//------------------------------//
// Chapter one 
// Story: Life in Equestria Shimmers! 
// by PopopamAJ 
//------------------------------//

Daniel walked around a large, crowded room next to his best friend Miranda. All around there were posters and pictures of pastel unicorns and rainbows and hearts. He had to hold his friend’s shirt to make sure he wasn’t separated from her in the sea of cosplayers, their silly outfits varying from rolled-up paper horns and cardboard wings to full scale, probably incredibly expensive and quality costumes. He let out a muffled groan, barely audible in the noisy crowd. He couldn’t believe he was at a My Little Pony convention.
Daniel met Miranda at an artist’s club, and as a result of being around each other so much, they became best friends really soon. They weren’t very similar; Miranda was very social and cutesy, while Daniel was introverted and a bit more practical. Usually they bonded over their shared love of art, particularly in painting or doodling, but there was one even bigger part of Miranda’s life none of her friends could escape.
Her love of ponies.
Daniel couldn’t count all the times he’d had to hear her ramble on and on about My Little Pony, and he usually had to politely listen. It’s not like he hated ponies. He just wasn’t interested. He didn’t pay much attention when she talked about them, only listening enough to sound polite and respond when she asked a question. Sometimes he had to remind her that he wasn’t so passionate about the cartoon, and she seemed to understand. Still, when Miranda got talking, she just couldn’t stop herself.
Now he was joining her for a My Little Pony convention. He didn’t know which one, but he didn’t care. She certainly knew what was going on everywhere, so she had probably come to this specific convention before. Daniel really didn’t want to, but he had nothing to do. Usually if he was bored and his schedule was free, he would just visit his parents, but they had just recently left for a vacation in another country. Just his luck. But Miranda apparently didn’t have anyone to spend the weekend with either, and she practically begged him to join. “Only for you,” he had told her. This would be one loooooong weekend.
Daniel tightened his grip on Miranda’s shirt as she sped into an even more crowded room. He knew for a fact if he hadn’t been holding on by now he would’ve lost her to the crowd long ago. Miranda didn’t seem to notice- or care- and sped on. She was so excited; racing around the convention like lightning all morning. She would alternate between talking about MLP or pointing out events around them. Daniel struggled to listen to her above the thundering noise while concentrating on not getting lost in the vast room. He struggled to make out what she was talking about now.
“My OC is …. name is Doodle…. really cute ….” It wasn’t working. 
“Uhh, Miranda? Maybe we should go somewhere a bit qu-” Daniel had been yelling, but it seemed like Miranda hadn’t noticed him talking, despite his best efforts, because he was interrupted by a tight pull from her as she ran to another room.
Daniel took in a sudden gasp for air as Miranda slowed to a walking speed and he looked around, confused. They had just been in practically an ocean of cosplayers and other pony fans, and now it seemed they were miles away. Hey, with her speed, they may well be. In fact, he couldn’t hear a peep. Somehow she had found a completely empty room. Daniel took in his surroundings. It was a hall in such bad shape, it looked almost abandoned.
“Should we be here...?” Daniel turned back to Miranda, who, although now walking, looked so excited she could burst. She didn’t answer right away. “And… Where is here…?”
“Didn’t you see the signs, silly?” Daniel slowly shook his head as his friend continued. “The signs said there’s an exclusive, brand new event over here! ‘Equestria shimmers’! What could it be about?”
“Don’t you think if it’s exclusive, more people would be here? Not that I’m complaining, I mean…” 
“Maybe they didn’t notice yet. Or maybe we’re early!”
Daniel wasn’t convinced. This whole thing seemed fishy. A scam, maybe? A prank? Whatever. It was quiet. Daniel liked quiet.
The hallway came to a stop and they were standing in front of a wall with a dusty sign on it. There was no way this was normal. Miranda seemed to know what she was doing, however, and she blew the dust away.
“I’m gonna guess we’re early…” He wasn’t convinced at all. Miranda could be very naive, but he had no choice but to trust she knew what she was doing to some extent. He had never been to a convention before, after all. And he was only coming to be with her, so what else could he really do but follow her? 
Miranda stared at the sign for a long eerie moment. Daniel tried to look at it but couldn’t see it over her shoulder. Miranda turned to him, suddenly breaking the silence- and almost the spooky mood along with it- with a huge grin.
“Isn’t this exciting?!” She turned back to the sign before he could answer. Miranda began murmuring the words it said, which were just as spooky.
“To bring your dreams to life and learn so much… Yadda yadda…” For a moment she skimmed through the words inaudibly before continuing. “ ‘Life in Equestria shimmers, life in Equestria shines’, recite what’s left and you will see a tour one of a kind.”
“Miranda, this place is creepy. I don’t trust it. We should just go and…” He trailed off as he saw her pleading face.
“Aww, please Daniel? I know this one!”
“What? That thing’s beyond riddles, it doesn’t make any sense!”
“Duh, those were song lyrics!” She gave Daniel a look like he should know better. Before he could react, she started singing.
“.....That everything is certainly FIIIIIIIIIINE~!” Miranda finished the song with a moment long squeal, cut short by a mysterious rumbling sound.
“Miranda, I told you! This was a bad-”
A flash of light blinded them. And then?
Silence.