noting their confusion. “It’s understandable if that name means nothing to some of you—those who slept through history class, at any rate. So, I’m going to let Princess Celestia bring you up to speed.” He turned to address her. “Your Highness?”

She stood and addressed the troops: “Equestria has faced many threats in my time, but none quite like Minty the Stampede, or, as some called her, The Equinoid Tornado. She left a trail of destruction across the face of our land. I was a mere filly in those early days of Equestria, but I heard the stories. How she could possibly have returned now, centuries later, I cannot say. Reincarnation? Suspended animation? A ghost?” She shook her head. “Some sort of powerful magic must be at work, but we will have to sort out the hows and whys later. Now our priority is finding and containing the menace.”

Her horn glowed and she uncovered the easel. “There are no surviving portraits of Minty, but Sketch Up has created this impression based on her description, which may help you identify her.” The canvas displayed a mint green mare with a pale pink mane, crossed eyes, and her tongue hanging out. In the corner of the canvas was a closeup of her sigil: three mint candies.

Celestia nodded to Shining Armor, and he said to the troops, “I’ll be depending most of all on our pegasus scouts to spot her from the air, although we’ll be checking public places indoors as well. All we know is that she was seen at the fairgrounds, so we’ll begin our efforts there. If you find her, call for backup! We can’t take any chances with this one. Are there any questions?”

After a couple of seconds, one guard hesitantly raised a hoof. “Sir?”

“Tillerson?”

“What kind of powers does this Minty have? I mean, she’s an earth pony, right? She doesn’t cast spells, does she?”

Shining Armor shook his head. “No, she’s not a spell caster. If the reports from history are to be believed, she’s just, well…” He shrugged. “She’s a really terrible klutz.”

Some guards glanced at one another uncertainly, but there were no more questions. As the officers filed out, going to rally their troops, Celestia spoke to Shining Armor. “Captain, if I may make a suggestion?”

“Of course, Ma’am.”

“I was just remembering some of those stories from my youth. I suggest that your locate and secure any large industrial repositories of molasses in the city. Just to be on the safe side.”

“Molasses?”

“There is a certain area along Cayuse Creek where the original village of Ponyville once stood before the flood, and on a summer day, the scent of molasses is said to still faintly linger.”

Shining’s ears drooped for a moment. “Ah. I’ll, uh… I’ll make sure a squad is assigned the task, Ma’am.”

The drawing room was adorned with elegant white and gold decor, giving it a refined and regal ambiance. Soft, plush carpets covered the floor, muffling the sound of footsteps, and large windows adorned with delicate curtains allowed natural light to filter in, bathing the room in a warm glow.

The walls were adorned with exquisite paintings of Equestria’s landscapes, and ornate mirrors reflected the beauty of the room, making it seem even more spacious. The ceiling featured intricate moldings and a grand chandelier that illuminated the room with a soft, golden light.

In one corner of the drawing room, the presence of a fireplace (although now closed up for the season) added to the coziness of the space, with plush armchairs and a comfortable sofa arranged nearby for relaxation. The furniture was upholstered in soft pastel colors, adding a touch of warmth and comfort.

A small, round table stood at the center of the room, laid out with a delicate tea set and dainty pastries, ready for a comforting tea time.

Despite the relatively cozy surroundings (by palatial standards, at least), Princess Celestia and Princess Luna showed their anticipation and anxiety. Celestia couldn’t make use of any of the plush furniture, unable to sit still. She paced.

“Luna, do you truly believe it’s her?” Celestia asked, her regal composure slipping to reveal her inner turmoil.

Luna hesitated, her eyes betraying her unease. “I am not sure, Sister. How could a pony become so far displaced out of her own era?”

Celestia halted in her tracks, the question weighing heavily upon her thoughts. “I know not the answer, but if it truly is our mother, then we must face the possibility that something has gone terribly wrong with the flow of time.”

The doors opened, a herald announced Star Catcher, and she was escorted into the room. Her injured wing was supported in a cloth sling, and she had a few bandages over other scrapes, but these were barely noticeable against her white-coated body.

The pegasus bowed, although not spreading her wings in the usual way due to her injury. “Your Graces!” she said, remembering how she had been greeted by Fancy Pants.

The moment they heard her voice, Celestia and Luna’s royal dignity faltered. “Star Catcher,” Celestia said with a tremor in her voice, “Don’t bow to us! No royal titles between us, please!”

Luna, equally shaken, said, “It can’t be. How can you be here?”

Star Catcher looked at them, her eyes showing confusion and vulnerability. “I don’t know. I joined Minty and Pinkie Pie to help get their balloon through a storm, but we were struck by lightning. And then...” She tried to shrug with her wings, but winced from a twinge of pain. “And then somehow we were here, in this time, this world. We drifted to a landing in this city, in your city.”

Luna approached, while Star Catcher involuntarily flinched back from the larger, dark alicorn. Luna lowered her head, stretched her neck slightly, and sniffed. Star Catcher instinctively sniffed back, exchanging breath with the princess.

Luna pulled back, eyes wide, and her upper lip curled back and quivered in the classic equine flehmen response—a silly looking gesture utterly inappropriate for a princess, or any other pony in polite society really. But that didn’t matter; they had privacy here, and Luna learned what she needed to know. She gasped softly and almost whispered, “It’s you.”

Then Princess Luna lunged forward and grappled Star Catcher in a crushing hug. “Mama, it’s really you! I’ve missed you so much!” she exclaimed.

Star Catcher struggled in vain against the strength of a large alicorn, which is to say, the strength of a large earth pony. Her eyes bugged slightly, then locked onto Celestia, and she gasped out, “Help!”

“Luna!” Celestia chided sharply, “Give her some air!”

“Oh. Oh!” Luna released her arms from the pegasus and backed up.

Star Catcher almost collapsed. “Ow! Ow, that’s tender.”

“Your injuries! I’m so sorry, I forgot,” Luna said, sounding mortified.

“I’ll be okay,” Star Catcher assured, “but I’m so confused! I, uh... I don’t mean any offense, but I don’t know you. We’ve never met before today. I’m sure I would remember that.”

Celestia stepped closer to Star Catcher, her composure giving way to vulnerability. She said, “You were a mother to us. We remember the love and care you showered upon us when we were mere little foals, long before we became princesses. But look at you! You look so young! Is it possible that you somehow came from a time before we were even born?”

Star Catcher shrugged helplessly. “I have no idea. I don’t understand any of this.”

Celestia and Luna exchanged uneasy glances, then Celestia sighed and said, “That means we’ll have to send you back to your own time. Somehow, we’ll have to figure it out. If you stay here, it would create a paradox. Luna and I could never be born.”

“No!” exclaimed Luna. She looked to her sister. "Do we have to?”

“It seems we have no choice. It doesn’t have to be today. We can have a little time together. But...” She bit her lip. Then, “I don’t know what we can even safely tell her without changing the timeline. Even knowing that we’re her daughters might be too much.”

“There’s no undoing that,” Luna said. “We’ll just have to take our chances.”

Celestia stepped forward to nuzzle at Star Catcher, gently, and said, “For a thou...” She paused and bit her lip, then continued, “For a long time I was kept apart from Luna, but I always dreamed of being reunited and ruling side-by-side with her, as we were always meant to. That dream came true. And now: the three of us together again as a family, even if only briefly? Unasked and unhoped-for, the best days of my life somehow are coming back to me from the depths of time. And I know, I know it must all be terribly strange for you, but rest assured: You will find only safety and love here. Then, after we return you to your own time, you will have a wonderful life ahead of you.”

Star Catcher nodded, dazed and confused but still somehow reassured. “Thank you, that sounds lovely. And Pinkie Pie and Minty? Will they be all right?”

Celestia blinked and sat back on her haunches and said, “Oh.”

Star Catcher pressed, “We have to find them! They’ll have to return to the past with me, if I understand you right. Won’t they?”

Celestia agreed, “Yes, they must. And we’ll find them. The Royal Guard are searching for them now.”

After some minutes had passed, they calmed down and sampled the tea and pastries. The three of them made an odd picture sitting together in the throne room, so awkwardly, while uncomfortable silence hung between. Finally, Celestia spoke up, breaking through the uneasiness like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. She said, “I don’t know how much it’s safe to reveal events that lie in your future, but perhaps you can tell us instead about your time, Star Catcher?”

The pegasus set down her tea cup and said, “Oh? What do you want to know?”

“Well... Where were you living? Had you moved to the Everfree Forest yet?”

Star Catcher frowned. “I live on Butterfly Island. I’ve never heard of Everfree Forest.”

“My sister means Minden Fa!” Princess Luna interrupted.

Star Catcher’s eyes lit up with understanding. “Oh! I know where the Minden Fa is. Earth ponies call it the Big Thicket. But I don’t know why I would want to live there.”

“I’m sorry!” said Celestia. “I started with a simple question, and now we’re already giving you ideas about your future. I didn’t know time travel would be this hard to deal with.”

With concern written on her face, Star Catcher asked, “Have you no experience at all with this? Do you even know how I got here?”

Princess Luna also looked expectantly toward her sister, who said, “Time travel is not entirely unknown, but it has been extremely limited. I can’t remember an example like yours.”

Star Catcher quirked a smile and asked, “I don’t supposed you could tell me who the father is, so I don’t tell him to get lost?”

That brought a giggle from both princesses. Celestia said, “We don’t know. You never told us when we were growing up.”

“We know who he is,” said Luna.

“We think we know,” Celestia tried to clarify. “As adults, with the clarity of hindsight, we can make a strong guess about our father, but...” She bit her lip.

Luna interjected again, “We will tell you what we know.”

“Luna, we can’t,” Celestia objected.

“We have to. Think about it.” She stared expectantly at her sister and waited.

After a few moments Celestia shook her head. “I’m sorry; I don’t see.”

Luna sighed. “Let me try to explain this way.” She turned to her mother and said, “As you must have noticed, Celestia and I are not like other ponies. We are alicorns. We weren’t born this way by accident, from you simply connecting with the right stallion. Complex and advanced magic was required to make us as we are.”

Celestia frowned, concerned. “Luna, I’m not sure...”

“I am! Trust me,” Luna retorted. Then to Star Catcher, “Mother, do you know what a chimera is?”

“Hmm, sure. Nasty, big, fire-breathing monster with a lion’s head, a goat’s head, and a snake for a tail. I saw one once.”

Luna nodded. “That’s the iconic chimera. But sorcerers and wizards use the term in a broader sense to mean any monster created by magically fusing two or more different animals together. They use a morphogenic spell. The Wizard Wars must have been going on already when you were growing up, yes?”

“Yes,” Star Catcher admitted. “I’ve heard about rogue unicorns and other powerful sorcerers going on the war path. There are Malaclypse, Grogar, Queen Nastinka and more. Some have tried to invade Equestria. They used evil magic to create monsters like griffins to fill the ranks of their armies.” Then she blinked. “Oh! That reminds me. I saw a griffin at the festival. It was at the jousting tournament, wandering around like any pony. How is that even possible?”

Celestia answered, saying, “Griffins aren’t evil. I mean, temperamental, perhaps. They were among the first chimeras created by Malaclypse the Elder, at the beginning of the Wizard Wars, and in some ways they were too successful. Griffins are strong fighters, and able to think for themselves, and they are able to reproduce freely. Those traits made them ultimately impossible for Malaclypse to keep under his control. They rebelled. Today they have their own kingdom, and, um... reasonably good relations with Equestria.”

Luna added, “The other wizards learned from Malaclypse’s mistake. They created many other chimeric monsters, but usually with less brains, or with other limitations that helped keep them under control. The spell used to create such monsters is called a morphogenic spell. It was forbidden in your time, and it is nearly forgotten today.”

Star Catcher frowned. “All right. But how does this relate back to me?”

Luna answered, “Alicorns are also chimeric monsters. A closely related spell was used to create us, by combining the traits of earth ponies, pegasus ponies and unicorns.”

Star Catcher opened her mouth, then her jaw seemed to get stuck there for a moment as she struggled to pick from the many questions swirling in her mind. She settled on, “What?”

Celestia fidgeted, then blurted, “We’re not monsters!”

Luna pushed back. “That’s exactly what we are, Celestia. It’s what you and I have always been. With the Wizard Wars raging around our fledgling nation, Equestria needed its own magical super-weapons to answer them.” She looked to Star Catcher. “Of course you didn’t explain it to us that way when we were growing up. You said we were your little princesses, and someday we would rule Equestria and hold the three tribes together.”

Star Catcher frowned. “But who cast the spell? Was I captured and, uh, abused by some evil wizard?”

“No!” said Celestia. “Or I should say, you never gave a hint of anything so dark in your past. We never knew the details of what happened, but from what we’ve pieced together it seems to have been a project that you voluntarily joined, or maybe even organized. It would have required the cooperation of several ponies. To grant the powers we have, you would need a unicorn, an earth pony and a pegasus—each an exemplar of their kind—to contribute something of their living essence. The unicorn could presumably be the same one who cast the morphogenic spell. And since you are an outstanding specimen of pegasus, I dare say, it would make perfect sense for you to both provide living essence and to carry and give birth to us. Then you would only need one more participant: the earth pony. It could be done with only three, if they were exactly the right three ponies.”

“Three parents,” Luna underscored, “and we don’t know who the other two were. But we can guess about one of them. There were not many unicorn wizards in that era who were skilled enough, powerful enough, and not rogue warlords themselves.” Then she smirked and added, “And by the way, Celestia and I are not twins, so you get to do the whole procedure twice!”

“Lovely,” Star Catcher deadpanned.

At that moment a pale gray unicorn wearing an official sash entered the room and bowed in the pony fashion, and he looked directly to Princess Celestia and said, “Your Highness, I have begun the research into royal protocol that you requested, and I believe I have an answer to the question you posed.”

Celestia’s eyes brightened and she said, “Thank you, Courtly Conduct. Please enlighten us!”

He nodded and continued, “As mother of both of our reigning princesses, Star Catcher’s formal title is Queen Mother of Equestria, and she should be formally addressed as Your Majesty.” He then demonstrated by facing Star Catcher directly and bowing again. “Your Majesty!”

Star Catcher’s eyes went wide, ears turned back, and she stammered, “uhh... how? How am I supposed to respond to that?”

“You are not required to, Ma’am,” Courtly Conduct replied helpfully.

Celestia looked thoughtful. “Equestria has a queen now?”

Luna wondered, “Then she outranks both of us?”

Courtly Conduct answered, “So it would seem. I need to do more research on her precise role and powers. It has been a long time since Equestria had any royal in a comparable position. I may have to dig deep into the archives and locate some rare documents to be sure.”

