Raven took a look around, inspecting everything. Around her she saw booths, tents, the stage was looking good, it was as if the monster never showed up. “We’ll everypony.” She said, addressing the crowd of gathered ponies, who worked their flanks off trying to get everything done. “I have to admit that I had my doubts it was possible. But you mad ponies actually managed it. The Summer Sun Celebration is back on. And on time!“ She announced happily.
When that registered with everypony, everypony cheered. They did it!
Sparkler smiled as she let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “I knew we could do it.” She said.
Twilight smiled and wrapped Sparkler up in a tight hug. “And it’s all because of you!” She exclaimed.
“You have made us very proud.” Celestia said to Sparkler, smiling at her.
“It wasn’t just me.” Sparkler responded. “It was all of us. What’s the saying? It takes a village to build a bridge?”
“Very true.” Luna responded.
Raven smiled as she approached the princesses. “Right, now it’s time for the moment everypony’s been waiting for, the raising of the Sun and lowering of the moon.” She said.
“The demonstration/representation of Celestia’s victory over Nightmare Moon.” Fancy responded. “Always awe inspiring.”
Sparkler nodded as her mind drifted to other thoughts. Doesn’t that seem like rubbing salt in old wounds at this point? Indeed, in truth, whenever she had the time and brainpower for it, her mind often drifted to what she was told was the purpose of the Summer Sun Celebration. And had the thought that with Luna and Celestia together again and ruling in harmony…the Celebration seemed like it was now a dated event that was more serving as a yearly reminder to Luna of how she messed up. And that seemed to be not a nice thing to do.
She didn’t get the think on it for very long as Twilight nudged Sparkler along. “Come on Sparkler, let’s go.” She said.
“Go?” Sparkler asked Twilight. “Go where?”
“To the stage to participate in the demonstration.” Luna responded.
Sparkler’s eyes widened. “M-ME?! Up there with you?! B-B-But isn’t it for princesses only?” She asked.
“You are still a princess are you not?” Celestia asked.
“ACTING princess.” Sparkler reminded Celestia. “Heck, we should just do the transfer right now before—“
“Erm, sorry, don’t have time before.” Raven interrupted Sparkler. “I’m afraid it must be after.”
Sparkler stammered. “I…I…I can’t.” She said. “I’m not worthy to go up there with you guys.” Why did she want to curl into a tiny ball and hide from everypony now?
Celestia smiled warmly at Sparkler. “Sparkler, you’ve been through a busy week this week. Completing mine, Luna’s and Twilight’s duties while prepping for the Summer Sun—“
“Actually the Ex Nobles canceled all their meetings once Blueblood found out I was Acting Princess.” Sparkler cut Celestia off. “Apparently they didn’t like that.”
Celestia blinked, and sighed. “Let me guess. He tried to take the crown?” Sparkler nodded in response. “Alright. But the point stands Sparkler. Ruling a nation is no easy task, less so given the circumstances of your rise to power. It takes a special kind of pony, even for one week. And that’s to say nothing of what was accomplished overnight because of your leadership.”
“Yeah!” A pony near them exclaimed as the crowd cheered and applauded. Praising Sparkler.
Sparkler smiled sheepishly. Luna smiled. “If you really do not want to go up there, then we will not force you. But know that if anypony deserves to be up there, it is in fact, you.” She said.
Sparkler looked between the princesses, then at Twilight, and then around at the crowd, who were all smiling encouragingly. After a moment, she made up her mind. “Alright.” She said. “I’ll do it.” She said, following the princesses up to the stage.
Twilight beamed. “Just follow my lead.” She said.
Sparkler nodded in response.
And so, the demonstration commenced. Celestia and Luna lit their horns and moved their respective celestial bodies once that part was done, Sparkler followed Twilight as they soared through the air over the crowd. She heard an explosion and looked behind her to see a sight that she now was glad she turned to see. Hers and Twilight’s Cutie Marks appeared in the sky. Twilight’s star, and Sparkler’s music staff and Microphone. With a smile, she continued to follow Twilight as the four Alicorns landed with the crowd cheering and applauding.
Twilight took a look at the sky with hers and Sparkler’s Cutie Marks and beamed. “Oh Sparkler PLEASE join us every year from now on. I want to see that in the sky every year.” She said.
