//------------------------------//
// Prologue 
// Story: That One Shining Star 
// by Mlplover1205 
//------------------------------//

Sunset leaned back on the couch of the Sweet Shoppe, wiping away a mango smoothie moustache. Sunset checked her phone again, 1:48. Sighing she turned it off and took another sip of her drink. Yesterday after band practice they all agreed 2:00. Sunset had gotten there at 1:30. She had rushed purposefully so she wouldn't be late and ended up arriving early.Typical

It wasn't like her but, she was sick and tired of getting a toungue lashing from Rainbow Dash whenever she showed up late to practice or to anything that Rainbow actually wanted to do, despite she herself constantly being late when it came to one of their things (and despite the fact that they all took the liberty of reminding her of that).

Sunset was about to check her phone again when the sound of bells jingling caught her attention, and a familiar four-eyed girl walked into café. When Twilight spotted Sunset she looked a bit surprised, but smiled and waved at her. Sunset smiled and gestured for her to come over. Twilight held up her index finger, which Sunset took to mean one moment, please, then she went over to the counter and ordered a chocolate latte with whipped cream and sprinkles(similar to the one Princess Twilight ordered when she first came to CHS) and walked back to sit with Sunset.

"Wow, I thought I for sure I was going to be the first one here", Twilight said as she blew on her latte, "what time did you get here?"

"1:30", Sunset replied,grinning.

"Oh wow, that's...early!",Twilight breathed, looking shocked."Would it be rude of me to ask why?"

"No,not at all Twilight". Then the metaphorical lightbulb went off in Sunset's head.

Suppressing a devious grin, Sunset put on her best somber look and said,"well Twilight, I have a phobia".

Twilights eyes went wide under her glasses."Oh no!"

Sunset almost smirked, she was falling for it."Yeah, it's called the Ranting-Rainbow-phobia."

Twilight furled her brow, making her glasses slide down her nose a little."I've never heard of that one before", she said, readjusting her glasses, "do you mean Iridophobia, that's the irrational fear of rainbows, or maybe...."

Sunset bit back a giggle as she listened to Twilight try to guess what Sunset was talking about, she was adorkable.

"Nice try Twilight but it's none those." Twilight looked like she was on the edge of her seat." Ranting-Rainbow-phobia is the completely rational fear of having Rainbow Dash yell at you every time you're late for band practice," Sunset finished deadpan.

Twilight blinked before bursting out in a fit of giggles.

Twilights giggling must of tickled her because she couldn't resist a few chuckles herself, breaking her (very convincing) act.

After their laughter had subsided, Twilight spoke,"Well in that case, I think I might have it too."

It was true, like Sunset, Twilight was often late due to being caught up in books or science experiments and not noticing the time.

"Oh, by the way, that reminds me of this one time I saw Vinyl Scratch...", they spent some time chatting when the others started showing up. First it was Applejack, then Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy had apparently decide to come together, and Rarity ended up arriving last, and late. 

Once they all got seated on or around the couch, Rainbow turned to face Rarity. She wasted no time."Rarity, where were you!?", she shouted and a number of other things that made want Sunset roll her eyes. Rarity simply brushed the verbal beat down off saying she was 'fashionably late', despite her outfit being excactly identical to the one she normally wears for school.

Rainbow just rolled her eyes and grumbled before turning her attention to Sunset."So, Sunset actually decided to show up on time, huh?", Rainbow said with a playful smirk,"Given your track record, I expected you around 3:00."

Sunset scowled,"Oh bite me..., Ow, Pinkie!, I didn't mean literally!"

Pinkie just giggled,"Well I had to do it since Spike wasn't here to!",

"Oh, that reminds me, where is Spike, Twilight?" The all turned their heads to see Fluttershy who had excused herself to order her and Pinkie Pie's drinks. 

"The last time I saw the poor thing, he didn't look like he was feeling to well." Fluttershy handed Pinkie's drink over to her, who accepted with a sing-songy "thaaannk yoouuu!"

"Oh right!", Twilight said breaking off her conversation with Applejack (they were laughing about a very private photo of Applebloom when she was younger. Shhh!)."Well I took him to the vet, it turns out he had a really nasty flea infection in his..."

The girls spent the afternoon chatting, laughing, and basically enjoying each others company, until Fluttershy noticed time and suggested they wrap it up for the day. They all finished their respective beverages and made their way to the door.