Celestia nodded, “Yes by all means!” Then she caught herself and glanced uncertainly at Star Catcher. “I mean, if...”

Star Catcher caught the glance and looked equally uncertain for a moment, then blinked and said, “Oh! Err, yes. By all means!”

Courtly Conduct nodded acknowledgement to Star Catcher and said, “It shall be done, Your Majesty.”

A while later…

With a determined expression, Princess Celestia set off through the castle’s winding halls, her hooves echoing in the silence. Passing by elegant tapestries and ornate doors, she reached a hidden passage that led to a secluded chamber. This was where the statue of Discord had been carefully stored after his recent defeat, a place far removed from the eyes of curious onlookers. Celestia’s heart felt heavy as she continued her journey, the weight of her responsibilities pressing upon her.

Upon reaching the chamber, she found herself surrounded by an aura of enchantment. The air itself seemed to hum with the echoes of magic that had been woven into the walls and floors. The statue of Discord stood in the center of the room, larger than life and perfectly preserved, a testament to the chaos he had once unleashed.

Discord’s stone form was intricate and detailed, capturing his mischievous grin and mismatched features with uncanny accuracy, although all color had been stolen away, leaving only white marble. His form was a being of slender, serpentine shape with limbs like a dragon, but all mismatched body parts of seemingly different creatures. He stood upright in a backpedaling pose, mismatched arms thrown up as if to ward off a threat. The expression frozen on his face showed shock, panic.

Celestia mused that he’d been locked into a much more attractive pose the first time he was defeated, when he’d been caught gloating. This new view of him could almost evoke sympathy.

However, Celestia held little sympathy for her old foe. She glared. She said, “Are you oblivious, draconequus? Does some part of your consciousness remain? Are you aware, still, of what goes on in the world around you?”

A tense silence followed her words, broken only by the faint flickering of magical torches lining the chamber. Celestia’s gaze remained fixed on the statue, searching for any sign of response. The room seemed to hold its breath, as if the very walls were waiting to reveal a secret.

Minutes passed, but the statue remained unmoving, its stony features unchanged. Celestia sighed, her heart heavy with disappointment. She had hoped for a hint, a sign, anything that could shed light on the mysteries she faced.

With a sense of resignation, she stepped closer to the statue, her hoof brushing against the cool surface. “If you are aware, Discord, I ask that you guide me. If you possess knowledge that could help us unravel the enigma of recent events, I implore you to share it.”

She waited again. Then her patience cracked, and she spoke more sharply, saying, “Are you somehow responsible? Are you laughing at us now while your little mint-green minion is loose in Canterlot?”

The statue remained silent. Celestia sighed and turned away.

12 - Ƿhen Ƿorlds Collide

After scouring the fairgrounds trying to discover clues about the lost scarf and the mysterious, rumored “prize coins,” Minty and Pinkie Pie were growing tired, and the game didn’t seem as fun as it had when they started.

They noticed a general movement among the crowd. Pinkie asked a passing pony where they were going, and he told them the great parade would soon begin. “It starts here at the fair ground, but the parade route winds through the avenues and a large part of the city before looping back to here,” he explained. “Some ponies are already gathering to find the best spots for watching it—and catching the candy they throw from the floats.”

Minty nudged her friend. “Hear that, Pinkie Pie? Candy!”

“Uh. Y’know, Minty, I might have had enough sweets for a while.”

Minty gasped, then peered suspiciously. “Who are you, and what have you done with the real Pinkie Pie?”

Pinkie nudged Minty and then pointed toward a wandering vendor. “I want one of those pretzels. Want to split one? They’re huge!”

“Ooh! Something new to try!”

They trotted over to the unicorn who was levitating a sort of wooden rack by his side with pretzels hanging from it. These pretzel vendors had been wandering around the fair grounds, although this one, at the moment, was standing conveniently next to one of the picnic tables. “I’ll take one!” Pinkie told him.

The stallion levitated a pretzel, its brown surface glistening, from the rack and over to Pinkie’s waiting hooves. “That’ll be two bits,” he said.

Minty stuck her muzzle into her saddlebags and came up with a shiny silver coin—one of those she’d brought with her for the trip. She offered it to the vendor, who floated it over to his eye and squinted. “What’s this? I don’t know what this is worth?”

Minty huffed, exasperated. “Why do I keep having to explain this? It’s a new penny. You can cut them in pieces to make half-pennies or bits.”

“No, Minty, we’re not supposed to cut the coins in half anymore. That’s what Kimono told me,” Pinkie Said.

The unicorn looked confused. “Uhh. I don’t know how much change to give you.”

Minty pressed on. “Look, it’s easy. There’s eight bits in a farthing.” She dumped a few coins from her coin purse onto the table and spread the coins out with a hoof, a mixture of coins she’d brought for the trip and ones she’d gotten back in change.

Pinkie interjected, “But we don’t use Ponyland farthings anymore.”

“Right!” Minty said, with a nervous giggle. “I forgot. Okay, we have pennies now, which is like half a farthing. And there’s twelve pennies in a kopin.”

“No, there was twelve farthings in a kopin; now there’s twenty four pennies in a kopin.”

“I just want to sell pretzels,” the vendor said. “Why is it this hard?”

Nearby ponies milling about the fairgrounds took notice of the vendor’s exclamations. A few moved closer, trying to get a look at the coins in question.

Minty laughed again, the laugh of the desperate. “Um, okay. So there’s eight bits in a farthing, which is why they were called pieces of eight. Because you could cut up a farthing into eight bits.”

“But we don’t do that anymore,” Pinkie reminded again.

“Right! But a penny is worth half a farthing, so that means a bit is like, um…”

“A quarter. It’s a quarter of a silver penny. So if you give him a penny, you should get two bits back.”

“But what is this? Somepony gave me that in change, but I never saw one before.” Minty pointed at a small silver coin on the table.

“It’s an ordinary disme,” the unicorn supplied helpfully. “But what’s this?” He pointed at a small golden coin.

“That’s a kopin piece,” Minty said. “I didn’t know how expensive things would be here, so I brought a couple of those just to be sure.”

So absorbed were they in the discussion, they didn’t notice that some other ponies were starting to gather around and peer over their shoulders at the coins. One of them butted in and exclaimed, “Those are the prize coins, right? You found one?”

“What? No, these are just…” Minty started to say.

“It looks like these ponies found a bunch of the special coins,” another pony said.

“No fair!” cried another. “I’ve spent a fortune and never got anything good back in my change.”

“Yeah, you ponies have been holding out on us.”

The gathering crowd was pushing in close now. Minty quickly scooped most of her coins back into the pouch, and into her saddlebag. Pinkie Pie admonished the other ponies, “Hay, back up a little, give us some air?” Her words had an uncertain quaver.

“What do you want from us?” cried Minty. “We don’t have any special coins!”

“Let’s find out!”

A pony lunged forward and caught the edge of the saddlebag with his teeth and tugged. Minty shrieked and kicked reflexively, her hoof whacking him a glancing blow to the jaw.

Pinkie Pie gave her friend’s ear a quick tug and said, “Let’s run for it, Minty!” The two of them made a heroic leap over the picnic table and raced away, but the mob galloped after.

Vendors and fairgoers leapt out of the way to avoid being trampled. “This way, Minty!” shouted Pinkie Pie as she veered to the left. Minty followed her friend, hooves pounding on the dusty ground. As they rounded a corner, a cart filled with colorful balloons came into view.

“Balloons!” exclaimed Minty. “I love balloons!”

Before Pinkie could stop her, Minty leapt into the air and popped three balloons with her hooves. The balloons exploded with a loud BANG, causing Minty to drop back to the ground in a fit of giggles.

“Minty, no!” cried Pinkie.

But it was too late. The balloon cart driver turned and shouted angrily at the two ponies, “You’ll pay for that!” Minty’s eyes went wide as she realized what she had done.

“Run!” yelled Pinkie again. Minty didn’t need to be told twice. She galloped after Pinkie Pie, the angry driver’s shouts growing distant behind them.

Up ahead, Pinkie skidded to a stop in front of a long table covered in pies. “Pies!” she exclaimed excitedly. But a stern look from Minty told her now was not the time.

As the pair raced on, the mob rounded the corner behind them, knocking over the pie table in their haste. Pies went flying through the air and splattered on the ground. “My pies!” wailed the pie maker. But the mob paid no attention as they continued their pursuit of the two ponies.

Pinkie and Minty rushed by game stalls next. Minty’s eyes lit up when she spotted a ring toss game. “Ooh, ring toss!” she cried. Before Pinkie could react, Minty grabbed three rings in her mouth and tossed them towards the bottles. Two rings landed perfectly around bottle necks while the third bounced off a stallion’s head.

“Hey!” yelled the stallion angrily. But Minty was already dashing away, an excited grin on her face. The mob trampled through the ring toss stall, upending bottles and sending rings scattering everywhere. The game stall owner shook his hoof angrily after them.

Pinkie led them towards a large red and white striped tent next. “Maybe we can hide in here!” she said. But as soon as they slipped through the tent entrance, they realized their mistake. They found themselves amidst a whirlwind of color and sound, smack in the center of the circus’s grand finale. The audience gasped as Minty and Pinkie zigzagged down the aisles, their sudden appearance throwing the performers off rhythm.

“What’s the meaning of this unscheduled act?!” bellowed the ringmaster, his voice booming over the circus tunes.

Minty slid to a halt, stars in her eyes when she noticed the elephants, stylishly attired, engaged in an intricate dance routine. “Ooh, elephants performing!” she squealed in delight. In her excitement and without thinking, she bounded forward and tapped the nearest elephant’s backside.

The elephant, a regal creature adorned in a vibrant costume, spun around with surprise, breaking character. “Excuse you!” he trumpeted indignantly, his trunk gesturing with disapproval. The unexpected disturbance caused the rider, a juggling monkey in a tiny sparkling vest, to lose balance and tumble into a soft pile of straw.

The crowd’s murmurs swelled to a cacophony as the pursuing mob crashed into the circus tent, adding to the confusion. Performers and circus-goers alike scurried every which way to avoid being caught up in the pandemonium, as the once orderly display of artistry unraveled into sheer bedlam.

“We must adhere to the script, my dears!” called out an elephant, urging for order as she tried to regain the momentum of their dance among the chaos.

With the circus now in mayhem, Pinkie Pie gave Minty a tug. “Time to make our grand exit, Minty!” They dashed towards the other side of the tent, looking for another escape route from the growing uproar behind them. They galloped back out of the tent just as the mob trampled through, leaving overturned bleachers and scattered popcorn in their wake.

Pinkie and Minty raced through the fairgrounds, weaving between tents and stalls. Up ahead, Pinkie spotted a tall fence sectioning off a grazing area. “This way!” she shouted, vaulting easily up and over the fence. Minty followed close behind. They landed together in a small field where several cows placidly munched on grass, oblivious to the chaos around them.

“This way!” Pinkie cried, ducking around behind the row of vendor stalls and through an open gate, into an area that seemingly wasn’t meant for the general public. There they found two rows of large tents, and a wide, grassy avenue between where parade floats were gathered, and many ponies hustling about to get them ready for the grand parade to roll out.

The pair stopped and gawped for a moment, amazed by the spectacle, whimsy and artistry of the floats. Pinkie Pie and Minty’s eyes grew wide as they took in the elaborate constructions before them, some topped with colorful balloons, others featuring magically animated characters, and all of them painted in bright, cheerful colors. They couldn’t believe the amount of detail that had gone into each float; there were candy sculptures, flower garlands, confetti cannons, and so many other creative touches. For a few moments, Pinkie and Minty were able to forget about the chaos outside the fairgrounds, enthralled by the magic of the parade floats.

It was Pinkie Pie who broke the spell first, nuzzling Minty and saying, “C’mon, that stampeding crowd will figure out where we went! Let’s hide in one of these tents.”

“Uh… Right!” Minty followed, the coins in her saddlebags jingling with each stride.

The delay was costly, though, as the mob poured into the workspace, knocking over buckets of paint and startling the workers. “There they are!” someone shouted. The stampede of hooves grew closer.

Minty and Pinkie ducked into an open tent flap and found themselves in an enormous workshop bustling with activity. All around them, ponies were busy putting the final touches elaborate floats for the upcoming parade and starting to pull them out toward the starting area for the parade.

Pinkie spied an opening between two floats and made a sharp turn, Minty close behind. As they squeezed through the narrow gap, Minty’s bulging saddlebag brushed against a wooden platform holding several heavy jars. She gasped as one enormous glass jar teetered and then toppled off the platform, hitting the ground with a tremendous crash.

The jar burst open, and black liquid resembling ink splashed in all directions, including Minty’s legs and feet. Thick black smoke began billowing out from the liquid, rapidly filling the workspace. As Minty stumbled after Pinkie, smoke trailed from her, bubbling and boiling off of her legs. The dark trail it left behind spread across the ground, creating an ominous wake.

Ponies coughed (mostly in panicked reflex, as the smoke had only a mild odor somewhat like pickle brine), shielding their eyes from the strange sight. Through the haze, Minty spotted Pinkie’s cotton candy pink tail and hurried after her, her heart pounding.

“It’s poison joke smoke!” someone yelled over the commotion. “Get out!” Panic erupted in the workshop as ponies scrambled for the exits. Outside, the rest of the mob pursuing Minty and Pinkie halted, taken aback by the cloud gushing out. Cries of alarm and confusion echoed through the structure, heightening the sense of urgency.

Minty and Pinkie reached a side door and burst outside, gulping fresh air. The black smoke flowed behind them, thick and swirling, as it continued to boil plentifully from Minty’s legs and hooves where she’d been splashed.

“What did you do?” Pinkie cried, wide-eyed as she glanced back at the smoke-filled building.

“I don’t know!” Minty wailed, watching the inky blackness spreading from her legs. She shook a leg frantically, but it only caused smoke to generate faster. “It was an accident!”

“We’ve got to keep moving!” Pinkie shouted, shaking Minty from her daze. She scanned the fairgrounds desperately for an escape route or a place to hide. “This way!” With a burst of energy, the pair launched into motion once more, out of the work area, once again into the main thoroughfare. They weaved through the throngs of frightened fairgoers.

However, the trail of smoke Minty left behind only caused more panic. “Look at that, she’s on fire!” a pony cried out. Some brave ponies rushed to try and catch Minty, presumably to try and extinguish whatever flames they imagined must be burning her.

Others ran from her. “It’s a demon pony!” one yelled. Meanwhile, behind the tents a black cloud was growing like a fog bank, which suddenly spilled over into the festival area, and the stampede became general.

