“How do you date a socially awkward pony? One day at a time.”
---
“Man… this cider’s not half bad for Earth pony produce… might even beat them Canterlot’s moonshine…”
A slightly greyish pony, speaking with a well refined accent, broke the silence that had lingered for five minutes since the group had gathered.
“Prob’s is - thems stuff so hard they’d crack your head wide open.” A light purple mare guffawed, amused by his attempt to imitate the native tongue.
“Ha!” Another blue mare piped up. “Methinks you two are right drunk!”
An awkward silence fell.
“We just arrived, Moon Prancer.” The purple mare sulked, “You should know better the meta-“
“Okay, okay.” Moon sighed; knowing full well what would happen were the purple mare were allowed to continue. “Ash is getting bored.”
“That’s Jack for you, good sir.” The grey stallion retorted. “I know you respect the Acherons but –“
“-what’s you think of the Rich enterprise anyways, Twilight?” Dancer again derailed the topic, nodding to the purple mare.
“-ethanol needs at least 15 minutes to metabolize even for a small mare- and stop changing the subject Night-“
Night slapped her hoof to her face. “Why are we here so early, anyway?” She sighed. “We know: A) Ash hates the suburb and B) Twi could bore a rock to sleep with her lectures-“
“To see the fireworks, remember?” Jack cut in. “I wouldn’t have left Canterlot were it not for the pre-party festivities.”
“What’s with the Riches, anyway?” Twilight Velvet finally got the hint, and turned to Moon.
“They’re the ones who sponsored this year’s Summer Sun festival.”
“To coincide with our prom? Why?” Twilight asked.
“It’s the Apples.” Jack said in a harsh whisper. “Rumor has it Celestia is going to negotiate with them herself!”
“You need to stop reading the Enquirer, Jack.” Twilight muttered as she sipped her cider. “They-“
She was interrupted by the whistle of the Cantelot Express. “Whoop. That’s the 9. 30; the fireworks are
in half an hour!”
Moon seemed shocked by the revelation. “We’ve been at the train station for half an hour?”
An hour later, the rest of the graduating class had gathered at the Town Hall.
“Tonight we celebrate, for the first time in Ponyville, the Summer Sun Celebration, brought to you by our very own Stinking Filthy Richmond-“
The PA briefly cut off amid background chatter. “-sorry, Samuel Fitch Richmond, in collaboration with the Apple Smith Farmsteed who has provided us with a wonderful dinner and drinks. Also we are glad to announce that the prom for this year’s Canterlot University graduates will now begin.”
The town hall quickly began to fill with chatter.
“Soooooo.” Moon asked Twilight suggestively.
“So what?” The purple mare looked genuinely confused.
“So what what?” Moon scolded, “tonight’s dance!”
“Celestia’s beard – I completely forgot!” Twilight panicked, looking around desperately.
“I thought you were already spoken for.” Moon gave a quick sideways glance at Jack.
Twilight glanced Jack at the corner of her eye, her body never moving.
Moon inched closer to Jack. “Ya gotta make the first move, Ash.” She whispered, “Hurry!”
“Now?” Jack asked excitedly. “In front of everypony?”
“You rather dance with the mop?”
Jack shook his head, and then carefully approached Twilight.
“Velvet.”
The mare turned her head.
“Who are you dancing with tonight?”
Moon groaned.
“Nopony.” Twilight muttered. “I thought I’d figure something out by today…”
Jack gave Moon a sideways glance. “I-“
“The horror, THE HORROR!” A scream pierced the hall.
“Oh great.” Twilight galloped towards the source of the scream. “I gotta help Rosebud. Again.”
Jack and Moon quickly followed.
“Twilight, this is a disaster- and I mean it this time.” Rosebud hyperventilated.
“What’s wrong?”
Twilight raised her head, only to be greeted by the horde of classmates staring awkwardly at each other.
“Rose.” Twilight asked. “How long has the music been playing?”
Jack and Moon looked at each other in utter confusion.
“Five. Whole. Minutes.”
Moon groaned. “Twi, you should know better by now not to take anything that Rose says seriously-”
Jack tapped Moon on the shoulder.
“Moon?” He asked in a mixture of confusion and horror. “Why is nobody dancing?”
---
“Nopony has a date.”
Twilight’s declaration had left the once jovial atmosphere silent. “So everypony thinking somepony’s gonna proposition them, and nopony bothers to ask anypony.”
“Wait – there was supposed to be a dance?”
“I thought this was our graduation ceremony.”
“No… wait… it says ‘Summer Sun Festival’ here…”
Twilight fell deep in thought as the youngsters fell into panicked speculation. “Mother of Celestia, what is going on?”
“I guess we just need a little… camaraderie”.
A strange pink figure entered the room, silencing all in the room.
“Who is this unicorn – no, wait, - an ailcorn?” Twilight asked.
“Mi Amore Consonanza, representative of the Crystal Kingdom.” The newcomer replied.
“Isn’t the Crystal Kingdom a myth?”
“For all intents and purposes, yes.” She glanced at the nervous crowd. “And soon, I and my kingdom will return to myth until a better time.”
“What does that even mean?”
“That-“ the ailcorn declared as her eyes glowed white, “that means you will have no memory of what I will do next.”
The hall was bathed in a white light, and just as quickly, the light and the pony it came from disappeared to nothingness.