Let the 2012 games begin

It was early in the morning, but Princess Twilight Sparkle couldn't sleep, and with good reason. Today was going to be one her favourite days of the year, Winter Wrap Up, where all the creatures of Ponyville helped in clearing away winter and brought in spring.

There had been a few Winter Wrap Ups since Twilight had been made all-team leader, back in her first year in Ponyville and not long after she had moved from Canterlot. At that point she was still struggling to fit in to the tight-nit community, despite the help of her five closest friends. But that day was when she was able to use her natural leadership and organisation skills, rather than her magic, to save the day and the town had embraced her ever since.

As she got quietly out of bed, stretching out her limbs and ruffling her wings, she giggled when she thought back to that first time. She was a unicorn back then, but now she was an alicorn princess the town would have to listen what she had to say anytime. Of course being a friendly and humble pony, she didn't usually like to issue orders or boss ponies around, especially in her new home town full of friends and loved one.

But Winter Wrap Up now gave her an opportunity to act officially for one day of the year, combining her Princess duties with her natural affinity for organisation in a way nopony would mind. Afterall, every year with they had been getting better and more efficient Wrap Up time, and the town was proud to be led by it's Princess in resident.

Of course Twilight was like the other Princesses and distant from her subjects - she still acted like she did the first time, helping out and getting her hooves dirty as they followed her checklists. She enjoyed the hard work, and as a bonus she had all the fun of making the checklist first! That was excitement enough for the bookworm and she had spent the week doing reconnaissance around town to maximise pony-productivity.

She skipped down the stairs of the Friendship Castle where she lived, being careful not to wake up Spike, her dragon assistant and best friend forever. She made her way through the main hall where the chandelier of her old tree home reminded her of the good first years in the village, years that changed her life forever. Shaking the mostly happy memories away, the alicorn headed over to a glass cabinet filled with all her trophies and awards.

Now, Twilight didn't like to boast about her abilities, but she had learnt after a run in with a magical showmare that it was okay to be proud of what you can do, just don’t rub it in other ponies faces - after all, the Apple family were happy to show off Applejack's blue ribbons. And the cabinet gave her some motivation when she was stuck on a particular hard assignment, something the wings she earnt did as well.

She opened up the cabinet carefully, in order not to make any noise despite the fact Spike was sound asleep. The bottom couple of shelves were filled with awards from magic school and her time studying under her mentor Princess Celestia – they were pretty full.

The top shelf had the Element of Magic tiara on it - of course not the real one but a replica for nostalgias sake that had been made for her after the real one had been returned to the tree of harmony. The shelf between them had her special Winter Wrap Up jacket, in the three colours of all teams designed just for her by Rarity, her fashionista friend.

She levitated the coat over her, threading her wings through the holes that had been adjusted for her new body. She gently closed the doors to the cabinet, being careful not to bang the items hanging from the door against the glass and wake her charge.

On one of the doors hung the medal from the Running of the Leaves, one of her favourite items as it was a pony medal for sport, not magic. It may have only been for fifth place, but it was the only race she had ever taken part in. Plus she had beaten her sporty friends Rainbow Dash and Applejack fair and square.

On the other door hung a larger medal and when she looked at the medal, a special pride washed over her. The medal was a shiny gold, unlike the lower quality gold used for bits. Most other ponies in Equestria would not have recognised the winged creature on it, nor the foreign language written along its top. But Twilight read the words from the language she had learned

XXX Olympiad London 2012