Princess Celestia sat on a balcony of her castle, overlooking her capital city. She’d been watching for some time, anxiety betrayed only by an occasional flick of her ears or wings. It was silly, of course. There was no news to be seen from up here that she would not learn with greater clarity from the reports of her subordinates, yet somehow she felt compelled to watch over her little ponies in person. As far as she could see, all was well. The day was fine, the streets were busy with colorful ponies enjoying the holiday.

Sitting nearby, the princess’s aide, Day Planner, observed the set of Celestia’s jaw, the furrows of her brow. She opined, “You shouldn’t worry, Ma’am. I’m sure this pony’s reputation has been exaggerated by time and myth. We’ve faced villains who wanted to conquer our nation. Whereas Minty, by all accounts, is merely a clumsy and unlucky youth. How much harm can she really do?”

Celestia nodded, but said nothing. Then her ears perked up. Somewhere far from the palace, near the fair grounds, a sound arose, the sound of many pony voices crying out—and not in joyful celebration. This time the tone was different. Celestia squinted, and she witnessed a cloud billowing up, of the densest and blackest smoke she’d ever seen. It expanded rapidly and poured like a flood down the streets, while the cries of dismay increased, and she could just make out colorful specks moving in the streets as her little ponies fled.

Celestia’s dainty nostrils flared, and she reflexively scuffed the floor of the balcony with a golden shod hoof. “So…” she muttered grimly. “It begins.”

Soon…

A messenger hurried down the ornate hallway, his hooves clopping urgently against the polished marble floor. He rounded a corner, nearly colliding with a suit of armor, and skidded to a halt outside the doors of a conference room. Catching his breath, he rapped sharply on the heavy wood.

“Enter,” came the regal voice of Princess Celestia from within.

The messenger pushed open the door to find Celestia and Day Planner inside. “Your Highness,” he panted, “there is a situation requiring your immediate attention.”

Celestia’s brow furrowed with concern, and she lowered the report she’d been reading. “You have an update on the black smoke stampede?”

“What?” He blinked, confused. “No! It regards...” He hesitated, unsure how to phrase it delicately. “Your mother, the Queen. You must come at once.”

Celestia’s eyes widened. Without another word, she swept past the aide, her flowing mane and tail leaving a faint shimmer in the air.

The two smaller ponies scrambled to keep pace as they hastened to the throne room. As they neared the grand double doors, raised voices could be heard from within, a dissonant clamor punctuated by startled gasps.

Celestia flung the doors open with her magic to reveal a scene of chaos. Ponies milled about in agitated clusters, their eyes fixed upon the dais where the ornate throne sat—Celestia’s throne. There, perched regally atop its cushions, was Star Catcher, the pegasus mare now wearing the Platinum Crown and regarding the crowd with a serene, queenly air.

Luna stood at the base of the dais sporting a flustered expression. She noticed her sister’s arrival. “Celestia! Thank heavens you’re here.” She gestured helplessly toward the throne. “She simply wandered in and decided to start holding court as queen.”

Celestia frowned. “That’s unexpected. But I mean, she has authority to do that, does she not?”

For her own part, Star Catcher was addressing the ponies of the court. She said, “I am the Queen Mother of Equestria, and if I want more ice cream, I’ll have more ice cream!”

Celestia stepped forward so that Star Catcher would notice her and said, “Mother, the throne room is for official business of statecraft.”

“Right!” agreed Star Catcher. “Let’s get down to business, then. Scribe, take this down! I hereby decree that the letter W shall be stricken from the Equestrian language. Henceforth ponies shall use the letter ƿynn in its place.”

A mutter of surprise and puzzlement arose from the gathered croƿd. Celestia sighed and brought a hoof to her forehead. Luna stretched out a ƿing to nudge her sister and said, “You see? She’s gone mad with poƿer!”

Star Catcher leaned over to peer at the scribe. “Be sure there’s no W in that!”

It ƿas then that Courtly Conduct burst into the throne room, ƿith a scroll trailing along next to him in the gloƿ of magic. “Your Highnesses, your Royal Majesty! I have made an important discovery in the ancient records.”

All eyes turned to him, and Star Catcher prompted him to continue, “Very ƿell, please enlighten us!”

Courtly Conduct floated the scroll in front of him and magically unrolled it. “According to my research, The Queen Mother has no sovereign powers. She cannot enact laws or issue royal decrees.”

“Oh, thank goodness!” Star Catcher exclaimed. “The burdens of governing a nation were starting to overwhelm me.” She hopped down from the throne and joined her daughters.

“However…” Protocol continued. “According to my reading, she does hold authority over all matters of the royal household and family.”

Princess Celestia quirked an eyebrow and prompted, “Such as?”

He made a show of examining his scrolls again before answering. “Well, for example… If you, Princess Celestia, were to become enamored of a fine stallion, then you would be required to seek the Queen Mother’s blessing before proceeding with that relationship.”

Celestia’s and Star Catcher’s eyes both widened, and they swiveled their heads to look at one another, while Princess Luna struggle to stifle some giggles.

Flustered, Celestia stammered, “I, um… Surely I must be old enough to make my own decisions about such matters.”

That brought a giggle from Star Catcher, but it was Luna who was overwhelmed with mirth, and she collapsed to the floor in helpless laughter, her wings quivering uncontrollably.

Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie strolled out of the Canterlot train station. Or, better to say, Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash strolled while Pinkie Pie bounced lightly along on her hooves.

“I hope we’re in time for the grand parade,” Twilight fretted. “Assuming we even get to see it, I mean. Pinkie Pie, you were pretty vague about what we came here for.”

Pinkie Pie responded, “Vague? What, no‽ I wasn’t vague. My pinkie sense told me that something big is happening here. A doozie! And I need to be here today, and you need to be here today.” She looked to her other friend. “You, Rainbow Dash, I dunno why you’re here.”

The colorful pegasus pony shrugged. “I overheard something about a doozie and didn’t want to miss that. Whatever it is.”

Pinkie Pie’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she launched into her explanation. “Well, you see, it all started when I was baking a cake for Mrs. Cake’s birthday. I was just about to add the sprinkles when suddenly my tail started twitching, my ears started flopping, and my nose started itching all at the same time! That’s never happened before, and I knew right away it must mean something super duper important was going to happen.”

She paused for a breath before continuing, her words tumbling out in a rush. “So I started thinking, what could it be? A party? A festival? A party festival? But then I realized, no, it’s gotta be something even bigger than that. Something that requires the attention of Equestria’s best party pony and smartest smarty-pants pony. And that’s when I knew we had to come to Canterlot!”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “So you just decided to abandon the celebration we were already having in Ponyville and drag me along based on a hunch?”

“Not a hunch, Twilight Sparkle. A pinkie sense! And it’s never wrong. Well, almost never. There was that one time with the hydra, but that doesn’t matter. The point is, we need to be here, right now, because something big is about to go down. Something that could change the course of Equestrian history!”

Rainbow Dash grinned. “Sounds awesome. I’m in!”

Twilight sighed. “Fine, but if this turns out to be a wild goose chase, you owe me big time, Pinkie Pie.”

“Don’t worry, Twilight Sparkle. When have I ever steered you wrong? No, don’t answer that!”

But meanwhile, Minty and a different Pinkie Pie found themselves in an all-too-familiar situation, running for their lives from an angry mob. They raced through the streets, not sure where they were going, but pretty sure they didn’t want to be caught. “I just don’t know what went wrong!” wailed Minty. By this time the black formula had finally evaporated from her legs, and it hadn’t even left a stain.

“I think maybe we’ve lost them,” huffed Pinkie. She glanced back at Minty and yelled, “Just keep running, and look for… OIF!” She hadn’t been watching where she was going, and she’d smacked headlong into another pony. She sat back on her haunches and rubbed her head. “Sorry, sorry!” she said. Then she blinked at the vividly pink pony sitting in front of her rubbing her head.

Pinkie Pie blinked back and said, “What the hay? Who put a mirror here?”

Minty, Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash gawped, wide eyed and slack-jawed with confusion and growing horror, at the perfectly pink predicament unfolding before them.

Pinkie Pie gasped and pointed a hoof at Pinkie Pie. “You… You must be my evil twin!”

Shocked, Pinkie retorted, “No, it’s you! You must be my evil twin!”

“J’ACCUSE!” Pinkie yelled, then she pounced on Pinkie and they tumbled, wrestling with one another. After a few moments Pinkie broke free and tried to run, but Pinkie was hot on her tail. Then Pinkie suddenly stopped and faced her pursuer, who skidded to a confused stop. Pinkie growfed and leaped at Pinkie, who turned and ran back the way they’d just come from.

“What in Celestia’s name?” asked Rainbow Dash. “Twilight, are you seeing this or did I make a crash landing on my head and not know it?”

Twilight Sparkle stammered, “I… uh… I see it, but I don’t believe it.”

By this time the two Pinkie Pies were chasing one another’s tails in a circle. Finally one managed to tackle the other from behind and get her in a head lock. She yelled out, “Rainbow Dash! I caught Pinkamena, lend me a hoof!”

“Nuuuu!” cried Pinkie. “Rainbow Dash is gonna make me into a dress. Minty, help!”

“Minty?” Pinkie Pie’s ears perked up and she looked around, then broke into a huge grin. Dropping Pinkie, she jumped up and bounced over to the confused green pony and gave her a crushing hug. “Minty!!”

Rainbow Dash glanced towards Twilight Sparkle, usually a good source of explanation for weird events. This time, however, she was struggling. “Uh… A changeling? But they never acted like this. Let me try something!”

Twilight’s horn scintillated with magic, and she called out, “WYSIWYG!” A purple light flared out to hit the two Pinkie Pies, and they bolt yelped and jumped.

“Hay, lady, that kinda stings!” one of them complained.

Twilight’s eye twitched, her mane spontaneously sprouted cowlicks, and she muttered to herself: “It didn’t work? That spell should have stripped away any transformation, illusion or disguise.”

Rainbow Dash shrugged and went over to Pinkie Pie and nosed at her. “You okay, Pinkie?”

“Gaaah! R-rainbow Dash? How did you even get here? And why do you have wings?”

“Wut?” Rainbow actually glanced back at her wings for a moment, wondering why Pinkie had chosen this moment to question their existence. They looked normal.

Meanwhile, Minty flailed helplessly in Pinkie’s iron grip. She gasped out, “Can’t… breathe…”

Minty finally managed to wriggle free from Pinkie’s overly enthusiastic hug, gasping for air. She eyed the colorful pegasus pony warily. “Rainbow Dash? But... you can’t be Rainbow Dash. You’re a pegasus!”

Rainbow Dash snorted. “Well, duh. Of course I’m a pegasus. What else would I be?”

“But that’s impossible!” Minty sputtered. “Rainbow Dash is an earth pony. She couldn’t fly if her life depended on it.”

Twilight Sparkle finally seemed to recover from her existential crisis, shaking her head to clear it. “Hold on, let’s all take a deep breath and try to figure this out logically.” She turned and pointed a hoof. “Pinkie Pie, who is this other... you?”

Pinkie blinked slowly. “I’m not sure, Twilight. She says her name is Pinkamena, but I’ve never heard of an evil twin before.” She eyed her double suspiciously. “Although it could explain some things...”

The other Pinkie rolled her eyes. “I didn’t say I was evil, you did. I’m just as confused as you are!” She frowned at Minty. “And what’s this about Rainbow Dash being an earth pony? That’s crazy talk.”

Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs, scowling. “Yeah, I’m with... um, other Pinkie on this one. There’s no way I’d ever be an earth pony. Can you imagine how lame that would be?”

Minty huffed indignantly. “Well, I never! There’s nothing lame about being an earth pony.” She gestured towards the pink pony beside her. “My best friend Pinkie Pie is an earth pony, and she’s one of the most amazing ponies I know!”

Twilight held up a hoof, her eyes narrowing as she studied the strange gathering before her. “So let me get this straight. You two...” She pointed at Minty and the first Pinkie Pie. “...are claiming that the Rainbow Dash you know is an earth pony and can’t fly. But you...” She turned to the second Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. “...are absolutely certain that Rainbow Dash has always been a pegasus.” She frowned, deep in thought. “That doesn’t make any sense at all. Unless...” Her eyes went wide. “Oh! Oh my... I think I know what’s happening here!”

All eyes turned towards Twilight as she began to explain her theory in a rush of words. “I’ve read about this, but I never imagined I’d actually encounter it myself. You two...” She gestured at Minty and Pinkie. “You must be from a different timeline! A parallel universe where the reality we know has been altered in some way.”

Minty and Pinkie exchanged a confused glance while Rainbow Dash scratched her head with a hoof. “A... what now? You’ve lost me.”

But Twilight was on a roll now, her mind whirring with the possibilities. “Don’t you see? It’s the only explanation that makes sense! They know things that conflict with our world because they come from an alternate reality where the circumstances of Equestria’s history played out differently.”

She turned an eager gaze towards Minty and Pinkie. “You have to tell me everything! What’s different in your timeline? When did the split occur? Oh, I have so many questions!”

Pinkie Pie grinned and threw a foreleg around Minty’s shoulders. “Well, you heard the smart pony! We’ve got some ‘splainin’ to do!”

However, before any discussion could delve into the intricacies of parallel universes and alternate timelines, their conversation was abruptly cut short by the arrival of a contingent of royal guards. The armored ponies marched forward with purpose, their eyes fixed on Minty. The mint-green earth pony gulped nervously as the lead guard addressed her directly: “Minty, by order of Princess Celestia, you are to accompany us to the palace immediately.”

Minty’s eyes widened in surprise, and she glanced at Pinkie Pie for support. Her pink friend merely shrugged, equally baffled by the sudden summons. Rainbow Dash stepped forward, her wings flaring out in a protective stance. “Hey, what’s the big idea? You can’t just barge in here and start ordering ponies around!”

Twilight placed a calming hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder. “Easy, Rainbow Dash! I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for this.” She turned to the guards, her expression curious. “May we accompany our friend to the palace? We have some rather pressing matters to discuss with the princesses as well.”

The lead guard hesitated for a moment before nodding curtly. “Very well. You may all come, but do not delay.”

With that, the group set off towards the palace, the guards forming a tight escort around them. As they walked, Pinkie Pie leaned in close to her alternate self, whispering conspiratorially, “Ooh, I wonder what the princesses want with Minty? Maybe they’re throwing her a surprise party!”

The other Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes. “Somehow, I doubt that’s the reason.”

Upon arriving at the palace, the group was ushered into a grand hall where Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Star Catcher awaited them. The regal alicorns regarded the assembled ponies with a mix of curiosity and concern.

