//------------------------------// // Joyful Reunion // Story: Prisoner of Butterfly Island // by Magic Step //------------------------------// The night of the party was finally here. There’d been several comedic mishaps getting together the decorations, the food, the dresses, the musicians, and every other aspect of the party, but nothing so frustrating that Twilight ever felt the need to call the whole event off. All in all the minor struggles had only served to teach important lessons about friendship, which she was grateful for. Now, today, finally, the special guests would arrive. So many old friends she hadn’t seen in forever. Twilight was trembling with anticipation as she entered the portal cave. The portal cave was near the shore of Butterfly Island; Butterfly Island was too far away from the dull grey mainland for even the strongest pegasus to fly to, so this portal was the only way in or out. The cool blue-grey granite walls of the cave were studded with shards of sparkling mica. The cavern was pear-shaped, with the larger part big enough to hold dozens of ponies, and the smaller part containing the portal, a craggy, irregular door filled with swirling green and aqua energy. She and her six friends, along with other residents of Butterfly Island hoping to see acquaintances of their own, surrounded the portal and watched intently to see who the special guests would be. The whirling spirals of color grew tighter and tighter until they blended into pulsating teal light, glowing brighter and brighter. Then, two small dark silhouettes appeared in the center of the light. It was two foals, running towards them. Then, they stepped into the light of the cavern, revealing their orange and white coats. “Sweetie Belle!” Rarity cried happily, scooping up her sister into a hug. The two clung to each other tightly, tears in their eyes. “I… I… m-m-missed…” Sweetie Belle sniffled, before becoming too choked up to talk. Meanwhile, the orange pegasus filly who’d come behind her watched the pair. Scootaloo was smiling, but there was a distant look in her eyes. She turned to the waiting crowd. “Hey, everypony! I’m back!” The crowd cheered generally. “Is your big sister Cheerilee coming?” Twilight asked Scootaloo. “No, she’s… no… she’s been busy,” Scootaloo said, waggling her hoof vaguely. “But I’m sure glad to be back!” “What about Apple Bloom?” Twilight pressed. “...Also busy. With different stuff though. But, uh, I heard Big Macintosh is coming!” Scootaloo said. “That’s good,” Twilight said, checking if Applejack was hearing these things, and whether her reaction seemed wrong. Applejack was just staring intently at the portal. Twilight looked back at Scootaloo; Scootaloo was scanning the crowd, trying to smile at everypony, but they were all watching the portal for the next pony to come it. Impulsively, not letting herself think too hard, Twilight scooped up the orange filly into an embrace. “I’m glad you’re back,” she said. “I’ve missed your wild scooter tricks.” Scootaloo wriggled in surprise. “You remember those?” “I remember everything because all I ever have of anypony is memories, eventually…” Twilight Sparkle said. Then, feeling self-conscious, she set Scootaloo back down. “That’s kind of true of everypony, isn’t it?” Scootaloo asked. Before Twilight could think how to answer that question, the portal glowed again. Two ,more silhouettes appeared, these ones the size and shape of full grown ponies. In a bright flash, two mares emerged into the cave, one mint green unicorn and one tan earth pony. “Is… are you…?” Twilight asked. “Come on, Twilight,” Lyra said, “I know it’s been ten years, but don’t you recognize your old friend?” Twilight wrapped her forelegs around Lyra’s neck. “It’s really you! I didn’t know if you’d ever come again!” Lyra hugged Twilight back. “Yeah; heard you’ve been doing a great job keeping changelings at bay. Can’t wait to see how the island’s changed since I’ve been gone.” “What have you been doing with your life on the mainland?” Twilight stepped back and sat down, tail curled around her hooves. “Oh, y’know, not much. It’s pretty boring there…” Lyra said. “Your music makes everything better, though,” Twilight said. Lyra winced visibly, but quickly turned it into a smile. “That’s right. Everypony loves my music…” Her eyes looked haunted. She quickly pushed the other mare forward. “Uh, hey, you have to meet my best friend Bon Bon!” The yellow mare tucked her blue and pink curls behind her neck and nodded, holding out one forehoof. “Pleasure to meet you, Twilight Sparkle.” “Same, Bon Bon,” Twilight said, shaking the offered hoof. “So… where’d you two meet?” “Food gathering,” Bon Bon said, an amused twinkle in her eye. Lyra laughed loudly. “Oh, th-that’s an old in-joke; actually we were trying to share a bench and… it’s a long story.” She blushed a little. “S-sorry, Twi…” “For what?” Twilight asked. “...I don’t know…” Lyra said softly. “Hey, look, somepony with a poofy mane like Pinkie’s!” Scootaloo said. “Really!?” Twilight whipped her head around. “Is it