A Very Minty Summer Sun Celebration

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!"