Celestia stepped forward, her voice gentle but firm, and said, “Minty, we have reason to believe that you and your companion have traveled through time from the earliest days of Equestria. Is this true?”

Minty blinked. “Uhh… Traveled through time?” She glanced at Star Catcher for reassurance.

The large, white pegasus offered a comforting smile before addressing the princesses, saying, “As bizarre as it sounds, I’d already begun to suspect what has happened. Minty and Pinkie Pie are from the same era as I am. We’ve all found ourselves in this future time through mysterious means.”

Luna’s eyes widened in realization. “Then the rumors of ancient coins appearing at the fairgrounds... that was your doing?”

Minty grinned sheepishly. “Oops, guess we should have been more careful with our bits.”

Pinkie Pie jabbed her lightly and chided, “That one vendor told us to go to a money changer and swap them for different bits, remember?”

Minty shrugged helplessly. “With everything going on, I forgot all about that.”

An increasingly frustrated Twilight Sparkle broke into the conversation. “Wait, wait! How could they have possibly traveled through time? And why are there two Pinkie Pies?”

Princess Celestia answered, “I don’t have those answers, Twilight Sparkle, but I hope you can help me solve the mystery—and craft the spell to return these ponies to the era they belong to. I believe it is absolutely necessary that we do so. Will you assist me with the research?”

Twilight’s eyes lit up. “Of course, Princess! It would be my absolute pleasure.”

Pinkie Pie said, “See? I knew you needed to be here today.”

After some time, when all of the visitors had been situated and made comfortable in the palace, Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle made a short journey to the Royal Library and convened in a conference room along with a pair of research assistants borrowed from the library staff.

They began by pulling all material related to time travel, of which there was very little, and much of it was ancient and likely to be apocryphal. Twilight pondered aloud, “Hmm. Did Star Catcher tell you anything about how it happened that they were thrown forward in time?”

Celestia answered, “She said the balloon they were traveling in was caught in a storm and struck by lightning, and all three of them were knocked unconscious. It was after they awoke that Star Catcher first began to notice changes in their surroundings.”

Twilight flipped through a few pages of notes. “Well, it doesn’t sound like there was any enchanted artifact involved. The circumstances suggest a natural phenomenon, like a rift in the fabric of space and time. Maybe we could learn something by examining the balloon. Is it still here in Canterlot?”

“I should imagine so,” Celestia allowed. “I’ll send orders for it to be found and secured.” She wrote a note and passed it to one of the attendants.

“Can we be certain that somepony didn’t cast a spell on them intentionally,” Celestia then asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

Twilight considered for a moment, but then shook her head. “I don’t know, Princess. But who would do such a thing, and why? If it were the case, we need to find out who’s responsible and stop them before they cause any more damage to the timeline.”

Celestia nodded gravely. “You’re right, Twilight. The consequences of altering history could be catastrophic. We must proceed with the utmost caution.”

Twilight bit her lip, lost in thought for a moment. “I think our best course of action is to focus on finding a way to send them back to their own time. If we can do that, then any changes they might have made to the timeline should be erased.”

“I concur. But how do we do that without knowing how they got here in the first place?”

“Well, I have a few ideas.” Twilight levitated a stack of books from the table and began flipping through them rapidly. “There are some theoretical models for reversing the effects of time travel. It’s never been done before, but I think with enough research and experimentation, we might be able to figure it out.”

She then singled out a tome and pushed it forward on the table. She said, “Here’s the time travel spell of Starswirl the Bearded, which I have used before. He was one of the first Unicorns to even investigate the possibility of time travel. However…” She gave a dainty little snort of frustration. “We can’t use this spell as written. It’s far too limited. I was only able to travel back in time one week, and I could only stay half a minute before snapping back to my own time.”

Celestia nodded. “Yes, but this situation is different. Our three ponies are already displaced from their natural time. Instead of casting a new time travel spell, maybe we only need to break the one that brought them here. After all, snapping back to their proper time isn’t a problem. It’s what we want to happen.”

Twilight blinked and pondered that for a moment. “So we have two possible strategies. Use Star Swirl’s spell, or try to disrupt the magic that brought them here. Or, maybe Star Swirl’s spell itself would do that?”

Celestia nodded. “I remember your report on that incident.” Then she winced and brought a hoof to her face, to rub the top of her muzzle, as if a painful realization had just come to her. “Oh, of course! That sly old goat! All these centuries I’ve thought his time travel spell was a failure, practically useless. It’s not useless at all. We were using it for the wrong thing. He must have known about all of this.”

Twilight blinked. “He did?”

Celestia sighed and explained, “I’m guessing he did because Star Catcher told him about it—or is going to tell him after we send her back. So, he created this spell as the solution. It was always intended to return time travelers back to their native era. The initial effect of sending a pony back in time was only included so the more important second part of the spell could be tested.”

Understanding dawned on Twilight’s face. “Amazing! But it seems like a paradox. I mean, if Star Swirl had to hear about Star Catcher’s time travel before he could invent the spell, how would she have gotten back there to tell him?”

Celestia shook her head. “I must presume this is not the way events could ever play out naturally. And if that’s the case, then it could mean the timeline is already beginning to loop inward on itself.”

Twilight fidgeted. “That’s a bad thing, I’m guessing.”

“Perhaps. Or perhaps this is how a damaged timeline heals itself. There’s too much we still don’t understand about time travel, and it’s only a guess anyhow. But if I’m right, then it would mean the past has already been altered. Our imperative is to make sure it isn’t altered any further in a way that erases all of us from history.”

Twilight gulped and said, “Princess, I… I don’t always do my best work under this kind of pressure.”

Celestia tsked gently at her student and said, “Twilight Sparkle, I know that’s not true. It seems to me that you’ve been… erratic, I might say… only when faced with problems that were inconsequential, such as a late friendship report. Whenever the fate of Equestria has rested on your back, you’ve carried it brilliantly.”

Twilight blushed and said, “I’m never going to hear the end of that Smarty Pants thing, am I?”

“I hope not. I also hope you’ll never hear the end of that Nightmare Moon thing, that Discord thing or that changeling invasion thing. You’ve earned my trust. You should trust in yourself now.”

Twilight nodded. “I’ll try.” She took a deep breath and focused on the book again.

Celestia smiled, her eyes shining with pride. “If anypony can do it, Twilight Sparkle, it’s you. I have complete faith in your abilities.”

Twilight blushed at the praise, but her expression quickly turned serious again. “Thank you, Princess. But we’ll need to work quickly. The longer they stay in our time, the greater the risk of something going wrong.”

“Of course. I’ll make sure you have all the resources and support you need. In the meantime, I’ll keep an eye on our visitors and make sure they don’t inadvertently cause any more disruptions.”

She rose to her feet, about to leave, but then Twilight said, “Wait!” She looked up at Celestia with wide eyes and said, “Does this mean Star Swirl was your…?” She trailed off.

“My father? I’ve long suspected that he might be, for a few reasons, but this seems to practically confirm it. I hardly think it likely that he would have created a time travel spell to bring Star Catcher back from the future if he wasn’t the same unicorn mage who had to be involved in my creation, and my sister’s as well.” She hesitated for a moment, while Twilight absorbed that information. Then Celestia added softly, wistfully, “I wish I’d known him better.” Without further comment, she turned and left the room.

13 - Return to Ponyville

It took two days for Twilight Sparkle to formulate a plan that she was confident in. In the wake of the holiday, calm had settled over Canterlot, and it was a cool, clear and still morning when ponies gathered upon the open field of the airport. All other air traffic had been suspended on the Princess’s orders, and the vintage balloon was brought out and prepared by the ground crew.

The eastern horizon glowed, and somewhere in the distance a rooster crowed. An almost electric sense of anticipation was felt among the gathered ponies: Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, Star Catcher, Minty and both Pinkie Pies. A handful of others had been invited to observe, including Twilight’s brother, Shining Armor and a few other Royal Guards, as well as scholars and a photographer to record the event.

For the moment, Minty and Rainbow Dash were showing each other their scars. It was Rainbow’s turn, and she pointed to her belly as she explained, “This is where they had to take out part of my stomach. It was weeks before I was able to eat solid food again. And I got in the medical journals too. They said it was the first case on record where a pony swallowed liquid nitrogen.”

“Cooool!” exclaimed Minty.

“Very!” Rainbow nodded. Then she frowned. “But that was the end of my job at the weather factory.”

Nearby, Star Catcher was likewise engaged in conversation with the Princesses. To Celestia she said, “So, there’s a Ponyville in this time, but it’s not the same place?”

Celestia explained, “When Luna and I were growing up, Old Ponyville was the nearest settlement to our home, and we visited there often. I’m afraid it was abandoned some time after the Reign of Discord. When the Apple family came to me and proposed founding a new settlement in the area, I recalled those fond memories of my youth. I granted them land on the banks of Cayuse Creek, and I suggested the name.”

Twilight, who had been listening raptly, now interjected. “Cayuse Creek? But it’s Cow House Creek that runs through Ponyville.”

Celestia smiled gently and nodded. “In the beginning it was named for the tribe of Cayuse ponies who were native to the area. I supposed they’ve been forgotten to time, and the name was corrupted over the centuries until it became known as Cow House today.”

At the appointed time, Princess Luna lowered the moon and Princess Celestia raised the sun without the dramatic fanfare of the public ceremony a few days earlier. Even so, every other pony watched with rapt fascination. This was the authentic process that made each day happen, after all, and few ponies were privileged to witness it carried out in such a natural, almost intimate, setting.

Several ponies were looking upward, scanning the sky. “A perfect day for flying,” Star Catcher observed.

Twilight shook her head. “A perfect day for flying, maybe, but not a perfect day for casting this spell. It’s going to need another lightning bolt for enough power to send the entire balloon back through time. Didn’t we order some clouds for this morning?”

A ground crew pegasus spoke up, “The weather team are having difficulty finding anything suitable. The sky is clear as far as we can see in all directions.”

Rainbow Dash’s ears perked up as she overheard her friend’s concern about the lack of clouds. She trotted over, a confident grin on her face. “No problem, Twi! I’ve got this. Give me ten minutes, and I’ll have the perfect storm cloud rounded up for you.”

Twilight looked skeptical. “Are you sure, Rainbow Dash? We need a pretty big one to generate enough lightning.”

Rainbow puffed out her chest. “Have I ever let you down? Trust me, I know just where to look. You guys get ready to launch, and I’ll be back before you know it.” With that, she crouched down and then rocketed into the sky, leaving a rainbow trail in her wake.

As Rainbow Dash disappeared into the distance, Star Catcher, Minty, and Pinkie Pie approached the balloon basket. Star Catcher took a deep breath, her eyes misty as she looked around at the gathered ponies. “I can’t believe it’s time to say goodbye already. This has been such an incredible adventure, meeting all of you.”

Minty nodded. “I know! I’m going to miss you all so much. Especially you, Pinkie Pie. Or should I say, Pinkie Pie's Evil Twin?” She giggled at her own joke.

The two Pinkie Pies looked at each other and then back at Minty, grinning widely. “We’ll miss you too, Minty!” they said in unison, then burst into laughter.

Star Catcher turned to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, bowing her head respectfully. “Your Highnesses, I can’t thank you enough for your hospitality and for helping us find a way back home. I know it couldn’t have been easy, dealing with the chaos we unintentionally caused.”

Celestia smiled warmly, stepping forward to nuzzle Star Catcher affectionately. “It was our pleasure, Mother. And it was wonderful to see you again, even under these unusual circumstances. Safe travels, my dear.”

Luna nodded in agreement. “May the stars guide you home safely.”

Then Twilight levitated a slim messenger bag, offered it to Star Catcher and said, “This is for your eyes only. It contains all the notes you’ll need to ensure the time loop is closed. Obviously we can’t make you follow its instructions, but I hope you will. Princess Celestia and I have debated this, and we think it’s the safest way to ensure that the past, present and future are stable.”

Star Catcher took the folio and placed it in the balloon basket. Then she said, “Thank you, Twilight Sparkle! I’ll make my best effort.”

Twilight rubbed her chin thoughtfully and mused, “I’m still not sure how there are two Pinkie Pies. Is ours the great, great, ever-so-great grand daughter of the other?”

Celestia nuzzled her student and said, gently, “I have some ideas. However, like many things involving Pinkie Pie, I think this may be a mystery that’s better left unsolved really.”

Twilight Sparkle watched as the ground crew ponies finished their final checks on the old balloon. They assured Princess Celestia that everything was in order, the balloon was in good shape, and its propulsive enchantment was fully charged.

Star Catcher, Minty, and Pinkie Pie climbed into the balloon’s basket, their eyes shining with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. They waved to the gathered ponies, calling out their goodbyes and promises to never forget their incredible adventure. The photographer snapped a final image, then guard ponies herded the other onlookers back to a safe distance.

Moments later, Rainbow Dash returned, pushing a massive, dark thundercloud into position above the balloon. She was huffing lightly from exertion, but grinned, clearly proud of her quick work. “One perfect storm cloud, as requested!” she called down.

Twilight Sparkle nodded, her face set in concentration as she gave her checklist one final review. Satisfied that everything was in order, she took a deep breath and began to cast the spell to enchant the balloon.

The air crackled with magic as Twilight’s horn glowed brightly. The balloon itself started to shimmer, a faint aura surrounding it as the enchantment took hold. Slowly, the balloon began to rise, lifting off from the ground and ascending into the sky.

All eyes were on the balloon as it gained altitude, the tension among the gathered ponies palpable. Twilight glanced up at Rainbow Dash, giving her a nod. Rainbow Dash grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she flew up to the thundercloud and gave it a mighty stomp.

A blinding flash of lightning erupted from the cloud, arcing through the air and striking the balloon with a resounding crack. The balloon glowed even brighter, pulsing with magical energy. Then, in a flash of light, it vanished.

The gathered ponies stared at the empty sky, a mix of awe and relief on their faces. Twilight Sparkle let out a long breath, her shoulders sagging as the tension drained from her body. She turned to Princess Celestia, a small smile on her face. “I think it worked, Princess. They’re on their way home.”

On the patio outside of her cafe, Cotton Candy paused mid-pour, teapot hanging over a customer’s mug as her eyes widened at the sight of a familiar balloon drifting in the distance. “Sweet sugar lumps, is that…?” She squinted, then gasped, nearly spilling the tea. “It is! That’s Minty’s balloon. Minty and Pinkie Pie are back.”

