//------------------------------// // Part 1 // Story: Sunny’s Promise // by Admiral Producer //------------------------------// Maretime Bay was always crowded in the early afternoon as the ponies were going about their daily lives. There was always a sense of utopian peace in the air around that time that could not be explained by anypony. It was always a phenomenon that just happened. Earth ponies walked briskly across the crosswalks, talking with friends. The pegasi practiced their flight, spinning merrily in the huge blue canvas they were born to dominate. Unicorns carried their groceries with their magic, a feat that seemed easy for them even though they had just gotten it back. Huge delivery trucks rolled down the streets, threatening to crush the little fillies who always played nearby. The town was filled with chatter and lighthearted banter between all three pony races. Gone were the days of paranoia, mistrust, and segregation. In its place were friendship and harmony, two sacred virtues safeguarded by the three Unity Crystals that protected the land. Stored in the Crystal Brighthouse, the Crystals were responsible for containing all of the realm’s magic and maintaining the coexistence between the tribes. It had been two days since the ponies had almost lost their magic forever once more on Maretime Bay Day and the experience had brought them all closer together in ways that they could not describe. As the cheerful atmosphere permeated the town like a nice morning perfume, an orange earth pony with a pink mane and tail zoomed by on roller skates, waving hi to everypony she passed. Her name was Sunny Starscout, self-proclaimed history fanatic, savior of Equestria, and best friends to everyone in Maretime Bay. She was humming to herself merrily as she skated by, the soft wind blew through her mane. Everyone she passed waved back to her. Sunny was a respected figure within the town now, having saved the magic not once, but twice. But it didn’t start out that way. Before the unicorn incident that kickstarted the quest to retrieve the Crystals, Sunny used to be an outcast and looked down upon by everyone. She used to be the town’s radical activist whose ideas no one listened to. It seemed like only yesterday that she was the most wanted pony in all of Maretime Bay for her reckless antics. But after bringing the magic back and proving that all ponies could be friends, Sunny was not only a friend to everyone in the town, she was their hero. She and her friends had accomplished feats that the townsponies could only dream of accomplishing and for that, they were eternally grateful. As she sped by the townsponies, she saw her good friend Windy way high in the sky, practicing her flight with great effort. “How’s it goin,’ Windy?” Sunny called up to the pink pegasus mare. Managing to stabilize herself before she could fall, Windy saw Sunny and waved back, “Doing good! Unfortunately, it looks like I still have a lot to learn about flying!” “You’ll get there, Windy! I promise!” Sunny called back. With that, she continued her trek all the way down town, back to the Crystal Brighthouse where she saw Zipp and Pipp talking with one another. “…And I promise to always listen to you from now on if you think there’s a problem,” Pipp promised her, “You’re the investigator in this town.” Zipp reached out with her right hoof. “We’ll do our part…” Pipp reached out with her right hoof and touched it to Zipp’s in an act of forging a unbreakable promise. “Hoof to heart…” “Hey, everypony!” Sunny waved to them. Upon seeing Sunny, Zipp did a double take and blushed in embarrassment. “Oh, Sunny! How…much…did you hear?” “Not much,” Sunny admitted, “Just the ending part. I promise I won’t tell any of our other friends if it’s personal.” Pipp nodded. “It is personal. The others don’t need to know.” Sunny made a lips sealing motion. “Then you have my word that nopony else will know.” Zipp smiled, but that smile quickly faded when all of a sudden, there came the sound of fillies screaming in the distance. She faced Sunny. “We’ll talk later, Sunny. Gotta fly!” Wings unfolding, she rocketed off towards the sound of the screams, leaving a trail of smoke behind her. Sunny sighed. She was hoping to help Zipp get over some of her insecurities about her place in Maretime Bay today. Who knew how many life-saving errands the white pegasus would be on the whole day? “Don’t worry about Zipp,” Pipp assured her. “She’s basically the town lifeguard. It’s practically her job to save fillies falling out of the sky, magic glitch-induced or no.” “Yeah, but I was hoping to find Zipp something to do,” Sunny said, “She told me before that she didn’t think she belonged here, but that’s not true! I’m trying to talk Phyllis into hiring her.” Pipp rolled her eyes. “You really think Zipp’s going to be cool with making anti-pegasus tech?” “I-“ Sunny had to admit that Pipp had a point. Even though Maretime Bay was a pony melting pot by this point, old habits died hard and Phyllis was still trying to profit off of her inventions which no one except the old grandpas bought anymore. “Come on, Sunny,” Pipp