//------------------------------//
// Arc 27-3: A New Day, A New Hope 
// Story: My Little Pony: One as a Family.  "Trials of Friendship" 
// by SaburoDaimando 
//------------------------------//


A New Day, A New Hope



It was a bright day at the School for Gifted Unicorns.  Wanda, Sunset, Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell, Golden Lace, Misty Brightdawn, Abigail and Spike were seated as Argyle Starshine gave the lesson to them.
“Now, what is the difference between a dog and a cat?” Argyle asked.
Immediately, Golden Lace raised her hoof in the air, catching Argyle’s attention.
“Miss Lace,” Argyle called.
“Cats are a feline species that are solitary hunters while dogs are canines and like to hunt in packs,” Golden Lace said.
“That’s correct,” Argyle said.  “And believe it or not, both species make great pets.  But there is one thing you must pay close attention to.  And what would that be?”
Immediately, Wanda raised her hand in the air, to which Argyle pointed to her.
“Dogs and cats are our companions, and they should never be abused at all, no matter what,” Wanda said.
“Wow,” Argyle said.  “You know your content, Princess.”
“Well that’s saying a lot because there is a dog that used to chase us,” Sunset Shimmer said. “But after realizing that she was abused by an owner who used her for his own gain, we realized why she chased after us, everytime.” 
“Correct, and I was informed about this as well,” Argyle Starshine said.  “Not everyone is kind to dogs and cats.  Some ponies are mean and vicious towards our four-pawed friends.  Others take advantage of them for their own personal gain.  And as Wanda said, we should never abuse animals, no matter what.”
But before anyone could reply, Spike jumped out of his before running up to Abigail and climbed onto her desk.  He reached over and gave the little kitty a hug, all while Abigail hugged the dragon back.  Twilight Sparkle just looked at Spike and Abigail from afar and giggled a bit.
“I think Spike got the message,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “After all, Abigail’s a cat, and Wanda cares a lot for her.”
“I’ll say,” Danged Spell said.  “Without Wanda, Abigail would have been in a Cat-tastrophe.  Get it?”
“Danged Spell,” Everyone in the room yelled before they burst into laughter.
Danged Spell just leaned back and said “Feels good to crack a joke or two.”
But as everyone laughed it up, Argyle Starshine took off his glasses and wiped it with a cleaning cloth before putting it on.
“I can safely say that I am proud of you all,” Argyle said.  “Each of you have demonstrated the honesty within, your generosity towards others, your tough-as-nails loyalty, your gentle-as-a-feather kindness, and even the laughter you provide to others.  And what they create is a special magic that lights up within all of us.  Princess Celestia couldn’t have picked a better set of students, and there is more to you all, than meets the eye.  You all deserve a round of applause.”
With that, every student in the room got up and clapped loudly.
“That must be a great honor,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “To have harmony within all of us.”
“Just like the Elements of Harmony,” Wanda said.  “And the visions I saw in my head.”
“I still can’t believe I was in that vision,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “It makes me wonder how five of our La Maresian friends and myself are tied to the Elements of Harmony.”
“One day, we’ll find out for sure,” Wanda replied.