The customer, Sunny Daze, followed Cotton Candy’s gaze. “Well, I’ll be! Looks like our wayward fillies have found their way home.” She chuckled, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

Cotton Candy grinned, setting the teapot down and untying her apron. “I’ve got to go tell the others! This calls for a celebration!” She dashed into the street, her hooves clattering on the cobblestones as she galloped towards the center of town.

At the Ponyville library, Storybelle was engrossed in a thick tome when a sudden commotion outside caught her attention. She trotted to the window, her jaw dropping as she spotted the approaching balloon. “Oh my goodness! They’re back!” She quickly marked her place in the book and hurried outside, eager to share the news.

As Storybelle cantered through the streets, she nearly collided with Kimono, who was carrying a basket of fresh herbs. “Kimono, look!” Storybelle pointed excitedly at the sky. “Minty and Pinkie Pie have returned!”

Kimono followed Storybelle’s gaze, a serene smile spreading across her face. “Ah, so they have. The winds of fate have guided them safely home.” She adjusted her basket and continued on her way, her step a bit lighter than before.

Word of the returning balloon spread quickly through Ponyville, and soon a crowd had gathered in the town square, their eyes fixed on the sky. Twinkle Twirl, still wearing her ballet slippers, pirouetted with excitement. “Oh, I can’t wait to hear all about their adventures! I bet they have some fantastic stories to share.”

Next to her, Toola Roola nodded, a relieved smile on her face. “I’m just glad they’re safe. When that storm front blew through, I feared the worst.” She shuddered at the memory, then shook her head. “But they’re Minty and Pinkie Pie. I should have known they’d find a way back.”

As the balloon drew closer, the ponies of Ponyville began to cheer, their voices rising in a joyous chorus. They waved their hooves, jumped up and down, and called out greetings to their returning friends. The air was electric with anticipation, and everypony was eager to welcome Minty and Pinkie Pie back home.

As the balloon gently touched down in the center of Ponyville, a cheer erupted from the gathered crowd. Minty and Pinkie Pie waved enthusiastically at their friends, their faces beaming with joy. Then Minty leapt out of the basket. “No, Minty!” Star Catcher yelled, but it was too late.

The balloon hadn’t yet been tied down, and the sudden change of weight sent it launching upward. Reacting quickly, Sunny Daze and Toola Roola jumped and caught the mooring lines in their jaws. The balloon’s momentum gave them a sharp jerk upward, making the two mares grunt, but their combined mass kept it from getting away, and they tied down the lines to hitching posts.

“Oh, uhh… Haha!” Minty laughed nervously. “Sorry! Sorry, I forgot. Again.” She glanced at Pinkie Pie, who had just hopped out of the basket beside her. “You could have reminded me. You always do, ever since I let that one balloon get away.”

Pinkie blinked and shrugged. “Wow, I guess I totally forgot about that!”

Star Catcher nosed under the strap of the messenger bag and got it settled across her withers, then finally hopped out of the basket as well.

Once the initial excitement had died down, Star Catcher cleared her throat and addressed the ponies of Ponyville. “My dear friends,” she began, her voice carrying a note of bittersweet pride, “it has been an honor and a privilege to ensure the safe return of Minty and Pinkie Pie to their beloved home.” She glanced at the two earth ponies, her eyes shining with affection.

“However,” Star Catcher continued, her tone growing more somber, “I’m afraid the time has come for me to bid you all farewell.” A murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd, and Minty and Pinkie Pie exchanged a concerned glance.

Star Catcher held up a hoof to quiet the whispers. “You see, my own home, Butterfly Island, and my dear pegasus friends await my return. I can only imagine the worry they must feel in my absence.” She sighed, her wings fluttering slightly as she thought of her distant companions.

Minty stepped forward, her eyes wide with concern. “But Star Catcher, you’ve only just arrived! Surely you can stay a little longer?” She looked imploringly at the pegasus, her mint-green coat shimmering in the sunlight.

Star Catcher smiled gently and shook her head. “I’m afraid I must go, Minty. My duties as a prefect of Butterfly Island cannot be ignored, and my friends will be eager to hear of our adventures.” She reached out and gave Minty a reassuring nuzzle.

Pinkie Pie bounced up to Star Catcher, her pink curls bobbing with each hop. “We’ll miss you, Star Catcher! But we understand. Your friends need you, just like ours needed us.”

Star Catcher nodded, grateful for Pinkie Pie’s support. She turned to face the ponies of Ponyville once more, her voice filled with warmth and sincerity. “Thank you all for your kindness and offers of hospitality. I cherish the friendship we’ve made together, and I’ll visit when circumstances allow.” She bowed her head, her colorful mane cascading over her shoulders. Then she leapt into the air, circled around the crowd and the colorful balloon a couple of times, and then soared away toward her home.

14 - Epilogue

Twilight Sparkle warmed her seat on the train, tail occasionally twitching, brow furrowed as she pored over the notes she had taken during their time in Canterlot. The events of the past few days swirled in her mind, each detail more perplexing than the last. She glanced up at her friends, wondering if they were as bewildered as she was.

Rainbow Dash lounged across from Twilight, her hooves propped up on the seat beside her. Her eyes were distant, and a small smile played at the corners of her mouth. "Can you imagine all the incredible adventures a pony could have with time travel?" she mused, her voice filled with excitement. "I mean, think about it! You could go back and witness the founding of Equestria, or even further to see the ancient civilizations that came before."

Twilight nodded, her own imagination sparking to life. "It would be fascinating to observe history firsthand, to see how the events we've read about actually unfolded." She tapped her quill against her chin, her mind racing with the possibilities. "But we'd have to be careful not to interfere or change anything. Even the smallest alteration could have unforeseen consequences."

Rainbow Dash waved a hoof dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Butterfly effect and all that. But still, it would be so cool to meet the heroes of the past, like Commander Hurricane!" She grinned, her eyes shining with enthusiasm.

Pinkie Pie, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, finally spoke up. "I wonder what it was like for the other me, living in that ancient Ponyville." She tilted her head, her curls bouncing with the motion. "Do you think she throws parties like I do? Or maybe she has a different special talent altogether!"

Twilight considered this, her mind whirling with the implications. "Even her cutie mark was identical to yours, so I'd assume she had the same special talent. Which is pretty remarkable. I mean, even identical twins don't usually get the same cutie mark."

Rainbow Dash sat up, her expression growing more serious. "But what about Star Catcher? The way she talked about Butterfly Island... I thought that place was nothing but a breezy tale. I wonder what happened to it?"

Twilight nodded, her own curiosity piqued. "There's still so much we don't understand about what happened. I want to do more research after we get back to Ponyville, to see if I can find any historical records that might shed light on these events."

She tapped her pencil against the side of her notebook distractedly, then added, "But I need to clean up the place and shelve a lot of books first. I've been distracted, and the library has become…" She hesitated for an instant, then hissed, "disorganized."

Rainbow laughed. "I find that hard to believe."

Twilight answered, a bit defensively, "There is some actual work involved in being a librarian, believe it or not."

Pinkie Pie perked up and said, "Oh, I can help!"

Twilight looked askance at her. "You sure?"

"Sure! I can stay on task when I need to. Don't you worry, Twilight Twinkle! We'll have that old windmill tower straightened out in no time."

Star Swirl sat hunched over his desk, his beard trailing across parchments and ancient tomes. The beard was, in fact, an affectation cultivated by spellcraft. As something of a prodigy whose magical talents had been quick to manifest, he soon learned that conjurers were not held in the highest regard among pony society, and that was doubly true for youthful ones. Ponies expected their wizards to be more wizened.

The chin whiskers had helped, somewhat. He'd found the eccentric geezer image suited him, even if it didn't win him all the respect he might have hoped for.

Midday sun streamed through the narrow windows of his tower, casting a warm glow on the cluttered space. Dust motes danced in the beams of light, settling on the shelves laden with arcane artifacts and strange, glimmering instruments.

The unicorn muttered to himself as he scribbled notes in the margins of a weathered book, his quill scratching against the yellowed pages. The tower was silent save for the occasional rustle of paper or the soft clink of glass vials.

Star Swirl's stomach grumbled, reminding him that he had forgotten to eat since dawn. He sighed, pushing back from the desk and stretching his stiff limbs. He made his way to the small kitchen, stepping over piles of books and scrolls that littered the floor.

The cupboards were nearly bare, save for a few jars of pickled vegetables and a stale loaf of bread. Star Swirl sliced off a piece of bread and smeared it with a thin layer of butter, his movements efficient and practiced.

As he chewed the meager meal, a light tinkle of bells sounded. Star Swirl's wizardly hat, resting on the counter where he'd left it, now rustled, and a small, scaly head poked out from beneath. The pocket dragon chirped, its eyes bright and curious.

"Ah, Chamekarti," Star Swirl grumbled, his voice rough from disuse. "I suppose you're hungry too."

Employing his magic, he opened a jar and pulled out a small, dried fish, and tossed it to the dragon. Chamekarti snatched it out of the air, swallowing it whole with a satisfied gulp. Star Swirl allowed himself a small smile, his eyes softening as he watched the dragon curl back up beneath his hat.

With a sigh, Star Swirl returned to his desk, his mind already drifting back to the complex equations and arcane symbols that filled his thoughts. The tower settled back into its quiet rhythm, the only sounds the scratching of a quill and the soft snores of a contented pocket dragon.

After a while Star Swirl's concentration was broken by a sudden, insistent knocking at the door of his tower. He grumbled under his breath, annoyed at the interruption to his studies. He'd built his tower in the Minden Fa to deter random ponies from bothering him. It had mostly worked. The knocking continued, echoing through the stone walls and growing louder with each passing moment.

"Alright, alright," Star Swirl called out, his voice irritable. "Keep your feathers on, I'm coming!"

He pushed himself up from his desk and stretched, then made his way unhurriedly down the winding stairs, his hooves clacking against the worn stone steps. The knocking persisted, and Star Swirl's irritation grew with each step.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, Star Swirl waved a hoof, and the heavy wooden door swung open with a groan. "Whatever you're selling, I don't want any," he asserted. He squinted against the bright sunlight that flooded the entryway, his eyes taking a moment to adjust. He blinked a couple of times and began to make out another pony.

"Star Swirl, I presume?" she asked, her voice strong and clear.

Standing before him was a pegasus, her white coat gleaming in the sun. Her mane was streaked with silver, blue, and pink, and her impressive wings were folded neatly at her sides. She looked at Star Swirl with a mixture of curiosity and determination, her eyes bright and sharp. The pegasus took a step forward, her hooves clopping against the stone threshold. "My name is Star Catcher," she said, inclining her head in a slight bow. "I've come a long way to speak with you."

Caught off guard by this apparition, Star Swirl reflexively stepped back. "That's… Have you now?" he uttered lamely. He knew he was staring, but he couldn't help himself. To his eyes Star Catcher was a stunning specimen. At the same time, Star Swirl was unused to interacting with mares—he ranked them among the great unsolved mysteries of the universe—or interacting with pegasus ponies, for that matter.

He realized she'd just said something, and in a most captivating voice, yet the words had flowed over him without leaving the slightest impression. Struggling to gather his wits, he said curtly, "I'm a busy pony. I don't have time for social calls."

Star Catcher's expression remained calm, unfazed by Star Swirl's brusque manner. "I assure you, this is no social call," she said, her voice even. "I have a matter of great importance to discuss with you, one that could change the course of Equestria's future."

Star Swirl's ears perked up at that, his curiosity piqued despite himself. He studied Star Catcher more closely, taking in the determined set of her jaw and the intensity of her gaze.

"Very well," he said at last, stepping aside to allow her entry. "You have my attention. But make it quick, I have work to do."

Star Catcher nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. She stepped over the threshold, her wings rustling softly as she passed Star Swirl. A sweet scent of mimosa blossoms teased the wizard's nose.

The door swung shut behind them with a heavy thud, sealing them inside the musty confines of the tower. Star Swirl led the way back up the stairs, his mind already churning with questions about the mysterious pegasus and the purpose of her visit.

01 - Balloon Ride

Four tiny, pony-like creatures with dragonfly wings and butterfly antenna spiraled upward into the not-quite-summer sky. Breezy ponies normally found little to interest them high in the sky, preferring to flit through the trees and across the flowery fields, but the balloon was a cheerful beacon of bright yellow color luring them upward into the vast empty spaces of the air.

Their tiny wings shimmered in the sunlight, humming with magic as they ascended. They skimmed around a popcorn puff of cloud, sending the mist swirling and scattering with musical laughter.

Tiddly Wink called out, “Zipzee! The balloon, don’t lose sight of it!”

“Oh, right!” Zipzee stopped suddenly, and the other breezies easily fell into hovering formation on either side. It was only a moment before Zipzee grinned and pointed with a yellow hoof. “There! Let’s go!” Away they buzzed once more.

The wicker basket suspended underneath the balloon held two ponies, one entirely pink and the other mint green with a pale pink mane and tail, their faces lighting up when they spotted the little visitors circling them. “Hii!” came the chorus of greetings from the breezies as they stopped and hovered.

The pink pony bounced in place, rocking the basket slightly, her front hooves supporting her on the edge. “Breezies! Minty, look!”

The green pony grinned and said, “I see them. Hello, little breezies!”

“Hello big ponies!” answered the yellow one. “I’m Zipzee. And these are Honeydew Hum, and Tiddly Wink, and Azalea Bloom.” Each breezy did a little mid-air spin as her name was spoken.

“Hii!” the pink pony responded in kind. “I’m Pinkie Pie, and this is my bestest friend in the world, Minty!”

“Cool! What’s up?” said Zipzee, but then was thumped with a hoof. “Oww, what?” Zipzee rubbed the back of her head and glared at Azalea.

Azalea Bloom bobbed slightly, performing an aerial maneuver that could pass for a curtsy, which the other breezies mimicked, and she said, “What Zipzee meant to say is… We’re pleased to meet you. What brings you up so high in the sky on this beautiful sunny day?”

“We’re taking a trip to visit Unicornia!” Pinkie Pie answered.

Smiles faded, and the breezies looked to one another in confusion. They huddled together and discussed the matter in tiny voices that Pinkie and Minty strained to hear. After some moments they seemed to reach a conclusion, and they each hovered facing Pinkie and Minty again. Zipzee piped up, “That’s the city where all the Unicorns live, right?”

Minty laughed a bubbly laugh, while Pinkie Pie buried her face between her front hooves for a moment before wondering, “Did the name give it away?”

Meanwhile Honeydew Hum had flittered into the basket and was staring at the symbol on Pinkie Pie’s hip. “Balloons! You must be the pilot.”

