Prologue - Winter Wrap Up
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
Chapter 1 - Pinkie's Sensible Sense
~21 months Earlier~
It was a glorious spring day, and the air was filled with the freshness of early morning dew. A bright pink earth pony with curly pink mane was bouncing through the fields outside of town, being followed by a smaller white unicorn.
"Come along Sweetie Belle, It's a lovely day for a walk," the elder mare sang out as she stopped to smell a flower, looking cross eyed as a bee landed on her nose for a moment before flying away.
The younger filly trotted over to her "Right behind you Pinkie Pie, thank you for spending some time with me."
"There's nothing I'd rather being doing then spending time with Friends."
"Thanks!” the filly beamed back. “I know Rarity's got that big order to fulfil; I just wish she would spend more time with me. It seems like she prefers working to spending time with me" Sweetie exhaled sadly.
"Don't be a silly filly! You know you mean the world to your sister, but she's a busy business pony as well." Pinkie gave Sweetie a bop on the nose "Besides, better being outside on a day like this then stuck inside work." Pinkie stopped walking and ohhh'd as a bunch of butterflies flew past, before starting to follow them.
After a few random diversions, the two ponies were walking happily along the edge of town when they noticed something strange looking lying in the middle of the field.
"Oh, what's that?" Sweetie asked, pointing to the object.
"I'm not sure, lets go have a look" Pinkie giggled, bouncing along in the unique gait she had as the two ponies walked towards the curious item. It was like nothing that either of the ponies had seen before, and as they approached it suddenly Pinkie stopped and put a hoof out to stop Sweetie Belle.
"Oh, my Pinkie Sense is tingling. Oh oh, my knees a pinching, that's a bad sign! And there's something else, something that doesn't feel right. Wait here!" Pinkie instructed. Sweetie Belle noticed a slight change in the happy ponies demeanour, a cold seriousness washing over the elder pony, and so did as she was told.
Pinkie slowly approached the object which just appeared to be a strange looking shiny box. Sweetie watched as suddenly the pink pony’s mane went flat and Pinkiee sank a little on her legs and she started growling at it.
"Pinkie, what's wrong?" Sweetie asked, very nervous at the sudden change in the happiest pony’s persona.
"I'm not sure.” Pinkie spoke slowly “Go find Twilight and the others, something is not right here!"
Hearing the urgency in Pinkie's voice, Sweetie Belle ran back to Ponyville as fast as her legs could carry her, knowing that something important was going on.
It didn't take too long for the filly to race back to town, and despite wanting to find her sister for support, she knew Twilight needed to know first. She ran past her best friends Apple Bloom and Scootaloo without stopping to say hello, and the two fillies starting instinctively running after her.
Reaching Twilight's Castle, Sweetie headed towards the main room and stood panting in the doorway. Twilight and Rainbow Dash were inside looking at the Cutie Map, and looked at the sweating pony with shock. Just as Sweetie was catching her breath, she was suddenly bowled over by her two friends running behind her and the three fillies were left in a heap.
"Sweetie Belle, is there something wrong?" Twilight asked. The way the usually polite unicorn had just barged in on her triggered something in her mind.
"Yeah Sweetie, what’s up?" Scootaloo asked.
Catching her breath, Sweetie pointed to Twilight and Rainbow "Pinkie...edge of town...found something...pinkie sense...acted strange... aggressive...flat hair...needs friends!" she managed to gasp out.
Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash "Rainbow, if it involves Pinkie's sense, and flat hair, something tells me it's serious. Can you roundup Applejack and Fluttershy, whilst I get Rarity and meet...where were you Sweetie?"
"About...across the river...towards Whitetail Woods" she panted.
“No problem, sounds like a plan!” the pegasus called out as she flew out of the door quickly, and Twilight turned to the three young fillies in front of her.
"You three stay here where it's safe. Spike!" Twilight yelled
"Yes Twilight?" the purple dragon poked his head out from the next room.
"Look after the Crusaders whilst we investigate this."
"But we wanna come!" The three adventurers whined in union.
