//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: Friendship Never Ends 
// Story: A Halted Harmony 
// by BirbNerd17 
//------------------------------//

Sunny and her friends stepped into Maretime bay, Star following at their tail, she was nervous, looking at the townsponies with fear, but they waved at her and a little unicorn filly trotted up beside her. 
“Hi, there! You must be new! I’m Jinx!” She said, holding out a hoof in greeting.
“I’m Star,” Star said nervously.
“Well welcome to Maretime Bay, Star!” Jinx said, “Not to be rude, but what happened to your horn? Did somepony hurt you? Are you alright?”
“Oh uh, well,” Star slowed her trot a little, getting nervous, Izzy darted back and trotted beside her and Jinx.
“There was an incident in her town, but she’s gonna be okay. She's tough,” Izzy said to Jinx, smiling at Star.
Star smiled back, she liked Izzy, she was sweet and kind but also willing to speak up.
“Yeah,” Star said.
“Does it hurt, I really hope it doesn’t, that would feel just awful,” Jinx said.
“Not anymore, it did when it happened, but it’s okay now,” Star said.
“Well that’s good, I won’t prod you with any other questions, you’re with Sunny so I’m sure you’re busy,” Jinx said, trotting off to hang out with her friends.
    Star continued walking until the six of them reached the Crystal Bright House. Sunny turned around, she looked distressed.
    “Sunny? Are you alright?” Izzy asked, taking a step forward.
    Sunny sat down, “I-I’m not sure,” She said, “After we started running I wasn’t thinking about what the mayor of that town said, but now it’s the only thing in my mind.”
    “What did she say Sunny?” Zipp asked.
    “Well…” Sunny began. She explained to her friends all that Jazz Apple had told her.
    “Don’t be foolish Sunny, you know those are lies,” Hitch said.
    “But the mural, I felt it, it was real, it depicted exactly what she said.”
    “Okay and, even if it is true, which I doubt, are you really gonna let one fallen idol let you give up on your message?” Hitch asked.
    “Hitch, everything I’ve done, everything I’ve said, all of it was because of her,” Sunny said, “If I’ve been following a false idol, a fake, a-a villain this whole time… then what does that make me?”
    “A pony who wanted the best for the world, and did what she thought was right,” Zipp said.
    “What if everything I did, or said, or tried was wrong? What if I’ve been following the goals of the villain this whole time?”
    “It doesn’t matter what you did you did it out of love and friendship,” Pipp said.
    “Yeah Sunny! If what you did was wrong, then why did magic return when you did it?” Izzy said.
    “Because Twilight made the Unity crystals Izzy!” Sunny said, tears in her eyes, “I’m an Alicorn creation of her mistakes.”
    Izzy took a small step forward, “Sunny…”
    “Guys please just go help Star get settled in to stay here for a bit, I need some time to think. I’ll be in my room if you need me,” Sunny said, getting up and walking inside the Bright House.
    Izzy watched Sunny go with sadness in her eyes, she turned to Hitch, “Do you think she’ll be alright?” She asked.
    “I hope so,” He said, “C’mon Star, let's get you situated.”


***


    Sunny sat in her room, tears in her eyes as she stared at the figurines that sat on the floor in front of her. Her father had carved them just for her. They were made of wood, with acrylic paint giving them their color. She picked up twilight with a single hoof.
“Surely not, you wouldn’t princess… would you?” She sighed, gently setting the figure on the ground and opening the blinds of her room with her mouth. She stared out at the seaside town she called home. 
    “When dad taught me about you I could only see the idol I looked up to. I guess I forgot that even princesses aren’t without their flaws,” Sunny sighed, staring at the backs of her front hooves, they were a little chipped. If she used her Alicorn form too much in a short amount of time she might bleed.
“Was this a warning, that all things that seem great have a dark side?” she wondered aloud.
    “Not a warning, but rather a reminder not to take good things for granted,” Sunny heard a voice behind her say.
    She turned, finding nothing but her figurines, “Who said that?!” She asked, looking around the room.
    “Down here!” Another voice said. 
    Sunny then looked down at her figurines, they had moved. She looked at them closer.
    “There you go Sugarcube.” Applejack spoke. 
    “Aah!” Sunny squeaked in surprise, jumping up.
    “Woah Woah Woah! Calm down Starscout!” Rainbow Dash said, flying up to her, “We’re here to help you!”
    “But-But! Your toys! How-what!?”
    Twilight flew up to Sunny, “Sunny Starscout do you forget that you returned magic to Equestria. I and my friends are too far away to reach you, but I’ve cast a spell that will let us help you.”
    “You’re Alive!?”
    “Yes Darling, but it's a heavy price to pay,” Rarity said, still standing on the ground.
    “We chose to stay alive to preserve magic within ourselves!” Pinkie Pie said.
    “It was a hard decision but we knew it would allow us to stay together and help Equestria, and thus we chose this,” Twilight said.
    Sunny trotted around the room, whinnying with amazement, “Wow wow wow! I can’t believe I actually get to meet you!” 
    “Not so upset now are ya Sugarcube?” Applejack asked.
    “Well, how could I be? If you’re all still friends, then that means that Jazz Apple lied,” Sunny said.
    “You should never trust an Apple who doesn’t trust other ponies.” Applejack said.
    Sunny picked Rarity Pinkie and Applejack off the ground and set them on her windowsill, Fluttershy gently fluttered up to join them as Twilight and Rainbow landed.
    “What do I do ponies?” Sunny asked, looking down at her idols.
    “You need to find us, they will only believe Applejack,” Twilight said.
    “Do you know the way from here? Sunny asked.
“Not really, but bring your Unicorn friends, she can sense ponies' magic. She just calls it their sparkle,” Twilight responded.
“But wait, she could sense it before we had magic,” Sunny said.
“Some magic is permanent, and even if the breeds separated, base magic remains in every pony, it’s what keeps you alive,” Twilight said.
“So magic wasn’t gone, just held back by a lack of friendship?”
“Held back by a lack of harmony between ponies,” Twilight said.
“Alright, so I need to bring Izzy if I want to find you?” 
“You got it Sugarcube,” Applejack said with a smile.
Sunny grabbed her bag and opened it up, holding it close to the small ponies, “Alright then, hop in everypony,” She whinnied.
“Ride, in there?” Rarity asked with concern.
“Rarity, calm down Sugarcube,” Applejack said, holding the bag open, “Look, it’s nice, clean, and tidy in there.”
Rarity sighed with relief and the six ponies got into the bag. Sunny gently put the bag on and left the flap open.
“Alright ponies, get situated, cause we’re going,” Sunny whinnied, trotting out of her room and over to the door of Izzys room. A hoofcrafted sign on the door read, “Welcome to Izzy’s Hollow, a bit of Bridlewood in Maretime Bay” Sunny knocked on the door.
“Izzy!” She called, “I need your help, it’s something super important.”
“Just a second Sunny!” Izzy called from within, some tussling was heard and the sound of scattered papers sounded off the walls. Izzy opened the door, “What do ya need Sunny?” Izzy asked, she looked frazzled, her hair an unkempt mess strewn with flowers, “Oh and don’t mind my hair,” She said, noticing that Sunny was staring, “I tried to do flowerbraiding, but I’m pretty sure you can tell it didn’t turn out too well,” She said with a giggle, “So again, what can I do for ya?”
“You know that special little trick of your’s, the one with ponies’ sparkles?”
“Yeah? Would you like to know something about it?”

“Actually, I need your help.”