The orange earth pony charged down the streets, not caring who or what got in her way. Her hooves were thunder on the paved streets. In seconds, Applejack was off the main roads and headed towards Ponyville. She hadn’t been there in nearly four years, but she was told there would always be a place for her. She hoped this was still true.
---
“Alright Pinkamena, get those rocks out of the back.” Her father shouted from out of the wagon. The wagon lurched to a stop and Pinkamena gathered up the rocks the two had brought, hoping somepony here would find enough use to keep them alive.
The pink mare dropped the boxes of rocks on the stand her father had set up. She turned to the other shops set up and her eyes widened. Color was everywhere. All throughout the market music was playing, ponies were playing, laughing, dancing. It was all too much for the pony to take in at once. Her eyes grew even wider, and then her hair exploded. It was a strange sensation, her hair inflating, poofing from its flat state to a crazy chaotic knot. Pinkamena looked from the cupcakes to the balloons to the happy ponies everywhere and let out a happy squeal.
Her father had left, so Pinkamena had no choice but to stay, but that didn’t stop the pink pony from staring at all the new things that surrounded her. Everything around her just made her feel happy, and she felt the need to share this joy.
A noise came to Pinkamena’s ears from someone in need of her new need. Pinkamena looked out at the roads where a white unicorn was dragging herself through the roads of town. It seemed to PInkamena she was coming right toward her stand. Pinkamena smiled as the unicorn bumped into her stand, then was pulled up by her horn. The pony’s magic stopped, leaving the unicorn to drop in front of the pink mare.
“Hiya! she yelled at the dirty unicorn. “See something you like?” The dazed unicorn looked over the rocks, and her horn glowed again. A few of the rocks floated, covered in a blue aura. Pinkamena smiled as the unicorn looked on, bored. The rocks fell, each cracking on the stand. The unicorn showed interest in this, and her jaw dropped as a sparkle could be seen on the rock.
Wordlessly, the unicorn dropped a pile of bits on the counter, then grabbed as many rocks as she could. The unicorn looked at Pinkamena and gave a small smile.
“Here, let me get that for you.” she said, a blue aura surrounding her horn and Pinkamena’s hair. “A little…something for your trouble.” the white unicorn smiled as she turned Pinkamena’s chaotic hair into a less crazed but still ridiculously happy style, and Pinkamena laughed at it and the crazy unicorn.
“Wow, my first day and look how well I did!” she cheered at the pile of bits as the white unicorn ran off.
---
“So, do you, uh, wanna talk about it?” Fluttershy asked the sullen pony beside her.
“Not really.” Rainbow Dash sighed. “I went off in search of who I was and came back empty-hooved. I tangled with a dragon. Sort of.” The Pegasus pony was too disheartened to fly, opting to walk beside her old friend. “So, what about you? What have you done?”
“Uh, you know.” Fluttershy muttered. “Stayed here, did what I could and stayed out of the way.”
“Wait, you haven’t left? Like, ever?”
“I’ve never had a reason to…”
“Well. We gotta get you down there.” Rainbow said, gaining some confidence. “Nothing beats Cloudsdale, but there’s some pretty cool stuff on the ground level too.” she said with a smile. “You know what? That Summer Sun thingie is in Ponyville this year. It’s just a short flight there.”
“Flight?” Fluttershy said timidly. “Ground?”
“Obviously, Fluttershy. Did you want to jump?”
“It’s just, I’ve…I’ve never actually.”
“Trust me, you’ll be fine.”
“I…I don’t know Rainbow.”
“Come on Fluttershy? For me?” Rainbow practically pleaded.
“O…Okay Rainbow. For you, I guess.” Fluttershy stammered.
“Awesome! Let’s go!”
“You m-mean…”
“Yes Fluttershy, now.”
---
Night descended on the ponies of Ponyville, but not a single one could sleep. For the first time in years, the Princess was coming to Ponyville raise the sun for the Summer Sun Celebration, the longest day of the year. The event had brought ponies from all walks of life, farmers and pegasi, librarians and ne’er to well ponies. Any minute now the Princess would arrive on the scene and bring forth the longest day.
One pony, however, was not concerned with the rising of the sun. An orange pony ran into town, breathing heavy as though she had been running for the whole day. As she slowed to catch her breath, she noticed ponies flocking to Ponyville’s capitol building, which was regularly empty the last she knew of it.
“Hey, hey, what are y’all doing here?” she asked, still trying to lose her city pony accent.