"Not this time girls, this could be dangerous! Spike, make our guests here some morning snacks"
With that Twilight grabbed her emergency saddlebag, filled with a variety of objects, and run out of the door towards Carousel Boutique, Rarity’s home. The three Cutie Mark Crusaders looked towards Spike, suddenly nervous that he was having to filly-sit.
"Er, come to the kitchen with me, I’ve just made some cookies and we have plenty of milk" Spike suggested.
The three ponies skipped after the dragon, disappointed to miss out on the adventure, but excited to get some of Spike's delicious cookies.
Twilight had quickly flown to Rarity's boutique, explained the situation and together they quickly galloped out of town towards the edge of Whitetail wood. About halfway there Rainbow dash appeared overhead explaining that Fluttershy and Applejack was a few minutes behind them, but catching fast.
Twilight asked Dash to fly up higher to see if she could spot Pinkie. Dash flashed up and down quickly, pointing them in the direction of a small pink spot he had noticed and the pair galloped forwards whilst Rainbow went back to direct the others.
As they approached the field that Pinkie was in, the three behind them had caught up with the leading pair. The five ponies slowed to a canter to allow themselves to catch their breath. They saw Pinkie was crouched and circling something, her hair flat and she was growling. Pinkie then spotted her friends and she trotted over to them, her hair springing up to its normal self as she distance herself from the object.
"Oh, thanks for coming so quickly girls. Something strange set off a whole new Pinkie Sense!"
The five ponies looked over Pinkie's shoulder towards a small object. Twilight beckoned to the others to stay behind her and she approached it slowly, casting a shield spell round them as they approached. Fluttershy was acting scared as usual and Rarity seemed a little nervous as well, and so Applejack and Rainbow got in front of them to reassure them.
Getting within a few pony lengths of the object, Twilight stopped and looked at the object carefully. It was a small fancy looking box, with sleek lines and curves, and had a shiny stick pointing out of it. There were a few buttons and dials on the front, as well as some writing she didn't recognise.
"What…what is it?" Fluttershy asked timidly.
Taking down the shield, Twilight stared at it carefully "I'm not sure, it is like nothing else I've ever seen, even in Canterlot. Its inanimate whatever it is, and it doesn't appear to be dangerous"
"But, my pinkie sense?"
Twilight raised a hoof to her chin "I think you sensed something different about it, it just doesn't seem right somehow". The alicorn cast a levitation spell over the object that was slightly embedded in some mud, but as soon as her magic touched the object she stopped and took a few steps back.
"Twilight, what in tarnation is wrong?" Applejack asked putting a hoof over the lavender pony's shoulder.
"I'm...I'm not sure, it doesn't feel like anything I've ever touched before" They all looked over the object "Rarity, do you mind just touching it with you're magic to see if you agree?"
Rarity touched the object with her light blue magic, and then looked over to Twilight. "You're right, it doesn't feel...natural...like a metal or wood or something"
Applejack slowly approached the object and before Twilight could stop her, touched it with her hoof. "Feels solid and normal ta me!" the cowpony bragged a little as she trotted backwards into the ground.
Twilight cast the levitation spell again and pulled it out of the mud. After a few seconds of being surrounded in a magic aura, the object started to hiss. Twilight jumped back letting the object fall to the ground, and then the object started making noise.
"We could have had it alllllll, Rolling in the deeeeeep, You had my heart inside your hand..."
"Music!" pinkie yelled happily, and started bopping along to the beat of the unfamiliar tune.
The others looked at the object - it didn't look like any of the record players they had seen before and the music didn't sound like a pony singing, although they somehow understood the words. After a few seconds, the music died down and quietness returned to the field.
"Awwww" Pinkie was the first to speak "More!"
"Sorry Pinkie, but something doesn't feel right about this. Lets take this back to town and get in touch with Princess Celestia"
"Agreed" Rarity chipped in "There's definitely something...strange...about this" The white unicorn shivered as she remembered how it had felt in her aura.
Twilight flipped open her bag and levitated the object into her bag, starting the object up again much to Pinkie's delight for the few seconds it was active, and this time even the others felt like joining in with the music. As they trotted back into town, Twilight asked the others not to tell anypony else about this until she had heard back from the Princess.