Sparkler laughed. “I think this might just be a one time thing Twilight.” She said. “This…just isn’t me.”
“That may be so.” Luna responded with a smile. “But you have most certainly earned it.” She said. “I do not believe we will need to go through this again, but should something occur, I have no qualms about you wearing the crown.” She told Sparkler.
“Indeed.” Celestia said. “Really Sparkler. Luna and I are forever grateful to you for what you did this week.” She said. “Despite your reservations, you are indeed worthy of being a princess. And this week is an excellent showing of it.”
“Yeah! You go Sparkler!” Somepony from the crowd chanted, until then the crowd had been calm and attentive, but then the crowd went wild, cheering and applauding Sparkler.
Sparkler looked around, and literally everypony was cheering and applauding her. Her eyes watered and she smiled sheepishly from the praise. “Thank you everypony.” She said. “Your support helped get me through this week.”
“Now, if you would like to get that crown off your head, we would be more than happy to take the throne off your hooves.” Luna said.
Sparkler lit her horn to relieve herself of being a princess, finally, when something stopped her. Something that clicked in her mind. “Actually…” She gulped, wondering if she was making a MASSIVE mistake. “Before I do that. May I do one more thing?” She asked.
Celestia was admittedly surprised, but nodded, interested in seeing what Sparkler was going to do. Sparkler nodded back and addressed the crowd. “Ever since I was informed of the Summer Sun Celebration, I have been looking forward to it. I was looking forward to attending such an important and ancient tradition in Equestria. But as I learned more about it, and more specifically, the reasons behind it, I started thinking about it in the modern world. A world where The Royal sisters are together again and ruling as one.
“My understanding is that the Summer Sun Celebration is meant to celebrate Celestia’s triumph over her sister, who at that time was Nightmare Moon. That was a thousand years ago. Three years ago, Nightmare Moon was defeated and Princess Luna was restored to her former self. And since then there has been no strife between the sisters. No conflicts, just peace, and harmony.” Sparkler looked back at Twilight and the Royal sisters and smiled, before continuing. “The Summer Sun Celebration celebrated the triumph of one sister over another. And up until three years ago it was an appropriate holiday. But now…it seems to be rubbing salt on old wounds more than anything else these days.” She said.
The crowd, and the princesses, glanced at each other, the crowd muttering. Sparkler continued after a second. “With all that in mind. I think that the Summer Sun Celebration has run its course. I believe it is appropriate to retire the holiday. And replace it with a holiday that’s more fitting to the current peaceful relations between sisters. The Festival of Two Sisters perhaps.” Sparkler proposed. She glanced back at Celestia and Luna. “If I may make a proposal.”
Celestia and Luna blinked. “Ahem. I uh…do not disagree with Sparkler sister.” Luna admitted in a hushed voice.
“Neither do I.” Celestia responded. “Sparkler, I believe that is a wonderful idea.” She said aloud.
“WHAT?!” Exclaimed the familiar voice of Blueblood.
Everypony stopped and all turned to see Prince Blueblood, and he was raging furious. “Has everypony lost their MINDS?! After locking us out of the treasury, you now have the NERVE to attack an ancient Equestrian tradition that’s stood for centuries?! THIS is exactly why I sent that monster after you! So I could take the crown and save Equestria from the line of royalty that has CLEARLY failed if it allows an imposter to take charge!” He growled. “This Festival of Two Sisters will NEVER come to fruition! It is time for the Alicorns to step down and make way for a new guard that will preserve—“
“Ahem.” Came a loud voice that cut Blueblood’s rant off. Blueblood turned to see Flash standing there with Royal guards.
Blueblood smiled for some reason. “Captain Sentry, good. Arrest those failed Alicorns!” He ordered.
Flash and the Royal guard didn’t move. Everypony else was staring at Blueblood, thinking the same thing. ‘This pony is crazy.’
Sparkler’s perplexed look became one of rage when Blueblood confessed to releasing that monster. She felt a tap on her shoulder. She then heard Celestia whisper something to her. Something that made her smile. Luna was whispering to Twilight too, which Sparkler guessed contributed to why Blueblood was still standing, rather than being buried into the ground by Twilight. Sparkler smiled as she nodded with what Celestia had suggested. “Ahem. My apologies. I have one final act to perform as Acting Princess.” She said.