told her, “We can figure it out together inside.” ——————————————————————————————————————————————— The Crystal Brighthouse was as beautiful as it ever was. Serving as the symbol of harmony and equality, it stood as the replacement to Sunny’s old lighthouse, which Sprout had destroyed long ago. Each one of Sunny’s friends had customized it with their own flair as the five of them had practically built it from the ground up. Izzy Moonbow wanted lots of glitter in her room, Pipp decorated hers all stylish and fancy, and Zipp and Hitch preferred theirs more down to earth and plain. Sunny’s room had the picture of her father Argyle Starshine back when she was a little filly. The picture had been completely destroyed during Sprout’s rampage, but each one of the pony leaders had come together and pieced together a frame. She still missed her father. Every night, she would dream of him holding her and telling her stories about the past. As for her friends, Izzy was jumping on her bed to the annoyance of Hitch when they both heard the doors open from downstairs. They headed down to see Sunny and Pipp enter. “We have a new mission!” Sunny announced proudly. “Ooh! Let me guess! Another Crystal finding mission?” Izzy asked excitedly. “Another dissatisfied fellow earth pony who turns out to be the villain and almost destroys Maretime Bay?” Hitch chimed in. “Nope,” Sunny shook her head. “I think we’ve had enough of those after Sprout and Posey, wouldn’t you say? This time, it’s for Zipp! You see, she once confided in me that she didn’t know if she belonged here. It’s time we changed that!” “Well, count me in,” Hitch affirmed, “It’s about time we had a down-to-earth adventure for once. Izzy, has Zipp told you anything about what she likes?” Izzy thought about it. Then her eyes went wide. “Well, recently she has been obsessing with this group from the past called the Wonderbolts. I often hear her fantasizing about bringing them back and-“ Before she could finish, a very disoriented Zipp tumbled down the stairs and landed flat on her face, moaning. Pipp chuckled. “That’s what you get for being the town lifeguard. Now get up, sis. We’re talking about you.” Zipp dusted herself off as she stood up. “What’d I do this time, Sunny?” “You told me the day before Maretime Bay Day began that you felt like you didn’t belong here,” Sunny told her, “Is that true?” Zipp nodded slowly. “While I’m pretty happy being the town investigator, I still…feel like I get in everypony else’s way sometimes. What about when there’s no phenomenon to keep track of? The Crystals haven’t glitched since Maretime Bay Day ended.” “Izzy overheard you talking about the Wonderbolts in your sleep,” Hitch mentioned. At this, Zipp blushed again. “Well…they are pretty awesome. I mean, they were the biggest stunt team in all of Equestria! After they got lost in a storm, however…they never came back. There is a school club in the local Elementary School though called the Junior Wonderbolts. Its leader is a filly named Sunshine Wings. She’s very passionate.” “You’ve met her?” Pipp inquired. Zipp nodded. “At several points. In fact, that’s who I was saving earlier. She and her sister Rainbow Tails were trying out a dangerous aerial stunt. Long story short, their tails got caught in between each other and…well, you know the rest.” “What if…I was able to get you a job at the school?” Sunny inquired, “Think about it. The old athletics coach recently retired. They’re looking for a replacement. What better way to bring the Wonderbolts back than to train the next generation yourself? As you said, there’s a club.” “You’d get them to hire me?” Zipp asked her, “I don’t know. Would they trust you after how many times you broke in to give your friendship speeches? And besides, I don’t know the first thing about how to train a class, or that extensively about the Wonderbolts. I just stumbled upon some history books in the library and became obsessed. I don’t want to teach them the wrong things.” “Then we’ll research together,” said Sunny with a hint of pride. “I think we can turn that little school club into the next best flight team in all of Equestria!“ Zipp was touched by Sunny’s willingness to help. “Thanks. Are you sure though? I mean, I don’t want my fantasies getting in the way of whatever you want to do.” “Trust me, Zipp,” Hitch nudged her playfully, “When it comes to researching about the past, you don’t say no to Sunny.” Zipp smiled back. “Alright, if you’re sure.” “I’m sure,” Sunny promised her, “We’ll bring the Wonderbolts back from the ashes, I’m sure of it! This is your purpose. We definitely got this.” ——————————————————————————————————————————————— Later that day, Sunny and Zipp were in the library, pouring through every single book that they could find. So far, nothing could be found on the Wonderbolts and Sunny was surprised by this. The Wonderbolts were known as the most famous aerial flight team in all of ancient Equestria. “We definitely…don’t got this.” Sunny deadpanned, putting her face in her hooves in disappointment. Never had doing research in the library come out to nothing, even in