Pinkie blinked. “What? Nono… Those are party balloons. My cutie mark means I like to throw parties and make ponies happy. It’s my special talent.”

Minty laughed and added, “Yeah, I’m the pilot! I love flying. It’s the only way to travel. And out of all the ponies in Ponyville, I’m the expert when it comes to balloons.” Honeydew cast a skeptical glance at the image of mint candies adorning Minty’s hip, but held her tongue.

Tiddly Wink moved forward and said, “I saw a unicorn once! But why are you going to Unicornia?“

Minty explained, “The unicorns use their magic to raise the sun in the sky every day. But tomorrow is a special day, it’s the first day of summer — and it’s the longest day of the year. They have a huge festival, they call it the Summer Sun Celebration. And we’re going to see it.”

Pinkie Pie added, “We’re gonna party all the live-long day. It’s gonna be fantabulous. Would you breezies like to come with us? There’s plenty of room in the basket — the more the merrier!”

“Yay! Let’s go!” cheered the breezies — or most of them — and they started to do a joyful aerial dance.

“No! Stop that!” cried Azalea Bloom. The other three breezies bumped into one another as they came to a confused stop. “We can’t go flying away now, there’s work to be done back home in Breezy Blossom. If we disappear, none of our friends would even know where we’ve gone.”

“Awww…” said the other breezies, plus Pinkie Pie.

Azalea Bloom fluttered forward to look at Pinkie Pie and said, “It sounds wonderful, and I wish we could come along, but we really can’t.”

Minty awwwed too, but Pinkie said, “It’s okay, I understand. Minty, why don’t you give them some candy to take home?”

Minty perked up. “That’s a great idea! You can each have a piece.” She reached down into the bottom of the wicker basket and hooked her hoof around a bag, pulling it closer. She stuck her muzzle into the opening and pulled out one piece after another of wrapped candy: a bonbon, a taffy and a couple of (her favorite) peppermints, until each breezy clutched in her hooves a candy almost as big as her head. Their wings buzzed with the effort of supporting what was, for them, a hefty load.

“Thank you! Thank you!” they chirped. Then Azalea fluttered back to Minty and said, “Hold still for a moment!”

“Huh?” said Minty, going cross-eyed as she tried to focus on the hovering breezy. Azalea darted forward and touched her antennae to Minty’s forehead, releasing a golden spark of magic. Minty blinked and laughed. “What was that?”

Azalea giggled and said, “Breezy magic! It’ll bring good luck on your journey.” The other breezies nodded and each darted forward to give a spark of their own magic: Tiddly Wink to Minty, Zipzee and Honeydew Hum to Pinkie Pie.

“Ooh… It feels tingly!” Pinkie said. “Thank you!”

“Now we’d better fly home,” said Azalea, “before we drift too far and lose sight of Breezy Blossom!” The other three breezies lined up in formation by her side. “Byee!” they called.

Pinkie Pie and Minty both waved. “It’s been fun seeing you, little breezies!” called Pinkie. “Enjoy the candy!” added Minty. They watched as the tiny ponies spiraled downward toward the earth and soon disappeared from view.

Pinkie Pie sighed contentedly. “That was so nice! It’s too bad they couldn’t come along.”

Minty nodded, smiling. “And I got to give away some candy. I love doing that, it’s even better than eating it.”

Pinkie peered over the edge of the basket at the green forest and wilderness silently sliding past. It was peaceful, relaxing. Pinkie Pie was not a pony who usually devoted much time to relaxation, but even she wasn’t immune to the spell cast by the sweet air of late spring, the morning sunlight, and the beautiful, panoramic view of the blue sky and the puffy white clouds casting shadows on the green lands below. Her eyelids drooped and she smiled softly as she gazed at the hazy blue mountains on the horizon. Surely all was right with the world.

Something nagged at her, though. A little itch right between her withers where she couldn’t scratch seemed to be telling her something wasn’t exactly right. She turned her head, eyes scanning the horizon. After a while she spoke, “Minty? Where are we?”

Minty laughed in her usual bubbly-sounding way, although Pinkie thought she heard a nervous undertone as well. “Still on course for Unicornia! Umm… Why do you ask?”

Pinkie looked around the horizon again and said, “I don’t recognize any landmarks. It shouldn’t be this far. I mean, you can see the High Castle from Ponyville on a clear day, if you know just where to look.”

Minty fidgeted. “We’re just, umm, taking the scenic route, because a longer balloon ride is more fun. You just leave the navigating to me, Pinkie Pie! I’ve got this all figured out. I even went to the library and got a map from Story Belle before we left. When it comes to ballooning, I’m as sly as a duck!”

“Minty… Foxes are sly. Ducks are all wet.” That only prompted another nervous laugh from Minty. Pinkie moved closer and said, “Can I look at the map? Pleeease?”

Minty stammered, “I… uh… I don’t have it out. I rolled it up in a sock.”

Pinkie poked around the interior of the basket, then nosed open Minty’s saddlebags to peek inside, but found them almost empty. “I don’t see any socks here,” she concluded.

“Of course not! I keep my socks at home in my sock drawer.”

Pinkie Pie facehoofed. “So… You don’t really have a map, do you?”

“I do! I looked it over before we left. It’s all up here.” Minty thumped the side of her head.

Pinkie Pie facehoofed again, and whimpered softly.

“Okay, so maaaybe we could be just an eensy-weensy bit lost. But what’s the worst that could happen? We’ll just land somewhere and ask for directions, right?”

“What’s the worst that could happen?” Pinkie pondered. “Well… We could drift into drizzly Dankendreer and never see the sun again. Or this balloon could drop us right into the smoldering crater of Mount Badass. Or we could land in the middle of a bunch of griffins, or troggles, or manticores, or — mph!” A green hoof pressed against her mouth.

“You worry too much! You just watch, I’m going to steer this balloon to a safe landing.” Minty took her hoof away from Pinkie’s mouth.

“…or stratodons! Or we could get caught up in a thunderstorm and our balloon ripped to shreds.”

Minty groaned, exasperated. “Why do you think of such horrible things, Pinkie Pie?”

Pinkie pointed with a hoof, and Minty turned to see what she was looking at: a towering storm cloud that had bubbled up while the ponies argued. One of the puffy clouds they’d been drifting among had transformed, its top rising high into the atmosphere and forming an anvil head. At the other end, its base was shrouded in blue-gray shadows and rain. As the two ponies stared, lightning flared through the cloud, followed moments later by thunder.

“Wow, that’s… a big one,” Minty admitted.

“Steer us away from it, Minty! Steer us away!”

“Right!” Minty grabbed the balloon’s control line in her mouth and tugged.

Pinkie Pie leaned over the edge of the basket, peering towards the ground, trying to estimate the motion of the balloon by its shadow passing across the tree tops. Soon enough it became apparent that the balloon was moving towards the storm cloud rather than away from it. She called out, “Whatever you’re doing, Minty, it’s not working!”

“I’m trying, I’m trying!” came the response. “The wind’s got us, I can’t fight it.” The balloon swayed and turned as turbulent air currents swirled around it, alternating gusts of hot and cold, and the sun was blotted out by the looming storm cloud.

Pinkie Pie whimpered and peered over the edge of the basket, then back towards the storm cloud, which by now was looking more like a dark wall in the sky. Lightning flared again, followed immediately by a clap of thunder much louder than before. Pinkie blinked, spots in her eyes. “Whuh?” She rubbed her eyes and then squinted into the roiling murk. Were those specks after-images from the lightning, or was something flying out there?

A gust of wind pitched the basket, breaking Minty’s grip on the control line, and she tumbled backward into the wicker basket. Her head thumped the bag of candies. Minty’s eye focused on a cherry sour as it bounced around the floor of the basket. Then she turned her wind-stung eyes upward towards a pink shape. A voice called down, “Minty, quit playing around and get up here! There’s pegasus ponies here, they’re fighting the storm.”

Minty flailed about with her hooves for a moment, then managed to get upright and look to where Pinkie Pie was pointing. “I… I see them! They’re trying to get the storm under control, we’re saved!”

Pinky wasn’t smiling yet. “I dunno… It doesn’t look like there’s anywhere near enough of them to control it.” Then she leaned over the edge of the basket and waved her hooves and yelled out, “HELP! OVER HERE, OVER HERE!” It wasn’t clear whether any pegasus would hear her cries over the dull roar of the storm and thunder rumbling, but she kept yelling, and Minty joined in.

Whether it was their yelling that did the trick or, more likely, the huge yellow orb of the balloon’s gas bag that caught their attention, a white pegasus soon began winging towards them. “Oh thank goodness!” Pinkie gasped. “All that yelling was making me a little hoarse.”

Minty groaned and punched Pinkie in the shoulder, lightly, but the pink pony only giggled.

The white pegasus pony came to a hover near the basket — with difficulty, furiously beating her huge wings against the turbulent wind. She was somewhat larger than a typical pegasus mare, and her wing span seemed to be about double the norm. Her mane and tail whipped about wildly. “Are you all right?” she called out with a firm and calm voice.

“No!” Pinkie yelled back. “Help us get away from the storm! Please! Pretty please with sugar on it!” Another gust of wind swung the basket wildly. Cherry sours bounced around the basket, and Minty was pelted in the face with bon-bons.

“I’ll try! Hang on tight!” yelled the pegasus, then she flew up to the side of the balloon’s airbag and put her head and fore-hooves up against it, flapped her wings hard, and tried to push the balloon away from the storm cloud. It seemed for a few moments as though she was making progress, but then a gust shifted and twisted the balloon to the side, and the pegasus was forced to back off and come at it again with a fresh purchase.

A shower of peculiar hailstones pelted the balloon; large but fluffy they were, half ice and half cloudstuff. A bolt of lightning exploded close by the balloon, nearly deafening the ponies and scaring them witless. “My candy!” yelled Minty as she tried to gather up some spearmint swirls with her hooves.

The balloon twisted around again and was grabbed by a strong updraft, giving the pegasus a hard shove back. She snorted in frustration and flapped hard to match its rate of ascent, but a strong gust at the wrong moment flung her into the rigging between the air bag and the basket. She struggled to untangle herself.

Then it hit. A blue aura began to glow around the entire balloon, along with a sizzling sound, and all three ponies felt the tingle of electricity. A gigantic lightning bolt exploded. The blinding light faded into a snaking line of fireballs in the sky, like a string of beads. Then everything faded to black for the three ponies.

Minty woke first, finding herself slumped against Pinkie Pie in the bottom of the basket. Her head hurt, and she had a funny tingly feeling like parts of her body still wanted to stay asleep. She tried moving her legs. Then she nudged Pinkie Pie with a hoof.

Pinkie moaned softly and muttered, “rainbow dash always dresses in style”

Minty growled and gave her a harder shake. “Pinkie Pie, wake up!”

Pinkie muttered, “nnn… birthday present for kimono”

Minty bit down on Pinkie’s ear and pulled.

“Aaah! Minty, no! Not the ear! I’m awake.”

Minty said, “Great! Let’s see where we are.” She got herself upright in the basket and looked around. She looked over the edge of the basket and said, “Hey, at least we didn’t crash; we’re still up in the air.” Then she looked up and gasped. “Oh my!”

Pinkie didn’t like the sound of that. Still feeling dazed, she clambered to her feet and found the white pegasus mare still tangled precariously from the balloon’s rigging lines, unconscious, her body slumped onto the shelf that served as the balloon’s rigging deck.

Minty gawped and then said, “Pinkie, we caught a pegasus! How cool is that? Can I keep her?”

Pinkie facehoofed. “No, Minty! We need to get her down from there. If she falls without waking up, she could die. Careful, careful!”

Working with their mouths and hooves, it took a while to get the pegasus pony’s legs and wings unhooked from the cords and drop her into the basket — which had already been cozy for two ponies.

It didn’t help that their guest was rather large, seemingly built more like an earth pony than a typical pegasus. Her wings were particularly oversized, the largest either of them had seen on a pegasus mare. Her coat was white, her mane unusually streaked with different colors: silver, blue and pink. Her cutie mark looked like a heart with blue sparkles swirling around it, and she also had an elaborate lavender squiggle, vaguely heart-shaped, dyed into the fur of her forehead about where a unicorn’s horn would be.

“I think I recognize her,” said Pinkie Pie. “This is Star Catcher! She’s the leader of Butterfly Island; she’s like their mayor or something. She brought a bunch of her pegasus friends to a party in Ponyville that one time, remember?”

“I remember! Yay! We caught a VIP!”

Pinkie put a hoof on Star Catcher’s shoulder and shook her gently. “Wake up, Star Catcher!” There was no response. Pinkie gave her a harder shake and said, “Please be okay!”

After watching for a few moments, Minty leaned toward Star Catcher’s ear, clamped her jaws on it and pulled. The pegasus jerked awake. “Aaah! What what?” Then she started flailing her limbs trying to get upright. At the same time Minty and Pinkie Pie shuffled around, trying to keep from getting kicked or smacked in the face by an oversized wing.

After some moments of thrashing about, Star Catcher managed to get upright on her hooves with her wings furled, and the three ponies caught their breath, with only a few bruises to go around.

“Hii!” said Pinkie. “I’m Pinkie Pie, and this is Minty, and I think you’re Star Catcher aren’t you? We’re on a trip to Unicornia but we don’t really know which way it is, and we got caught in the storm, and we’re really grateful that you helped us — I mean tried to anyhow.”

“Oh,” Star Catcher sighed, then paused a moment to gather her wits. When she next spoke, her voice and manner of speech were kindly and soothing, as reassuring as a mother comforting her foals. “You’re quite welcome, dears. Where is the storm cloud, I wonder? I don’t see it.”

They looked around. “I don’t see it either,” said Minty. “I wonder how long we were asleep?”

“I’ve never seen a lightning discharge before like the one that hit us,” Star Catcher admitted. “But it seems to have caused no permanent damage to speak of. I suppose I should return to my duties and let the weather crew know that I’m all right.”

“Oh no no!” cried Pinkie. “Please help us figure out where we are, at least!”

Star Catcher closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and said, “Of course, dears. I can hardly leave you adrift, can I? Let us take a look around and get our bearings, shall we?” She scanned the horizon, then spotted a glint of water in the distance. “There! That must be Eagle Claw Lake. And that means… Hm. There, I can see the Fairy Hills to the north of it. And judging by the position of the sun… Aha! Unicornia should be that way, to our northwest!” She nodded to emphasize the direction.

The two earth ponies marveled at Star Catcher’s knowledge of geography. However, Minty objected, “The balloon is going the wrong way. We’ll have to try and fight the wind.”