Later that day, everyone got out of school and went walking down the path through downtown Canterlot, enjoying the afternoon sun.
“So did you hear?” Moondancer asked.
“Is it about that monster, Wild Bet?” Sunset asked.
“Word has it that his trial is supposed to be in a week or two,” Moondancer said.  
“Don’t tell me that we have to testify against him,” Golden Lace groaned.
“We don’t,” Moondancer said.  “There’s more than enough evidence to put him away for a very long time.  But that may be the least of our worries.  I heard from Chancellor Cinch that they’re trying to work out a plea deal to get him less time.  And he might roll with that, considering that he’s now afraid of colts, fillies, and even little girls.”
“Well that’s great,” Danged Spell said with a reassured tone.  “I don’t ever want to see that sick, twisted meanie ever again.  He was a sociopath and an overall bad pony.”
“That’s something we won’t forget,” Sunburst said.  “We still remember the kind of mayhem he tried to pull on us and the way he treated Wanda.”
“And the fact that Golden Lace and I teamed up and gave him the bite of a lifetime,” Danged Spell said.  “That will teach him not to treat dogs that badly.”
“I’ll never forget that moment, “Golden Lace laughed.  “He bit off more than he could chew.”
“Hey speaking of which,” Starlight said.  “Guess who’s coming to us.”
Everyone looked in front as Karen the Bulldog ran up to the group.  Wanda took a few steps forward and held her arms out while Abigail and Spike cheered loudly.
“Hey Karen,” Wanda cheered.
Immediately, Karen leaped onto Wanda, pinning her to the ground before she licked her face, causing the human girl to giggle loudly.
“Aww cut it out,” Wanda giggled.  “That tickles.”
“You heard my sister.”  That voice came from a giggling Princess Cadance, who was walking alongside Shining Armor.  Immediately, Karen got off of Wanda as she ran back towards Princess Cadance.
“BIG BROTHER!” Twilight yelled as she ran up and gave Shining Armor a hug.
“How’s it going, Twili?” Shining Armor said.
“I’m just glad to see you since we moved back to Vanhoover,” Twilight Sparkle said.
“Well as long as you can come down here through the Ground Bridge Portal, we can still see each other,” Shining Armor said.
Wanda got up as she, Abigail and Sunset ran up to Princess Cadance before all three gave her a big hug.
“Aww come on you guys,” Princess Cadance laughed.  “Give me a break.”
“Sorry, big sis,” Wanda said as she, Sunset and Abigail released their hold on Princess Cadance.  “We’re just glad to see you.”
But the only thing Princess Cadance did was give Wanda a head noogie, causing the Man’s Cub to laugh out loud.
“Anyway,” Shining Armor said.  “We didn’t come here to say hello.  We’re here to go with you to the Sugar Cube Corner.”
“Wait,” Misty said.  “You haven't checked out Canterlot’s Sugar Cube Corner yet?”
“We haven’t had the time to do so,” Shining Armor said.  “Not since Twili and my folks moved back into our old house back in Vanhoover.”
“Well what are we waiting for?” Twilight said.  “Let’s head on down there.”
With that, Twilight Sparkle marched down the street, much to the amusement of Shining Armor and Princess Cadance.
“Don’t look at me,” Princess Cadance said. “She’s your sister.”
Shining Armor giggled a bit before he, Princess Cadance, Sunset Shimmer, Wanda Young and Abigail Albright followed from behind.  Immediately, Spike, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Moondancer, Danged Spell and Golden Lace followed the group as they made their way down the street of Canterlot.