her old lighthouse. She could see that Zipp was having a similar look of discouragement. “It’s okay, Sunny,” Zipp assured her, “It’s kind of you to do this, but it’s…kind of a lost cause. I mean, how are you going to get me hired to that elementary school? I have no prior experience teaching. Not to mention, being a Wonderbolt probably meant years of training. It’s unlikely we can train these foals to be professionals, even if we tried.” Sunny felt terrible. She didn’t want to let Zipp down. There had to be a way to learn about the ancient history of the Wonderbolts. There was no way that she would even consider letting her pegasus friend down like that. Not after all the faith she placed in her. “Zipp,” Sunny promised her, “I promise that we will find a way to do this. I’m going to help you fulfill your dream whatever it takes. You put your faith in me, I won’t let you down.” She fought back a sudden rush of tears. “Sunny-“ Zipp was about to comfort her when all of a sudden, both of them heard a loud thump come from the top shelf. They looked up to see Izzy on a ladder. “Surprise!!” Izzy exclaimed. “This old blue book fell from the top shelf. I was trying to get a book on the proper use of glitter for an art project I’m working on, but there’s none here!” “It’s…unlikely there’s an encyclopedia on glitter.” Zipp told her bluntly. “Were you here this entire time?” Sunny asked her. “Nope! Just showed up about 40 seconds and two milliseconds after you finished your sentence,” Izzy replied with a note of precision. “I’m not going to question that,” Zipp said, shaking her head. “Look!” Sunny walked carefully towards the latter to pick up the fallen book. It had a symbol of a flying pegasus on it. The book was titled: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE WONDERBOLTS by Argyle Starshine “My Dad wrote a book on the Wonderbolts?!” exclaimed Sunny in shock, “How did I not know? He read me all of his books before…well, you know…” “Yeah, we get it,” Zipp replied, “Honestly, I haven’t seen this one around here before either. Maybe it was part of Hitch’s new shipment. He spends online like crazy on Ponyzon every Wednesday.” Sunny growled. “That better may not be my money he’s taking out.” “Well, he did tell me not to let you know about-“ Izzy began. “WHAT?!” “We can deal with it later,” Zipp calmed Sunny down, “Let’s see what your father has to say about the Wonderbolts. Izzy, can you tell Hitch to put in a good word for me with the school?” “Already on it-WHOA!! Whoa!!” Izzy struggled to hold on as the ladder suddenly tipped over. Quick as a flash, Sunny and Izzy dropped the book and caught the purple unicorn in mid-air. The ladder fell down the railing to its doom, shattering into a million pieces. “That’s gonna be a clean up job alright,” Zipp remarked. Sunny shrugged. “Eh, I’ve cleaned up worse. Izzy, are you okay?” “Yup!” Izzy sprang to her hooves like nothing happened. “‘Tis but a minor flesh wound, my friends.”’ With that, she teleported downstairs. Sunny chuckled. “Izzy sure knows how to lighten any situation.” She looked at the big blue book still laying on the floor. “Alright Dad, why didn’t you read me this one…?” The two of them sat on the floor with the book in front of them. Carefully, Sunny opened the book, turned to the first page and began to read, “‘Foreword: My continued studies on ancient Equestrian history have led me to the discovery of the remains of an elite squad of pegasi called the Wonderbolts. From what I could gather, their history goes all the way back to the first banishment of the Mare In The Moon…” ——————————————————————————————————————————————— “The banishment of Nightmare Moon had left a legacy of fear and paranoia behind. Nopony felt like they were safe. So many villains had plagued the land in that one year alone. Princess Celestia had fought the good fight, but her servants and everypony in the castle knew that it was only a matter of time before a new threat emerged to take down the throne. And so, the Earth, Unicorn, and Pegasus Guard (E.U.P) was formed to protect and be the personal bodyguards to the Princess. Made up of all three pony tribes, this united coalition would serve as a warning to those who would dare forsake her name. The announcement of this new group was given just six years after the banishment and everyone felt safe once more. During the first celebration of peace, a select squad of pegasi were selected to perform a special routine to commemorate the great battle. The pegasi took to the air, delivering a performance that was so filled with energy that magical lightening showered the ground below. The ponies were so in awe of the performance that General Firefly officially named this group: The Wonderbolts. For years, the Wonderbolts helped provide entertainment and joy with their dangerous stunts, even as Nightmare Moon and the mythos surrounding her became nothing but an urban legend. Eventually, Admiral Fairweather formed an academy to train the next generations of Bolts, a decision which helped to expand the Bolts’ ranks to insurmountable proportions. One thousand years later, a