“Oh no, dear!” said Star Catcher. “You’ll exhaust the balloon’s magical enchantments doing that. Let’s gain some altitude! Wind blows in other directions at different altitudes. We need only climb until we find a current going the way we want, and use the balloon’s magic merely to fine-tune the direction.”

Minty gasped. “But that’s brilliant! Why didn’t I ever think of that?”

Pinkie Pie laughed! “Maybe it takes a pegasus to think of things like that.”

Star Catcher nodded and agreed. “We do know the ways of the air. Would you let me travel with you to your destination and make sure you arrive safely?”

“Yes, yes!” said the earth ponies.

Minty and Pinkie Pie seemed almost giddy — which is to say, more than usual — at having Star Catcher along to guide them. Her mere presence brought forth feelings of safety and reassurance. For her own part, the pegasus kept peering over the side of the basket towards the ground passing below.

Pinkie eventually noticed and asked, “Star Catcher, what do you see?”

She replied, “I had no idea there were so many roads and farms in this countryside. It almost seems as though they’ve sprung up overnight from the wilderness.”

The other two ponies stretched their heads over the side of the basket, following her gaze. Minty said, “That’s great, isn’t it? Ponyland is growing. umm… I mean Equestria, even!”

Star Catcher giggled softly. “Still getting used to saying that, are we?”

Minty and Pinkie both laughed, nodding. Then Pinkie said, “That’s sorta why we’re going to the Summer Sun Celebration this year. We don’t have to get permission from the unicorns to go to their city anymore. They can be all like, ‘What are you mud ponies doing here?’, and then we can be like, ‘Hey it’s all one country now, and we have as much right to be here as anypony. You can’t keep the big party all to yourselves anymore.’”

“I love crashing parties!” chimed Minty with another bubbly laugh.

“You’re always invited to my parties, Minty,” Pinkie said.

“I’m sure you two will make quite an impression on them,” Star Catcher opined. Then she looked up, smiled and pointed. “Girls, look at that mountain! That’s the Canterhorn. We just need to steer around it, and the High Castle of Unicornia should come into view on the other side.”

“Yaaay!” cheered the earth ponies, and Minty started tugging on the balloon’s control lines with her teeth.

As the balloon drifted, white spires and towers came into view perched on the side of the mountain. Pinkie Pie bounced with excitement. “That’s the High Castle!” she squealed. “Isn’t it amazing? I had no idea it was so amazing.”

Star Catcher stared. She’d never been to Unicornia before, but she’d seen other unicorn-built castles, and none of them had looked like this. They usually were blocky rectangular constructs with heavy round towers at each corner, and everything painted in garish rainbow colors. This soaring, gleaming white, architectural fantasy of delicate spires, arches and minarets was utterly unlike what she’d expected. More than anything else in her experience it resembled Commander Hurricane’s cloud castle.

Minty seemed surprised too. She turned loose the controls for a moment and said, “It looks so different up close. I could see the castle way off in the distance when I climbed the windmill tower back in Ponyville, but it wasn’t anything like this.”

Below the castle spread the city. Star Catcher noticed colorful specks flitting above the rooftops. “I’m surprised to see so many pegasus ponies are here,” she said. Then she pointed. “Look over there! Balloons! That must be the landing field. Minty, steer us towards it!”

“Mmphl mrph!” replied Minty through a mouthful of control handle. She tugged and the balloon started to turn and descend.

“I’ll fly ahead and alert the ground crews — and give you some room to work,” Star Catcher said. Then she leapt out of the wicker basket and spread her wings, gliding easily to the balloon landing field. She alighted in an open space, stretched her legs and wings for a moment, then turned and looked upward to see how the others were doing.

Pinkie Pie was trying to offer advice. “Steer us further left. Not that left, Minty! Your other left!”

“Mrrrphle!” growled Minty.

Star Catcher sighed as she saw the balloon was about to completely miss the airfield. She spread her wings and took flight again, and went to head-butt the side of the air bag just as she’d done during the storm. This time, in the calm air over the city, it worked. She nudged the balloon back on course and brought it to a gentle landing where it belonged. A pair of unicorn stallions trotted up and tethered the basket so the balloon couldn’t get away.

Once it was secure, one of the unicorns spoke up briskly, saying, “You may disembark, ladies.” Minty and Pinkie Pie grabbed their saddlebags and hopped out of the basket just as Star Catcher touched down by their side. “Welcome to Canterlot!” the stallion added.

The three mares all blinked. “Welcome to what?” Star Catcher asked.

The stallion blinked, surprised by their surprise. “The city of Canterlot, of course,” he said.

Pinkie Pie eyed him suspiciously. “Canter Lot? Canter-a-lot? It’s… It’s like some horrible pun! Canter-canter! It sounds fast. It must be a fast-paced city. I wonder if…”

Minty whined, “Isn’t this Unicornia? We were trying to land in Unicornia! We’re going to miss the Summer Sun Celebration, aren’t we?”

“No, not at all!” the stallion assured her, although he still wore confusion on his face. “The festival is already underway, and the Sun Raising Ceremony is tomorrow morning. There is plenty of time for you lovely ladies to enjoy it.”

“Yaaay!” cried the two earth ponies, and they started prancing around one another and laughing without a care in the world. Like happy little mud-pony idiots, Star Catcher thought to herself, although their enthusiasm was endearing.

Turning to more practical thoughts, Star Catcher asked the stallion, “Could you please have the balloon recharged with magic so it will be ready for the return trip?”

“Recharged?” He glanced up at the balloon dubiously. “Why, this balloon doesn’t even have a thaumic energy receiver. It’s archaic. Where did you ever find it?”

Star Catcher shrugged her wings. “It’s not mine, so I can’t really say. Just be a good lad and see to it, would you please?”

The stallion nudged his silent companion and said, “Let’s find Tinker. She’s got to see this! She’ll want to put it in a museum, I’ll bet.” Then the two trotted off, although Star Catcher’s gaze lingered on their departing forms. This city has much to offer, she thought.

Minty nosed at Pinkie Pie. “Hey, did you hear what he called us? We’re ladies now!”

“Oooh! I feel so frilly!” Then Pinkie pantomimed an elaborate curtsy, bringing forth a bubbly laugh from Minty.

Pinkie then looked to the pegasus and asked, “I guess you’ll be flying back home now, Star Catcher?”

“Oh. It’s been a trying day. I should probably stay overnight in the city and fly back home tomorrow. I’ve got to admit I’d like to see the Sun Raising Ceremony too.”

Minty asked, “Won’t your pegasus friends wonder if you’re okay? Will they be looking for you?”

Star Catcher shook her head. “I’m sure some of them must have seen your balloon and guessed that I went with you. They won’t panic for a while yet.” Besides which, she thought to herself, these two are clearly in need of adult supervision. Mentally adult, that is.

“Awesome!” cried Minty.

“We made a friend!” cried Pinkie Pie. “We’ll take in the festival together. The more the merrier.”

Author's Note

This chapter was heavily revised due to valid complaints about the original version being too rough and sketchy. Thanks to Axis of Rotation and T6J2E5 for their feedback and advice!

09 - Solar Procession

All I Need Is A Little Time,
To Get Behind This Sun And Cast My Weight.
All I Need Is A Peace Of This Mind,
Then I Can Celebrate.

— Air, “All I Need”

The pair of ponies had been asleep for what seemed like only minutes when Minty was startled awake by Pinkie's movement and loud whimpering. She opened her eyes to find Pinkie thrashing about, caught in the throes of a nightmare. Minty sat up and gently shook Pinkie, calling out to her softly, “Pinkie! Wake up! You’re dreaming!”

The pink pony slowly awoke, still trembling from the dream. "Oh my gosh!" she said, breathless and wide-eyed. "That was so terrible!"

Minty put an arm around her friend's shoulder and drew her close. "It's okay," she said soothingly. "Whatever it was, it can't hurt you now."

“Minty, it was horrible! I’ve never had a dream that awful before.”

“Do… Do you want to talk about it? You might feel better if you talk about it.”

Pinkie sniffled and nodded. “Okay… I was back in Ponyville, and Rainbow Dash waved me into her dress shop. She said she needed someone to model a new dress. And I thought that sounded like fun, but after I was inside she bolted the door and she… she tied me up so I couldn’t move at all, and she pulled out a big, sharp knife…”

Minty’s eyes went wide as she listened, but Pinkie continued. “Then she said she was going to cut me into p-pieces and make a d-dress out of me.”

Minty gasped, “Oh noooooo!”

Pinkie Pie nodded. “So I was like, no Rainbow Dash you don’t want to do that! It would be all pink, and I know you don’t want a dress that’s only pink. And then she was like, you’re right Pinkie darling! I simply must lure all my friends in here, one by one, and take their fabulous manes for myself. Then I can stitch them together and make a cape with every color of the rainbow. It’ll be so dashing!”

Minty whimpered.

Pinkie continued, “And then she came over to me with the knife and she… and I… I screamed, and then I woke up.”

“You poor thing!” said Minty, and she embraced Pinkie Pie with her front legs for a big hug. “You know it was just a bad dream, right? Rainbow Dash would never hurt anyone. She’s one of the nicest ponies there is.”

“I know, I know. It’s already fading. Erg… My head hurts. I’m never gonna drink any more hard cherry lemonade, I think there was something wrong with that stuff.”

Minty looked around, seeing that activity around the fairgrounds had died down. “How long did we sleep? We don’t want to miss the sun raising ceremony.”

“You’re right,” Pinkie Pie agreed. “If I didn’t have my nightmare, we might have slept right through. Let’s go find it!”

They both stretched and began moving toward the exit of the fairgrounds, where they found other ponies streaming out. A quick question to a passerby sent the pair in the right direction, toward the avenue where the ceremony would take place.

Pinkie Pie and Minty raced through the pre-dawn darkness, the hustle and bustle of the fairgrounds fading behind them. “Where are we going?” Minty asked.

“To watch the Solar Procession, of course!” Pinkie Pie chirped. “It’s going to be grand! Now come on, we need to get a good viewing spot!”

Minty followed Pinkie Pie as they snaked their way through the streets. As they passed by stands of blooming lilies and ornate shrubs decorated with paper lanterns that cast an orange-pink glow across the scene, Pinkie Pie let out a delighted squeal.

“Wow! Look at all these decorations—it’s like all of Equestria is preparing for something big!” Minty said in awe.

Pinkie Pie beamed. “I know, right? Now come on, let's find a good spot!”

The two continued on, eventually reaching a spot in the middle of a large open square, where a central platform had been prepared. Emblems of the sun and moon were posted on opposite sides, and there were two rows of trumpets set up on stands. Armored guards were present to keep the crowds from encroaching. All around were other ponies eager for the procession to begin—some chattering excitedly, others simply waiting in silent anticipation. The atmosphere was electric as Minty and Pinkie Pie found places at the edge of the gathering. Pinkie Pie excitedly claimed it as their spot. “Ooh, this is perfect!” she said, gesturing at the view around them. “Look at the city's towers, reaching up for the stars! And the banners—isn't it amazing?”

Minty smiled. “It sure is.”

Star Catcher joined the throngs of ponies along the thoroughfare. She had been awake for a long time, but this morning she felt invigorated by the crisp air, the novelty of the gas lights along the sidewalks, and the bustle of ponies gathering. There was excitement in the air. She moved through the crowd keeping an eye out for Pinkie Pie and Minty, hoping they were somewhere nearby and wouldn’t miss the event.

A squadron of guard ponies, all of them white-coated and clad in golden armor, came up the street and began herding the crowd onto the sidewalks, clearing a path. “Make way! Make way! Clear the carriageway!” they called, and they prodded the slower-moving ponies. Ponies formed up along the sidewalk, standing shoulder-to-shoulder to get a view of the roadway.

Star Catcher glanced right and left, wondering if it was considered acceptable for a pegasus to fly above the throng for a better view. She saw that a few others had taken wing, although they were careful to stay over the sidewalks and not intrude into the space above the carriageway, and they stayed near to the ground. Star Catcher followed their example, spreading her wings and lofting herself near a street lamp.

Ponies shuffled anxiously as they waited, and after a few minutes she began to wonder if she’d flown too soon. It’s not that Star Catcher was a poor flyer, not at all. It’s just that, to put it politely, she was heavier than the typical pegasus. Her impressive wingspan gave her an advantage when soaring and riding on the wind, but hovering was a much less efficient form of flight—and she began to tire quickly.

She looked around for a place to land, but the crowd had closed in below her. Many of the buildings lining the street had balconies, but these too were already crowded with ponies, so that trying to land on one of them was out of the question. She turned her gaze a bit higher and saw the answer to her problem. She flapped her way up to a rooftop and landed on it, her hooves clattering on the tiles as they felt for purchase on the slick, uneven surface. Her wings remained extended, reflexively trying to keep her balance as she struggled not to slide off the overhang.

After she was reasonably certain she wasn’t going to slip, she lowered her body onto the tiles and sprawled with her front hooves dangling over the edge, and her wings still extended, draped over the tiles on either side. She puffed lightly from all the exertion, and keeping her wings spread would help her cool off. She glanced up at the bright moon, then down at the street, and realized she did, in fact, have an excellent view from this vantage point.

There was another clatter of hooves to her right as a second pegasus alighted on the roof. “Hi! Mind if I join you?” came the cheerful voice.

Star Catcher looked to see a white stallion with blue eyes and a powder blue mane and tail settling down on the overhang tiles. “Be my guest!” she uttered as she looked him over. A fedora was perched on his head, and he had a metal brace around his neck supporting some sort of mechanical device in front of him, the likes of which Star Catcher had never seen before. It was a complex gadget of black metal with a round lens in front like a spy glass. Her eyes flitted toward the stallion’s sigil, but he’d already furled his wings in a way that mostly obscured it. “I’m Star Catcher,” she ventured.

The stallion grinned. “I’m Flash Bulb! Hey, Star Catcher? With a name like that you ought to be in my line of work.”

“Oh? What do you do?”

He blinked, then chuckled nervously. “Heheh… What do I do? That’s a good one.” He lifted his head and peered down the avenue, then looked to Star Catcher again and said, “If I can get a good shot of the princesses coming down this avenue, it’ll go on the cover of The Canterlot News-Free Press!”

Star Catcher found everything this pegasus said puzzling. “Um… News-Free Press?” she wondered.

“Oh, uhh… The Canterlot News recently merged with the Canterlot Free Press, so that’s the title they’re running with. I hope they rename it pretty soon. It’s kind of embarrassing.”

Star Catcher giggled softly. Then she asked, “So, Flash Bulb, what did you mean about the princesses? I’ve been hearing a lot about them. I’m really looking forward to seeing them.”