Cheese Sandwich? I know how much she missed him…” No, the silhouette had a horn, and had a mareish figure. Twilight gave Pinkie Pie an empathetic look. The mare turned out to be pink, with a purple puffy mane. Twilight had never seen her before. “Um… hi?” Twilight said, a little confused. Weren’t there only supposed to be established friends at this party? The pink mare had a blank expression on her face and just glanced around the cave, taking everything in but staying neutral. All the ponies stared at her expectantly. “Say something, dear,” Mrs. Cake said. The pink mare froze up, like a deer in headlights. “I… I…” And then she suddenly burst into tears. Bon Bon raced over and escorted the sobbing mare to the side of the cave. “Poor thing’s overwhelmed with joy,” she said apologetically. “Give us some space; we’ll be back to do the introduction shortly.” “Can I help?” Twilight started to follow. “NO. Go wait for more friends,” Bon Bon ordered. Twilight started back, then turned to Lyra. “Is your new friend always so…?” “Authoritarian?” Lyra said. “More or less.” “Big Mac!” Applejack cried excitedly. Twilight Sparkle whirled around to see the orange mare embracing a huge, muscular red earth pony. “Eeyup,” he told her, wrapping one foreleg around her. Twilight Sparkle studied the pair, looking for inconsistencies with how she remembered, wondering if Big Mac had the same suspicious she had… or if he even knew for certain. No doubt existed in her mind; he was definitely more reserved than he normally was with his sister. She was right to be paranoid and her friends were wrong. If only she could get Big Mac alone… “So… how’s Marble?” she asked Big Mac. Big Macintosh just shrugged. “Oh… I thought you two really hit it off at the Hearth’s Warming Party,” Twilight said apologetically. “She farms rocks. We farm apples. Our paths don’t cross much,” he said. “Ohhhhhhmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!!!” Rainbow Dash shouted. Three blue-suited pegasi emerged from the portal, flying in perfect formation and causing everypony watching to ooh and ah. The trio landed next to Rainbow Dash and took off their flight goggles one by one. “Hey, sport,” Spitfire said, ruffling Rainbow Dash’s mane. “Did you miss us?” “Only every minute!” Rainbow Dash said happily. “We’ve missed you too,” Soarin’ said in his fatherly way, sidehugging Rainbow Dash. “So,” Misty Fly said, surveying the crowd, “let’s get to business. Where’s our venue for tonight?” “There’s no rush,” Soarin’ said, looking annoyed. “We just got here. Try and relax, please? This is such a rare opportunity…” “Which is why we can’t relax,” Misty Fly said. “We need everything on point…” “S-sorry, everypony,” the pink unicorn mare said, rejoining the group. “I just… I’ve waited so long to be here, and… and…” “Just your name, sweetie,” Bon Bon said. “S-Sugarbelle,” the pink unicorn mare said. “I, uh, I bake cakes. I’ll also be taking over the ice cream parlor.” It was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. “But… but… but what about our children?” Mrs. Cake asked. “I mean…” Mr. Cake shot a nervous look at Twilight. “W-we want to take them with us, of course, because we love them and we can have a great family life in the mainland, of course, b-but if they stayed on Butterfly Island…” “Oh, of course my husband and I can take care of them, if you want,” Sugarbelle said, breaking into a huge smile. “Right, Macky?” “Eeeeeeeyup,” Big Macintosh said. “Macky…?” Twilight said. “What… what happened to you and Party Favor?” Pinkie Pie asked Sugarbelle. “And Marble!?” Sugarbelle’s giant smile grew a little bit wider, she shut her eyes, and she shrugged casually. “You know… things. C-can I go now?” “Cakes, if you wouldn’t mind showing Sugarbelle and Big Macintosh to their new shop?” Bon Bon asked. The two of them nodded numbly and all four ponies hurried out of the cave. “Th-the Cakes are leaving?” Twilight said. Of course the ice cream parlor had gone through a lot of owners, since nopony stayed longer than a year at a time. But saying goodbye never got easier. “Oh my gosh! It’s Songbird Serenade, the best singer in the world!” Rarity said, pointing emphatically back at the portal. “Yay,” Fluttershy whispered. “Wasn’t that Sapphire…?” Twilight turned around, confused, to see a pegasus mare she didn’t know exiting the portal, accompanied by two bodyguards. Everypony around her broke out in wild cheers, but Twilight just stared, confused. She turned to leave for Sugarcube Sundaes. “Twilight! Don’t you want to hear her sing?” Rarity cried. Rainbow Dash and Applejack both zipped over and gently herded Twilight back toward the strange singer. “But the Cakes…!” Twilight protested. Before she could continue or anypony could reply Songbird started warbling a song about how beautiful Butterfly Island was. How she knew was beyond Twilight’s comprehension, since she hadn’t even left the cave yet. Everypony danced, and finally, Twilight gave up and danced with them, since she clearly wasn’t going anywhere for the next several minutes.