Later that day, at the Canterlot Sugar Cube Corner, everyone was seated as Pinkie Pie brought out some tasty treats in the form of cupcakes and muffins.  She placed each one on the table, piping hot, while Gummy the baby gator pulled up another wagon with even more treats.
“Here you go,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Fresh out of the oven.  Enjoy.”
“Oh I’m enjoying this,” Golden Lace said.  “Best idea to open up a shop in Canterlot, Pinkie Pie.”
“Anytime,” Pinkie Pie.  “I aim to make you smile.”
As the younglings enjoyed their pastries, Sunset turned to Pinkie Pie.
“Hey Pinkie,” Sunset said.  “I have a curious question.  If it’s this easy to get to the La Maresa Sugar Cube Corner, how come you chose to build a new one up here?”
“Wanna know why besides it was my dream?” Pinkie asked.
“I’m all ears,” Sunset said.
Pinkie Pie jumped on the counter and faced everyone in the dining hall.
“Well believe it or not, Mr and Mrs Cake were getting way too many customers since the completion of the Ground Bridge Portal,” Pinkie Pie explained.  “Many of which came from Canterlot.  I knew it was my dream to build a Sugar Cube Corner here in Canterlot.  But when I heard about how overwhelmed they were, I knew that was my opportunity to finalize the opening of the Sugar Cube Corner branch in Canterlot.”
“She’s got a point there,” Danged Spell said.  “I had a hard time trying to get myself a Tartarus food cake before this store opened.  Way too many customers.  They sold out of EVERYTHING before I could make it to the counter.”
“Ditzy had to go a few days without her daily muffin until this store opened,” Sunburst said.  “Poor kid.  At least I know she’s been enjoying muffins again.”
“All that over the Sugar Cube Corner being flooded with customers,” Golden Lace said.  “Even I would have cracked under pressure.”
“She deserves every bite of that muffin,” Moondancer said.  “Every pony does.”
“And as a result,” Pinkie Pie announced, “I had to open up this new branch of the Sugar Cube Corner right this instant.  And just like that, ponies are flocking to this place, all while Mr. and Mrs. Cake can finally ease up on all that customer pressure.”
“And that’s how Equestria was made,“ Danged Spell joked.
“DANGED SPELL!” The younglings, Shining Armor and Princess Cadance yelled before bursting out in laughter.
Danged Spell sat back in his seat and took a small bite out of his cupcake.
“I always wanted to say that,” Danged Spell said.
As Twilight stopped laughing, she turned to Princess Cadance and got out of her seat.
“You know, Caddy,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “We haven’t done this in a long, long time.”
“Wait,” Princess Cadance said. “I know what you’re talking about.”
Immediately, Princess Cadance got out of her seat and got up in front of Twilight, much to the horror of Sunset Shimmer and Wanda Young.
“Oh no,” Sunset said.  “She’s gonna do that dance again.”
“Cover your ears and look away,” Wanda said.
As Wanda and Sunset held their ears closed while turning away, Princess Cadance and Twilight Sparkle danced together.
“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake,” Twilight and Cadance chanted.  “Clap your hooves and do a little shake.”
As Twilight and Cadance broke down into laughter, Wanda and Sunset barely turned to the duo with a groan from their faces.
“I wish we didn’t have to hear that,” Sunset said, wincing in pain.
“How does she get under our skin like that, sister?” Wanda sighed.
“You both need to lighten up,” Starlight said.  “After all, they’re just engaging in some horse play.”
Wanda and Sunset looked at Starlight with a glare on her face.
“Wha what?” Starlight said.  “Did I just unexpectedly steal a pun from Danged Spell?”
“No,” Wanda smirked as she and Sunset got out of their seats.  “You told us to lighten up.”
“Well lighten this up, Glimglam,” Sunset said with a devilish grin.
Starlight barely got out of her seat as Wanda and Sunset tackled her.  As Starlight struggled to break loose, the two sisters began to tickle her with Sunset aiming for the hooves while Wanda tickled her on the sides.  Starlight burst out laughing out loud, much to the amusement of everyone else.
“OKAY, I’M SORRY!” Starlight giggled.  “I GIVE UP!  I SURRENDER!  PLEASE KNOCK IT OFF!”
“Oh no you don’t, Starlight,” Wanda said.  “You had to push us through this mess, you asked for it.”
Immediately, Starlight surrounded Wanda in a magical aura, flipping her down to the side.  Starlight Glimmer pulled herself out of Sunset Shimmer’s grip before pinning Wanda on the floor.
“Got you now,” Starlight said.  “Now here’s a taste of your own medicine.”
But before Wanda could move, Starlight pulled a few of the napkins from the table and proceeded to tickle Wanda on the sides with it, causing her to laugh.
“AHAHAHAHA!”  Wanda giggled.  “OKAY!  YOU WIN!  I GIVE UP!  GET OFF OF ME!”
As Starlight tickled Wanda, Sunset backed off for a bit with a smug look on her face.
“Okay, so I betrayed my own sister,” Sunset said.  “But it was worth it.”
As everyone watched Starlight tickle Wanda, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor pulled themselves up to each other before taking a bite of the cupcake.
“Do you think we should stop Starlight from tickling Wanda?” Shining Armor asked.
“Now where’s the fun in that?” Princess Cadance said.  “Besides, mother loved to tickle torture our youngest sister.”
Nearby, Pinkie PIe pulled out a few more cupcakes from the oven and placed them into the display case of her counter as Misty walked up to her.
“Hey Pinkie,” Misty asked.  “How hard is it to maintain a store like this?”
“Oh it’s hard,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Thankfully, Mr and Mrs Cake come by often to drop off supplies while I send them the money I made.  Though they insist that I keep some of it.”
“I hope this store lasts for a long time,” Misty said.  “The more ponies that come here, the better.”
“Oh it will,” Pinkie Pie said.  “Ponies love to eat a tasty treat.  That’s why they’ll keep coming down to the Sugar Cube Corner, and it’s my job to keep them satisfied.  Though I may consider selling potions for those who love its randomness.”
“You’ll have to find a really good alchemist for that,” Misty said.
“I already know one,” Pinkie said with a smirk on her face.
But as Pinkie Pie and Misty Brightdawn continued to speak, Karen the Bulldog sat next to Princess Cadance, eating some kibble in his bowl.  Spike and Abigail climbed down from their seats and sat next to the alicorn bulldog.
“Friend?” Spike asked.
Karen turned to Spike before licking his face and nuzzling up to him.
“Friend,” Abigail said.