“Haven’t you heard, the Summer Sun Celebration’s in Ponyville! It’s brought ponies from everywhere to watch the Princess raise the sun!”
Ponies from everywhere? Maybe Granny Smith or Big Macintosh’ll be in there, she thought hopefully. Oh well, worth a shot.
---
“Isn’t this exciting? Are you excited? Cause I’m excited, I’ve never been so excited!” a crazy pink pony said uncontrollably to anypony who would listen as she jumped around the room, turning into a bundle of happiness and excitement, and making many who saw her grin.
One such pony was a white unicorn that nopony in town could have recognized from that morning, because she had managed to help herself during the day. What was once a tattered purple mane was now washed and painstakingly perfect, her torn coat covered by a sparkling dress the renewed unicorn had managed to create for the festivities. She owed many thanks to that crazy pink pony, and hoped that her constant smile, the only thing the bouncy pony had asked for, would please the mare.
At the high ceiling a dozen Pegasus flew, including a rainbow headed one who seemed anxious to go on with the show and a yellow one close by who seemed to be in constant indecision whether to keep flying or land. The rainbow haired one would scold the shy one, which only caused the cycle to repeat itself.
A tired purple unicorn walked through the thick crowd, hoping that the festival could throw off some of the pain of this morning, but knew that staying up all night was only going to make her worse tomorrow, even if it did help. The unicorn smiled at a pink earth pony jumping around until she realized it was a grown mare and not a filly, making the whole thing seem rather silly.
Birds began to sing, and everypony looked to the front as the mayor began her anouncment.
“Fillies and gentlecolts. As mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!” All the ponies cheered. “In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise, and celebrate this, the longest day of the year! And now, it is my great to introduce to you, the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria, Princess Celestia!” A fanfare went up and a curtain was drawn, but the Princess was nowhere in sight. Ponies gasped and began to murmur.
“Remain calm, everypony. There must be a reasonable explaination.” The mayor said hopefully.
“Oooh! A guessing game!” shouted the bouncing pink mare. “Is she hiding? Ooh, she disguised herself as a little pony! No, she’s got a surprise waiting for us outside, no, wait!”
“She’s gone!” yelled a pony from a balcony.” Everypony in the room gasped.
“Aw, I should have thought of that!” the pink one complained.
A violet mist began to form where the Princess was meant to raise the sun, and every pony stepped away from the balcony as a slender black alicorn covered in blue armor materialized.
“Ah, my beloved subjects. It’s been so long since I’ve seen your precious, little, sun-loving faces.” She said with disgust.
“What did you do with our princess!” a blue Pegasus yelled, attempting to jump at the alicorn, but held back by a newcomer, an orange pony who instinctively bit the tail of the Pegasus.
“What, am I not royal enough for you ponies? Do you not know who I am?”
“Ooh, ooh! More guessing games!” the pink one cheered again, receiving a few scared glances. “Uh, Hokey Smokes!, No, Queen Rein! No no, wait, Calamity Mane! Calamity Mane!” A pony shoved an apple in the over-excited pony’s mouth to quiet her down.
“Is my crown no longer worthy since I have been imprisoned for a thousand years?” she boomed at the room. “Did you not recall the legend, see the signs?”
A little purple unicorn struggled under the gaze of the alicorn. She did know who this was. She had read about her legend many times. But the alicorn’s presence stilled her tongue.
“Enjoy this day, my ponies, for it will be your last. From this moment on, the night will last forever!” The alicorn laughed at the ponies, now running before her, before returning back to a kind of blue mist and leaving the room. The blue Pegasus broke the earth pony’s hold on her and chased after the mist, only to have it easily outrun here. The Pegasus grumbled at the fleeing mist as she turned back to the capital, seeing a purple unicorn sprinting in the same direction of the mist.
“Where is she off to?” Rainbow muttered to herself before flying off.
“Oh, wait Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy called. “Wait, Rainbow…”
“Follow me, sugarcube.” called an orange pony that ran by. “I don’t rightly know where they’re goin’, but they seem to know.” Applejack grunted as she galloped to keep up with the Pegasus.
“Ooh! Is this another party?” the ecstatic pink pony yelled. She grabbed the pony nearest to her, a white unicorn in a fancy dress. “Hey, you look familiar!” she said with a big grin. “Come on, let’s go get em!” she yelled before hopping off after the other four ponies.
“Maybe this is what my horn meant.” Rarity mumbled. “What if it wasn’t leading me to the rocks…but to her?” Rarity looked up to see the pony bouncing out of sight. “Hold on, dear pinkie…uh, whoever, wait!”