Once outside, Pinkie suddenly must've gotten a burst of energy from somewhere within, because she looked like she was doing gymnastics routine, only without the 'routine' part. She was literally, bouncing off the walls (or the sides of buildings anyways).

Anyone else would have just shrugged it off as standard Pinkie Pie behavior, but this definitely didn't go unnoticed by her friends.

"Is it just me, or is Pinkie acting a bit more...Pinkie-ish...than usual?", Rainbow asked, eyeing her cotton candy-haired friend.

Sunset thought of something Pinkie's older sister had told her."Wait a minute, Fluttershy, what did you get Pinkie back at the Sweet Shoppe?"

Fluttershy thought,"Um, an iced cappuccino, I think, why?"

Sunset face palmed."Ugh, Fluttershy!"," Maud said that Pinkie can't have too much caffeine!" As it turned out, Pinkie had a really low tolerance level when it came to that sort of thing (which really wasn't that surprising considering she ate cake 24/7).

Fluttershy cringed,"Oops..."

"So...that means Pinkie is gonna be like that until the caffeine wears off?",Rainbow sighed.

They all groaned at the thought of having to deal with an extra hyperactive Pinkie Pie in the morning.

Then, all of a sudden, Twilight shouted. Sunset looked up and nearly had a heart attack. There was Pinkie Pie, in all her oblivious glory, running full speed ahead towards an open manhole!

By the time they realized that, Pinkie was almost on top of it.

"PINKIE!", they all screamed at the top of their lungs.

Unfortunately, their curly-topped friend, the took no notice as she sped towards it.

Time seemed to stop as Pinkie raced to meet her untimely and very rancid, demise

Then, out of nowhere a giant, blue crystal zipped past them and covered the manhole just as Pinkie was about to step into the void below. She kicked off it, spiraling into a double somersault landing perfectly with a cartwheel, flashing her, somehow, pearly whites as if nothing had happened.

Sunset would have found this impressive, had she not fallen to her knees in relief.

They all whipped their heads around to see a ponied-up Rarity( and yes I'm using that term cause I'm too lazy to think of a better one, deal with it!) clutching her glowing amulet.

"Hoo, that is a feels bit more taxing when you're saving someone's life and instead of just saving their clothes from getting wet", Rarity said with tinge of exhaustion.

She barely had time to take a breath before she felt a pair of andoconda like arms close around her mid-section squeezing the living day-lights out of her.

"This so makes up for you being late", Dash said with tears in her eyes.

Sunset got up and brushed herself off before going to join the two as did the other girls, all while Pinkie just stood there with confusion written across her face, who then shrugged going to join in the massive group hug as well.

After a while they broke apart and went go investigate the giant safety hazard. 

"Who would leave a manhole lying open like that!?", Rarity huffed,"Honestly, construction workers these days".

"Yeah!", Pinkie agreed,"Someone could fall in and go splat!", sweeping her arms out to add effect.

The others shared a knowing look and it was anonymously decided that they wouldn't tell her how, in her caffeine induced vigor, she nearly went splat herself.

"Um, yeah just what were those people thinking?", Fluttershy piped up.

But Twilight, ever the inquisitive one, had her doubts.

"Hmm, I don't know girls", she said,"Would professionals really do something so irresponsible?"

"Who knows", Sunset said,"I'll talk to Principle Celestia about contacting the Mayor about it, but let's deal with this first", she nodded at Applejack.

Applejack got what she meant immediately and ponied-up. She then went to pick up the cover which was lying quite a ways down the street for some reason and after Rarity dispersed her diamond shield, she settled it over the hole.

"Now that that's done, we'd better get back", Sunset said,"How 'bout a sleep over at Pinkies place?", They all cheered and continued walking towards a night of fun, pillow fights, and lots of caffeine( dangit' Fluttershy!)

But little did they know they were being watched by a very inconspicuous shadowy figure, who was hiding in the alley right behind the Sweet Shoppe. 

Let's just say he had been pleasantly surprised when he saw Applejack and Rarity pony up like that. His superiors would be more than pleased when they learned of this new development. Maybe he'd end up getting more out of this than he could have imagined. He'd have report back later. He pulled a picture out of his pocket and sneered at it. But first, the matter at hand...