“You and me both! This is big, big news! It’s been two years since Princess Luna came back from the moon, and this is the first time she’s joined the procession at the Sun Raising Ceremony. She’s so reclusive… Very hard to get photos of. And this year the princesses aren’t riding in a chariot; they’re walking to the ceremony! Oh yeah, I hope they stay close together. I’d love to get a shot of Luna and Celestia in the same frame.”

Star Catcher thought that over for a moment, then frowned and asked, “Came back from the moon?”

“Uhh, yeah? Because she was Nightmare Moon, remember? Where you been the last few years, toots?”

Star Catcher looked down at her front hooves. “Oh! I’ve been… away. Yes, a long ways away, somewhere, for a long time.”

Flash Bulb gave her a suspicious glance, but was distracted when a cheer came up from the distance, up the avenue to their right. “They’re coming!” he said, and both ponies lifted their heads and strained to see.

A pair of guards led the way, with brush-like crests atop their helmets. Some distance behind them walked the two princesses, side by side. Princess Celestia was a giantess, standing about double the height of an average mare and towering over her own guards. Princess Luna, although not quite as large as her sister, also cut an imposing figure in comparison to the average pony. Every time their progress down the avenue brought them within view of another group of spectators, another cheer went up.

Princess Celestia’s subtly pink-tinged white coat and wings seemed to almost glow in the silvery moonlight and the warmer pools of light cast by the streetlights as she passed them. Her mane and tail, streaked with the colors of dawn, flowed as if in a breeze, even though the morning air was calm. The eastern sky already had begun to glow in like hues, painted by an eager sun lurking below the horizon and waiting impatiently for her.

Next to her, Princess Luna’s smaller stature and navy blue coat made her seem almost like Celestia’s shadow. And yet, her aqua-blue eyes seemed to catch the moonlight and glow in return. The crescent moon on her breastplate, and the matching sigil on her hip, also caught the light. Her flowing mane, as ethereal as her sister’s, sparkled with starlight. With a bit of imagination one could envision a patch of night sky walking by Celestia’s side.

Both princesses walked with their heads held high and their wings extended and raised above their backs in a regal, formal pose. As they came into view, Star Catcher stared and wondered aloud. “They’re pegasus ponies? No, wait… They have unicorn horns too! How is that possible? I’ve never heard of a pony like that.”

Flash Bulb spared her a glance and said, “Are you for real? What is up with you, toots?” Then he shook his head and turned his full attention to peering through his camera and operating the winder and shutter release.

As the princesses drew closer, the cheers and stomping applause of the ponies nearby grew louder, and Star Catcher’s amazed fascination only increased. Ears perked, eyes wide, she unconsciously lifted her wings to a ready position.

On the street below, Princess Luna took care to maintain a disciplined and formal demeanor: turning her head neither right or left, wings held upward in display position, stepping high as she walked, not responding to any distractions—not even those pesky camera flashes that popped in such great numbers whenever she appeared before a crowd. After her first disastrous encounter with those she had nearly issued a decree banning them, but her sister had urged restraint.

Luna had never been good with public appearances, usually relying on formality and protocol to cover up her anxiety. Her eye swiveled to glance at the almost-luminous form of her big sister by her side. Celestia exuded warmth and easy confidence. Even though she maintained the same formal pose, Celestia’s steps were lighter, her smile less forced. She sometimes flexed her wings, waving to the crowd with them instead of holding them stiffly on display. And why not? She loved her little ponies, and they obviously loved her.

In a small, dark corner of her mind the night princess struggled to fight down envy. For more than a year after her return she’d begged off all public appearances where she might once again become her sister’s shadow, watching from aside while Celestia basked in admiration. Luna knew from bitter experience where that line of thought might lead, and she made an effort to put it out of her mind.

“And then she talked me into joining her on her own special day—an event where being out-shined by her is practically a requirement rather than something to resent,” Luna thought. “That was deviously clever. I couldn’t hide forever, but at least she’s here for me. She’s by my side, not to humiliate me, but to support me and to smooth over any gaffe or misstep that I might make.”

Celestia caught Luna’s glance and returned it with a reassuring smile. Then she let her gaze wander to the crowds of admirers gathered along the sidewalks, then upward to the packed balconies, then to the pegasus ponies perched on the rooftops. As Celestia glanced upward, her smile dissolved and a look of startled confusion flickered across her face, and she stumbled.

It was a very small stumble. For any other pony it would have been a non-event, hardly even noticeable. For the eternally graceful princess of the sun, however, with hundreds of adoring eyes focused on her, the effect could hardly have been greater if she’d fallen on her face. The entire throng of onlookers gasped as one, and the two pegasus guards following behind the princesses involuntarily unfurled their wings. Even Luna’s horn flared with magic for an instant as she came within a hair of trying to catch her sister.

Celestia caught herself. She blinked at all the fearful pony faces gazing upon her from all directions, and then she said, “I… It’s nothing, just a loose cobblestone. Let us continue, shall we?” She raised her head and resumed her march just as before, with Luna falling in step alongside after only the slightest hesitation. Hundreds of ponies resumed their bated breath and murmured to one another in relieved tones, a few even applauding. Celestia hid her embarrassment well, except for the blush appearing upon her nose and the insides of her ears.

After they had progressed a little further Celestia muttered to Luna, speaking through her forced public smile, “Sister… Please do stay near me after the ceremony! I have something I must tell you.”

Back on the rooftop, Flash Bulb all but danced with joy. “Woohoo, what a picture! What a scoop! Suck on that, Equestria Daily!” Then, to Star Catcher’s amusement, he actually kissed the big telephoto lens on his camera.

Finally, Celestia and Luna arrived at the platform in the plaza. The guards had moved to the trumpets and now blew a fanfare for the co-regents' arrival. The crowd erupted into cheers as the princesses stepped up, with Pinkie Pie bouncing up and down and Minty waving her flag excitedly. The enthusiasm was infectious; even Luna smiled, feeling a warmth in her heart that could not be denied.

Once they were standing on the platform, the crowd hushed and Celestia began to speak, her voice amplified by magic so that every pony in attendance could hear her words clearly.

“Dear citizens of Equestria, my beloved subjects!” she began. “We come here today to celebrate the magical raising of the sun, an event of both great power and great beauty. As I look out across this gathering, I am reminded of the rich history and magic that surrounds this event.” She paused for a moment, her gaze sweeping over the crowd before continuing.

“In ages long past, it was the unicorn mages who were responsible for raising the sun each day, a burden that cost them dearly. But today, I am honored to carry on that tradition, and to use my own magical abilities to bring light and warmth to our land.”

Celestia lifted her chin and spread out her impressive wings in an all-encompassing gesture, pride filling her voice as she continued. “But as we come together to revel in the joy of this celebration, let us also take a moment to reflect on the importance of equality and harmony among all the ponies of Equestria. No matter our differences in tribe, sigil or background, we are all equal and deserving of love and respect. Let us strive to build a society where everypony is treated fairly and justly.”

The princess smiled warmly as she concluded her speech. “And let me remind my dear subjects, that as your Princess, I hold you all in my heart with unconditional love. And to my sister, Princess Luna, I remind her my love for her is just as eternal and boundless.”

Luna said nothing, but looked to her sister with hopeful gaze.

“Let us together lower the moon and raise the sun,” Celestia intoned solemnly, “and embrace the future with open hearts and open minds. Together, we can build a brighter, more just, and more loving Equestria for all.”

On cue, the guards called out, “Long live Equestria!”

The crowd responded with a mixture of cheers and tears as ponies hugged each other tightly in joyous celebration. Even Luna was moved by Celestia’s speech, feeling a warmth in her heart that could not be denied. The sun princess had spoken truly; her love was genuine and all-encompassing. It embraced even those who felt they were outside the boundaries of acceptance by others.

After giving the crowd some moments to quiet down, Celestia turned to Luna and said in a normal, non-amplified voice, "Sister, if you would be kind enough to begin?”

“Of course,” Princess Luna answered softly, and she moved forward on the platform and took her place directly in front of the large crescent-shaped emblem. She closed her eyes, her horn scintillated with blue magic, and she leaped upward into the air. She flapped her wings only slowly, as she appeared more floating than flying. She gradually rose, then held her wings extended and began to drift downward again, and the brilliantly full moon likewise drifted downward. Its hue shifted from cold silver to warm yellow as it neared the horizon.

Celestia had already moved to her position in front of the solar emblem and begun to cast her own spell. Mimicking Luna’s actions, she closed her eyes, her horn flared with golden magic, and she took flight. The glow straining for release now erupted from the horizon in brilliant light. For some moments the sun and moon shared the sky, the moon having immediately been cast into a thin, pale crescent phase by the outburst of sunlight.

As Princess Luna sank to a delicate landing on the floor of the platform, so did the moon slip behind the horizon. Only a moment later her sister also stilled her wings and began drifting earthward, but leaving the sun in its new position in the sky.

Meanwhile, the ponies watching below cheered and stomped hooves along with every movement that their beloved princess made. They were entranced by her beauty and grace as Celestia performed this most sacred ritual of hers—a ritual which held such special significance for them all since it marked the beginning of a new day full of potential opportunity and possibility.

Eventually, though, Minty and Pinkie Pie tore their eyes away from the sky and looked at each other. Pinkie Pie said excitedly, “That was awesome!”

Minty smiled, nodding her head in agreement before saying thoughtfully, “It was amazing!” She paused for a moment before continuing. “So… What do you wanna do now?”

Pinkie thought for a moment before her face lit up with an idea. “Hey, you want to go look at that lava lamp again?”

Minty grinned hugely in response to this suggestion before she replied with an enthusiastic “Yes! Let’s go!” Then Pinkie went bouncing down the street with Minty happily trotting after.

Star Catcher got to see the sun-raising ceremony from a rooftop some greater distance away than her two friends. She observed as the princesses bade their farewells to the crowd, then boarded an ornate royal chariot and departed skyward in the direction of the palace. Then the crowds began to disperse, but Star Catcher still had not laid eyes on Pinkie Pie or Minty.

Resolving to find them, she took flight and tried circling over the area, but the milling ponies below of all different colors made the task difficult. Immediately after the dawn, there were not yet any thermal updrafts to support her, so she had to flap and flap her wings to sustain her and continue the search.

The skies also were thick with air traffic. Not being a city pony, Star Catcher had little experience navigating skyways with so many other pegasus ponies, all of whom seemed determined to fly as fast as their wings could carry them. Trying to split her attention between a ground search and these careening ponies was enough to clench her teeth.

Then, from out of nowhere, a passing pegasus nearly intersected her in midair!

In reaction she quickly tried to dive-roll aside. Unfortunately the sudden movement caused Star Catcher to lose altitude too rapidly and effected a tumble that ended with her clumsily smacking into a masonry structure. The impact knocked the pegasus senseless and dislodged feathers which hung heavily in the air as she dropped past them like so much dead weight onto the street below.

Frightened ponies sprinted towards her still form. One of them galloped off, desperate to fetch help. Not long after, a chariot appeared on the horizon; a team of paramedics was on the way.

The medics busied themselves around her, assessing her injuries. One of them scanned her body with a magical light. After some moments he declared, "She's unconscious, and it looks like she took quite a knock to the head. There's some risk of concussion, but I'm not picking up any evidence of spinal column trauma. Should be safe to move her; let's get her on the chariot!" before gingerly loading her onto a backboard stretcher.

Meanwhile, Celestia and Luna had retreated to their home in the palace. There Celestia bade her sister follow to one of the private chambers, away from the commotion of public celebrations. The room was filled with relics from years past: ancient books lined the shelves, various instruments sat upon benches; even a centuries-old chandelier hung from the ceiling. All around them there were reminders of their long history. Celestia sat down on a large cushion and beckoned her sister over.

“Luna, there is something I must tell you," Celestia said in a low voice as she motioned for Luna to sit beside her. “What I said earlier, in my speech, was true; my love for you is no less than it was for our people."

Rather than feeling reassured, Luna was instantly set on guard. She cut to the point, saying, “We are alone now, Sister. You wished to tell me something? What is the matter?”

Celestia sat down and closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said, “While we were coming up the procession way, when I stumbled… It was because I saw Star Catcher.”

Luna blinked. “Come again?”

Celestia opened her eyes and said, “She was looking down upon us as we passed.”

Luna took a moment to absorb that. Then she said, “You mean… You imagined she was looking down on us from Heaven.”

Celestia insisted, earnestly, “No, Luna. I didn’t imagine it. She wasn’t in Heaven, she was on a rooftop right next to one of those detestable paparazzi.”

Luna was quiet for a brief moment, then she forced a weak, nervous chuckle. “Aheh. That sort of thing happens to me all the time. I catch glimpses of ponies that look familiar, that I think I knew from before my banishment. I guess that’s unavoidable. I mean, there are only so many possible combinations of coat and mane colors and the like. After knowing and seeing so many ponies over the centuries, obviously there are going to be some that trigger a sense of déjà vu. It’s eerie and unsettling, isn’t it? It’s like seeing a ghost. I guess it’s just something that comes with being so long lived. I figured you were used to that by now, but it’s okay…”

“Luna!”

The moon princess bit her lip and looked at her sister. “Yes?”

“It was Star Catcher.”

“uhh… Of course that’s not really possible. Is it?”

“I am trying to think of possible explanations.”

“A changeling, perhaps?” Luna suggested. Their recent attack on Canterlot was still fresh in mind.

“Possible, I suppose,” Celestia admitted, “but that would raise even more imponderable questions. How would a changeling—or any imposter, for that matter—gain enough knowledge of Star Catcher to mimic her? And why?”

Luna scuffed idly at the floor with a hoof and said, “Well, you can’t be sure. It was dark. You only caught a glimpse, from a distance. It’s hardly surprising that your eyes would play tricks on you. So, there’s a pegasus pony out there who has a superficial resemblance…”

Celestia cut her off with a sharp gesture, saying, “No! It wasn’t a superficial resemblance. She had those oversized wings that I remember.” She ruffled her own to underscore the point. “And she had that heart doodle dyed into her forehead.” She reached up with a golden-shod hoof and tapped the base of her horn. “Have you seen any other ponies with that recently? Those markings went out of fashion centuries ago.”

Luna’s tail swished, and her ear flicked, and she glanced aside for a moment. Then she looked back to Celestia and said, delicately, “But really, it’s been so long since either of us have seen her. Do you even remember that well?”

Celestia’s brow furrowed with annoyance. “Luna, please! It may have been a long time, but I’m not entirely feeble-minded yet. I think I can still recognize my own mother when I see her!”