young pegasus named Rainbow Dash joined the Wonderbolts, soon rising in rank to become their leader after the retirement of Spitfire. They were instrumental in saving Equestria from a trio of terrible villains. Upon the ascension of Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Wonderbolts became well-known throughout the known realm for their association with the Guardians of Harmony, soon becoming part of peacekeeping duties around the world under the guidance of the Council of Friendship. However, all the peace came crashing down with the inevitable return of the Windigoes, born out of the built-up hatred that the tribes had towards each other, thanks to a mysterious unicorn who helped to divide the populace. The ponies turned against their rulers, against their own natures, and against themselves. As Equestria became bathed in a blanket of eternal snow, the Wonderbolts were called into combat by Princess Twilight to help drive off the windy beasts. But it was all to no avail. For even with their best efforts, each pegasus froze to death while fighting off the storm. One by one, they perished and the Windigoes devoured their souls until only Rainbow Dash remained. Dash, with her dying breaths, inspired Equestria to come together again and fight for the homes they had once held so dear. As she dove into the storm, her last words to her friends were: "See? I’d never leave my friends hangin.’" The Wonderbolts were never seen again, their legacy told through the ponies that lived on after the creation of the Crystals. There were no new attempts to train new pegasi, for fear of losing them again. The Academy shut down, now nothing but an overgrown ruin, standing in its failure. But one day, it was prophesied that one day, Rainbow Dash’s true successor would bring the Wonderbolts back from extinction, and back to glory…” ——————————————————————————————————————————————— “…I only hope we won’t lose them again now as we did before.” Sunny finished reading the book. She was in shock more than anything, and she could not believe it. She understood why Argyle didn’t read her this book. He most likely thought that learning about the grim fate of the Wonderbolts would be too gruesome for a filly, even though she was a young preteen when he passed. Zipp too shared a similar look of shock. The Wonderbolts had given their lives for Equestria and brought everyone back together at least temporarily. “So…everything that thing called Discord told us was true?” Zipp asked. “I never doubted it,” Sunny answered her, “But he didn’t tell us everything. He left out this very important detail. At least now we know their full story.” Just then, Hitch came running up the stairs. “Sunny! There you are! Sorry I came late. I had to drop Sparky off at the local daycare and I also found the principal of the school! She…wants to talk to you.” As Sunny walked over to Hitch, Zipp called out: “Good luck, Sunny!” ——————————————————————————————————————————————— “It is my understanding that your friend wants a job at the school, right?” Ms. Daisy, the principal of the local school asked Sunny. They were at Hitch’s office conducting an interview on Zipp’s behalf. In order to make sure the interview went smoothly, Hitch had to lock his animal “deputies” in cages so that they wouldn’t interrupt or interfere with it, much to their very vocal annoyance that could be heard faintly in the back. Ms. Daisy was a white earth pony mare with a pink mane and tail, as well as a cutie mark of a magenta flower. Sunny snapped to attention. “Um, yes! Yes, she does. She’s recently become obsessed with the Wonderbolts and she was…wondering if she could teach a new athletics program at the school to train a new generation of them.” Ms. Daisy nodded slowly. “You’ve changed a lot since we last met, Sunny. Last time we met, you were breaking into my class to teach ‘a lesson on the importance of equality.’ Those poor dears didn’t understand a thing you said.” Sunny blushed in embarrassment. “Well…I understand that I wasn’t…the best pony to talk to. But at least it all turned out alright in the end, right?” “I’d say so,” Ms. Daisy replied, “And you’re lucky it did. The only reason that none of the staff are out for your blood after the madness you caused to our classes is because you hold the key to Equestria’s future. The other teachers are scared that one wrong move and you’ll take away their magic forever by separating those Crystals.” “Oooooooooonn a hopefully related note,” said Hitch awkwardly, “Zipp starts on Monday?” Again, Ms. Daisy nodded. “Provisional hiring is granted. We’ll start the new Wonderbolts program, but we’ll have to see Zipp’s competence at teaching the fillies first in full swing before she can become a permanent member of our staff. She has until the end of next week.” “Thank you, Ms. Daisy,” Sunny thanked her. Ms. Daisy said her goodbyes and went on her way, trotting out the door of the Sheriff’s Department, the doors closing behind her. “Sooooooo…” Sunny asked, “How’s Sprout doing recently?” “He’s…been fired ever since he almost destroyed Maretime Bay,” Hitch explained, “I