Everypony watched as Sparkler stepped off the stage and walked Directly to Blueblood, who watched her every move, and was fuming still. “You will surrender the crown and give it to me immediately!” He growled at her.
“Oh I’ll give you something alright.” Sparkler responded. “I’ll give you a punishment fit for the crimes you have committed.” She informed him.
“PUNISHMENT?!” Blueblood exclaimed in shock.
“Yes. Punishment.” Sparkler responded. “Setting a monster loose on an innocent population, treason and terrorism with your intentions to take the throne for yourself. And assault on an Alicorn because that monster focused on me.” She chuckled and shook her head. “You were two days away from never having to deal with me again. Two days before everything went back to normal. But no. You had to be impatient and you had to make such a big stink out of me to send a monster to destroy me.” She said. “As Acting Princess of Equestria, I hereby strip you of your title as Prince, something you only retained because you were the Princess’s nephew, and I sentence you to the maximum of a thousand years in the dungeon for your crimes against Equestria.” She proclaimed. Normally there would be an entire process but Celestia had told her she was allowed to issue a judgment now because SO MANY ponies clearly heard Blueblood’s confession that there was no way it could be disputed. “It is further ordered that Blueblood’s wealth be seized and used to fund the New Golden Oaks Library here in Ponyville. That should help with the damages you caused with that monster attack.” Sparkler added, to which Moondancer and Twilight smiled widely at. “Congratulations and thank you MR. Blueblood. Because of you I can now look back on this week and say I’d do it again if given the choice.” She finished. “Flash! Take him away!” She ordered.
“With Pleasure your majesty.” Flash responded as he and the guard grabbed a shocked Blueblood and dragged him off.
Everypony took a second, but the crowd eventually cheered and Applauded. Sparkler smiled as she turned and took a bow. She wasn’t going to even try to hide that she fully enjoyed doing that.
She soon felt a hug around her leg, and she looked down to see a young colt hugging her and beaming up at her. “You’re my favorite Acting Princess Princess Sparkler!” He exclaimed. “I’m gonna start a fan club about you!” He told her.
Sparkler bit her lip…before smiling and patting the colt on the head. “You do you kid.” She said. She wiggled out of the hug and started for the stage. “Now, unless Anypony else wants to be thrown in the dungeon by me for a crime they committed.” She got up onto the stage. “I think it’s time we had a reinstatement of management.” She said.
Celestia and Luna smiled and knelt before Sparkler. Twilight smirked at her. “You enjoyed that.” She said.
“Ooh did it feel good to stick it to an Ex Noble.” Sparkler responded as she lit her horn and levitated the crown off her head. “It is with great joy, and relief, that I step down as Acting Princess of Equestria, and restore Princesses Celestia and Luna to the thrones of Equestria.” She said as she placed the crown on Celestia’s head.
When the crown was removed from Sparkler, she finally decrystalized and her fur returned to normal. With the crown back on Celestia’s head, her pink mane returned to the wavy rainbow mane of a princess.
While the crowd cheered and Celestia and Luna rose back to power, marking the end of the reign of Sparkler, Pinkie raced onto the stage beaming. “Ok! Now that everything’s back to normal, LET’S PARTY!” She exclaimed happily.
Sparkler smiled and nodded. “Right, Harmonic Medleys! Let’s rock and roll!” She exclaimed.
With that, the party moved to the lake, which Pinkie Pie managed to unfreeze somehow, and Sparkler performed with the Harmonic Medleys. Chroma Keys killed her keyboard part.
🎶The summer that we wanted
Yeah, we finally got it
Now's the time we get to share (Oh yeah, oh yeah)
Each day we'll be together
Now until forever
So everypony, everywhere (hey)
Let's take it to the beach
Take it there together
Let's celebrate today
'Cause there'll never be another
We're stronger this time
Been there for each other
Everything's just right
Everypony all for one
A real summer has just begun
Let's rock and roll and just let go
Feel the rhythm of the drums
We're gonna have fun in the sun
Now that all the hard work, work is done
Everypony, one for all and all for one (all for one)
All for one, one (wooh yeah)
Summertime together
Now we're even closer
That's the way it's meant to be
Oh, we're just getting started
Come and join the party
You deserve it, same as me (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Let's take it to the beach
Take it there together
Let's celebrate today
'Cause there'll never be another
We're stronger this time
Been there for each other
Everything's just right
Everypony all for one
A real summer has just begun (yeah)
Let's rock and roll and just let go
Feel the rhythm of the drums
We're gonna have fun in the sun
Now that all the hard work, work is done
Everypony, one for all and all for one
Everypony up
Everypony rock it
Take it from the top
And never ever stop it
It's not about the future
It's not about the past
It's makin' every single day
Last and last and last
Fun and sun what could be better?