Later that evening, Danged Spell, Sunburst and Moondancer stood outside of the ground bridge portal leading back to La Maresa while Twilight Sparkle stood next to the portal to Vanhoover.  Everyone else was on the opposite side, waving to the four younglings.
“It’s too bad we have to head back home,” Danged Spell said.  “It was a fun ride, after all.”
“That’s true,” Pinkie Pie said.  “But at least we all had a fun time together.”
“I’m going to say this,” Twilight said as she walked up to Spike and nuzzled him on the nose.  “I’m glad to have you all as friends.  It means so much to me.”
“Always a please,” Sunset Shimmer said.
“You know you guys really need to come down to La Maresa in the future,” Sunburst said.  “There’s a lot of stuff to do there.”
“I might consider it,” Starlight said.  “Besides, it’s been a long time since I last saw Trixie.”
“And we might do another trip to Vanhoover in the future,” Wanda said. “I can’t wait to try out the poutine there.”
“I think I might bring some back for you to try out,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “But for now, I think it’s time we all head back to our homes.”
As Twilight Sparkle pulled herself back, Spike reached out with a tear in his eyes.
“Twilight,” Spike cried.
“Oh don’t you worry, Spike,” Twilight Sparkle said.  “I’ll be back the next day.  I promise you that.”
Twilight Sparkle walked up to the portal leading to Vanhoover.  She turned to her friends and waved towards them.
“Until next time,” Twilight waved.
“Stay safe, Twilight,” Pinkie Pie yelled.  “And say hi to Rainbow Dash.”
 With that, Twilight  jumped inside, disappearing completely, before the portal disappeared from the ground bridge arc.
“And there goes one brave unicorn,” Sunset Shimmer said.  
“Speaking of which,” Moondancer said.  “It’s time we head back.  We’ll see you on the next day of school.”
Moondancer and Sunburst proceeded to jump into the ground bridge portal to La Maresa, disappearing completely.  Danged Spell nodded to the group before jumping through as well.  Once he was gone, the portal shrunk down and disappeared.
“Well,” Misty said.  “There goes four brave ponies.”
“Yeah,” Golden Lace said.  “It makes me wish I was more like them instead of my mother.”
“Don’t you worry,” Princess Cadance said.  “We’ll see them again.  But right now, we have to get you all to the castle.  Mother’s waiting for us.”
“Alright,” Wanda cheered.  “I can’t wait to see mommy again.”
With that, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, Spike and Karen led Wanda Young, Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, Pinkie Pie, Golden Lace, Misty Brightdawn and Abigail Albright up to the castle as the sun sat towards the west.
But atop a balcony at the castle, Princess Celestia looked down at the younglings who approached the palace with Princess Luna by her side.  Though she had a slight smile on her face, her eyes looked worried
“You know if you send Wanda back by herself, she will be all alone,” Princess Luna said.
“I know,” Princess Celestia said.  “But she’s not going back there alone.”
“We all know,” Princess Luna said.  “Eleanor’s going back home with her.”
“Far from it,” Princess Celestia said.  “I’ve had a talk with every parent of Wanda’s friends, and they agreed to it.  Even King Sombra said he’s willing to let this happen.”
“What do you mean, sister?” Luna asked.
“We are letting all of Wanda’s friends go to Evevanya with her,” Celestia responded.
“Wait,” Luna said, surprised.  “They all said yes to allowing their offspring to go with Wanda to Evevanya?  Even King Sombra is willing to part with her sister?”
“Not only that,” Princess Celestia said.  “But I’m going with her as well.”
“Sister,” Luna said.  “You’re not serious about this, are you?”
“I am,” Princess Celestia said.  “Effective after Wanda’s departure from Equestria, I will be vacating the throne and going with her to watch over the rest of her childhood life with Eleanor.  I’m even allowing Sunset Shimmer, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor to go with us.  We might even be able to find a cure for Sunset’s own curse.”
“Sister, you don’t know what you’re doing,” Luna said.  “Every pony will miss you if you choose to step down.  I will as well.  Please reconsider.”
“I wish I could,” Princess Celestia said.  “But even though Gold Banks is on the run, I’m still no match for her, and it may not be long until she does conquer Equestria with that Alicorn Amulet.”
As Princess Celestia stepped away from the balcony, Princess Luna turned towards her sister, watching her sister exit her own bedroom.
“My sister,” Luna said to herself.  “She’s been through a whole lot since the Pony of Shadows transformed her into Daybreaker.  And now she’s in fear of her life and that of our loved ones.  I pray that one day, she will see the error of her ways and fight back against Gold Banks, for all of us.”
Princess Luna turned her attention towards the setting sun as a tear formed in her eye.  She closed her eyes shut, not taking her attention off the setting sun in the city of Canterlot.