sentenced him to one thousand years of community service and 4 years in prison.” He saw Sunny’s jaw drop open and continued, “But don’t worry! He has a chance of parole after 50. I had to…” “I know you did,” Sunny said, “I just wished that…we could’ve given him a second chance. I mean, we had no problem forgiving Posey, right?” “Sunny,” Hitch sighed deeply, “That was different. Posey wasn’t evil. She just felt left out like I’m pretty sure almost every other earth pony here did in regards to magic. Sprout almost started a war between races that could’ve destroyed Equestria as we know it. He had clear intentions to harm the unicorns and pegasi.” “But…he was our friend…” Sunny looked down in sadness. She remembered Sprout and despite everything he had done, they were still childhood friends. “I know,” Hitch nodded slowly. He put his hoof around Sunny, causing both of them to blush momentarily. “But the difference is that Posey was simply a traditionalist. Sprout had become an out-of-control terrorist. If I was to let him go now, I would have to forsake my duties as Sheriff and leader of Maretime Bay. Maybe I could have you visit him sometime though. He does yard work for Gusty on Sundays.” Sunny nodded back. “I’d love that, Hitch.” “I love y-I mean, um, let’s go tell Zipp the news, okay?” Hitch stood up quickly, silently cursing himself for almost saying the three words he had been internalizing. Sunny didn’t seem to notice. “Great!! She’s going to be so excited!!” “Yeah!!” Hitch exclaimed. With that, they both left the Sheriff’s Office and went back to the Crystal Brighthouse where they told Zipp the news. Sunny didn’t know how they were going to turn a bunch of schoolponies into an elite aerial stunt team in a week, but she was determined to fulfill Zipp’s dream no matter what it took to do it. She would fulfill her promise. And she would finally feel that she was a good friend to her. ——————————————————————————————————————————————— The Moon was a comforting presence for the ponies of Maretime Bay. Every time it cast its soft light upon the town streets, it was a reminder that they weren’t alone and that anything was possible. There were still those who loved the night and those who hated it. But they couldn’t deny that the Moon was the most beautiful sight to look at through a window. That night, Sunny Starscout couldn’t sleep. She was pacing back and forth in her room like an imprisoned tiger waiting for its release. The wind was blowing softly through the open window, but she couldn’t enjoy it. She was worried about her idea, whether it would backfire. She knew that she was doing the right thing and Zipp was ecstatic when she found out that she would get the chance to teach the Junior Wonderbolts club at the elementary school. Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something would go wrong. She valued Zipp’s friendship and all of the trust that her friends placed on her. She was the key to an Equestria that would someday be made great again and reunify. But she felt insecure about her position. She knew that no matter if the plan failed or not, Zipp wouldn’t blame her. But she would never be able to forgive herself if the idea didn’t work. She wanted to feel worthy of the faith that her friends had in her, and she didn’t feel it yet. For all she was concerned, they only stuck around with her because she had saved the world and now they were no longer feared. Sunny sighed deeply. Turning around, she slowly walked towards the picture of her father on the nightstand. She picked it up, holding it in her hooves. The picture was the last memory that she had of him. She closed her eyes, imagining Argyle there. What would he say to her to cheer her up? He always knew what to say to make her feel better. Whenever she was feeling down, Argyle would always be there, the best father that anypony would dream to have. “Dad…” she whispered through tears, “If you’re up there…I need your help. I made a promise to my friend, and…I really want to make her dream come true. Can…you help me…?” She let the tears fall down, feeling the raw pain of his death consume her once more. As the last tear fell on the floor, she felt a soft breeze come through the window and blow through her mane. Startled, she turned around to see a trail of leaves blowing in a circle through the left side window. The frequency of the wind blows morphed into comforting words in her head, filling her mind with happy thoughts of bedtime stories and making lanterns. “You can do it, my little pony. Stay strong.” Sunny wiped her tears, staring at the window in surprise. “Dad…?” The trail of leaves flew away, carried away in the soft breeze that blew all throughout Maretime Bay like a heavenly angel reassuring a dying pony that everything was going to be okay. The leaves glided up to the moon, dispersing into opposite directions and falling back to the ground softly as the breeze carried on north. Sunny stood by the window, looking up to the night sky as the leaves dispersed, a small smile forming on her face as she rested her head on her hooves on the windowsill. To be continued……