Let's have fun
Everyone together now
Everypony, e-everypony now
This is where our summer really begins
Let's just hope it's always gonna be like this
It's the party you don't wanna miss
Colts
Show 'em we can make some moves hey
Mares
Show 'em we know how to groove, oh
Here And now
Let's turn the party out
Everypony jump in
Everypony all for one
A real summer has just begun
Let's rock and roll and just let go
Feel the rhythm of the drums
We're gonna have fun in the sun
Now that all the hard work, work is done
Everypony, one for all everypony all for one
Let's rock and roll and just let go
Feel the rhythm of the drums
We're gonna have fun in the sun
Now that all the hard work, work is done
Come on, everyone, let's dance
We can't let the moment pass
Let's make the party last
All for one
All For One🎶
“I love my new teddy bear.” Melody exclaimed as Twilight and Sparkler tucked her into bed that night, with a new teddy bear that was one of only 6, the presents Sparkler had gotten the day of the sextuplets’ birthday.
“We’re glad sweetie.” Sparkler responded.
“Yeah. Sorry we kinda forgot about them till now.” Twilight responded. Feeling guilty.
“Considering what cousin Flurry did. I get it.” Melody responded. “Besides. It was worth the wait.” She added.
Twilight smiled. “We’re glad you like it.” She said.
Melody nodded. “Thank you.” She said.
Sparkler and Twilight smiled warmly as they kissed Melody, and Maddy the dog, who still chose to sleep with Melody, goodnight after which they left her room. As they were walking to their own room. Twilight nuzzled Sparkler. “I’m so proud of you Sparkler.” She said. “Really I am.”
Sparkler smiled warmly. “Well, it wasn’t all bad. Plus I really couldn’t say no with you looking up at me with pleading eyes.” She added.
Twilight blushed and smiled sheepishly. “Yeah…thanks for looking after me.” She said. “Sorry if I was a hoof full.”
Sparkler laughed. “Eh, not as bad as I thought you were going to be.” She admitted. “You mainly just clung to me.”
“I love you. Can’t really help wanting to show it.” Twilight responded.
“Wasn’t complaining.” Sparkler chuckled.
They proceeded to their bedroom and slipped into bed. They wrapped their hooves around each other to cuddle each other. “Goodnight Sparky.” Twilight said. “I love you.”
“I love you too Twily.” Sparkler responded. “Goodnight.”
With that, they drifted off to sleep.
Back in her room, Melody decided to tap her new teddy bear again. It started playing an audio message from her mothers.
“Hello Melody. It’s Mom and Mommy Twi. We just wanted to say we love you very much. You’ve been through so much in your life already. But you weathered through it all and now you’ve reached your sixth birthday. We’re so proud of you. And we always will be. You may be our daughter now, rather than our son. But you’re still the amazing little foal we met back in November. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. Keep showing the world why you were named Thunder Kicker originally. And remember, friendship is Magic, and will never fade away.”
All the sextuplets got teddy bears with similar messages, having gotten what Melody’s birth parents gave Kicker back when he was a baby. Melody couldn’t help but chuckle at the last part of her message, remembering the future she visited...but smiled all the same as she lit her horn and summoned the only other teddy bear she had like the one in her hooves, the one her birth parents made for her. She drifted off to sleep holding both bears.
In the morning. Twilight was stirred awake by Celestia’s sun. She fluttered her eyes open, expecting to see her fiancée…but initially didn’t find anything. She glanced around curiously…until she saw something that made her eyes snap open and drowsiness to go away instantly. She bolted upright and blinked. She looked down at her fiancée…but there was a problem, a small, baby sized problem.
Twilight stared at her slumbering fiancée for a moment, before something inside her snapped and she let out a very loud voice. “OH COME ON!“
To be continued…