But somewhere at the Gold Banks palace within what was once Changeling grounds, Gold Banks held up her Alicorn Amulet, which now had even more magic surging within.  Standing next to her was Grand Philosopher at the ready.
“So much power,” Gold Banks said.  “Who knew Queen Eternia and Queen Icelina had so much power flowing from below.  Now I am truly invincible.”
“My future queen,” Grand Philosopher said.  “Now that you have all the power in the world, I assume you plan on laying an attack on Princess Celestia.”
“Not yet,” Gold Banks said as she allowed it to drop below her chin.  “I heard rumors about Princess Celestia wanting to move her daughters to Evevanya.”
“And judging by your expression,” Grand Philosopher said.  “You don’t want them to leave at all.”
“Oh no no no,” Gold Banks said.  “They don’t deserve to return to that man’s cub’s homeworld.  So I plan on making sure they don’t even go to her real home at all.”
“May I ask how you plan on doing that?” Grand Philosopher asked.
“That’s easy,” Gold Banks explained.  “I know where the closest portal to Evevanya is.  In fact, I have discovered with this new power that I can detect the power of portals not just within Equestria, but also between worlds.   Mainly this Evevanya along with another world: Earth.”
“Oh,” Grand Philosopher said.  “Then I guess you plan on waiting until the last moment to catch them by surprise.”
“Oh I will,” Gold Banks said.  “One of my spies has been sent near that portal location to catch Princess Wanda off on her good-bye to Equestria.  When we get the confirmation, we’ll catch them off guard and take that brat away.  Maybe even sneak our way into this new land and take every Evevanyian child away to Daisy Joy Tech.”
“A bold move, my lady,” Grand Philosopher said.  “But what about your former mentor?”
“Oh I have big plans for her right at this moment,” Gold Banks said.  “And I plan on carrying them out right away.  Humiliate me in Manehattan and I will teach you never to mess with a Banks.  So says I: Gold Banks: The Scarlet Auric.”
With that, Gold Banks laughed into the air as her Alicorn Amulet glowed brightly.


	To Be Continued in…


	Arc 28: Princess No More


	One Last Night in Equestria