//------------------------------// // Season 5: Episode 7 - Time Marches On (Bloom & Gloom Replacement) // Story: My Little Pony: When Friendship Shimmers - Reboot // by RobtheMorpherPony //------------------------------// Sunset was with Pinkie Pie at Sugarcube Corner helping out with the Baby cakes. "Thanks for the assist Sunset. These two can get wild." Pinkie Pie said. The cakes soon arrived back from their grocery run. "Oh Sunset, seems you came by to help Pinkie Pie." Mr. Cake said. "Yeah. There was a bit of a mix-up with one of the recipies you left Pinkie Pie and the twins got sick. Like, really sick." Sunset said. "Trust me, you should be glad you weren't home to see that mess." "Yeah. It was quite the mess. So much so that I had to get some extra hooves to clean it up. Hope you don't mind." Pinkie Pie said. "Not at all. It's our fault for not double checking. I wondered why the list we brought looked more like a recipe then a list of the things we needed at the market." Mrs. Cake said. "So that explains why there was a mention of seven tulips on the list." Pinkie Pie said. "Wow. And that didn't jump out at you as odd?" Sunset asked. "Well the cakes have been running this place for much longer then I've lived here so..." Pinkie Pie said. "...Touche." Sunset said. "Hey, why are your cutie marks glowing?" Mr. Cake asked. Soon, holographic versions of Sunset and Pinkie's cutie marks starting flying away. "Hey, come back Cutie Marks!" Pinkie Pie said. Sunset used her magic to hand over the Baby Cakes. "Seems we better go chase our floating Cutie marks. See you later Mr. and Mrs. Cake." Sunset said and followed after Pinkie Pie. The two ponies soon followed the holographic cutie marks to the map room where Twilight was waiting. "I got here as soon as I could. Seems this map was able to ping my magic to let me know that it was summoning ponies. Looks like it's you two this time." Twilight said. "The last time the map summoned any pony, it turned out to be a friendship quest that clued us in on what Marina the Merciless was doing. So, is this going to be another quest like that?" Sunset asked. "Wait...why are our cutie marks hovering over Lightning Town again?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Not sure. Perhaps there are still some friendship issues there that requires just the two of you to go. Seems the map wants you two in particular to solve whatever leftover issues from when Sunburst was working with Marina to tear the town's friendships apart." Twilight said. "I'd like to go with. Rain's asking if we could have another date, and this would be the perfect way to go have another." Raiden said. "...I...may have really enjoyed the date last time..." Every pony in the room rolled their eyes. Sunset and Pinkie Pie had let Raiden off at the Lightning Strike Orphanage outside Lightning Town, and the duo then proceeded to find the mayor. "Oh! Sunset and Pinkie Pie." Mayor Flash said as the two entered his office. "Put my ten o'clock meeting on hold for the time being. Two equestrians are here." He said into an intercom suddenly. "Yes Mayor." A female voice answered over the intercom. "Cheif Marison filled me in on the whole Marina situation. To think, all this time...a six year old girl has been possessed by the spirit of a merciless killer long dead." Mayor Sentry said. "...I can't imagine it'll be easy for that girl to reintegrate into society, having her body flung twenty years ahead of her mental age..." "I'm sure once we save Milissa from her possession, Supreme Cheif Flamer Jackson will be more then willing to assist there." Sunset said. "He seemed...very adamant about doing something he should've done twenty years ago..." "Yes. I know that incident from twenty years ago still haunts Flamer Jackson to this day. However, he recently sent me a letter that was essentially him resigning from his position. Saying that what he needs to do goes beyond the call of duty, and is something he needs to see through to the end personally." Mayor Sentry said. "I accepted the resignation of course, a cop is never supposed to get this involved in a case..." He then sighed. "But this one time...I am making an exception, and will authorize Flamer Jackson's early retirement from the force so he can take Milissa and give her the life she was robbed of. Miracles have happened before, and I have no doubt one will occur again." The Luxray Mayor said. "Speaking of why we're actually here, have you noticed anyone bottling up their emotions lately?" Sunset asked. "Or maybe, you've possibly seen someone need some cheering up? Seems there's still some friendship trouble around here." Pinkie Pie said. "...Actually, there is one thing that might be related. Follow me." Mayor Sentry said. The Luxray Mayor had brought the duo to the wrecked orphanage inside the city limits. "While the Lightning Strike Orphanage branch outside town has allowed the remaining orphans from the Mafia Gangster period of our town's history to have a place to go, ever since Marina the Merciless had almost killed Raiden, I noticed it seems the townspeople were beginning to lose trust in one another all over again, just like just before the Mafia Gangsters took over. We were only in such a state once before: When the Storm King took over our town and ruled it with an iron claw." Mayor Sentry explained. "It seems to me, like history will repeat itself, and we'll just end up in a second Mafia Gangster Period." "Not if we can help it. We just need to find a way to give the citizans hope again for the future." Sunset said. "Good luck with that. You'd need to do something akin to what Raiden's Grandpa and Raiden himself did to inspire that kind of hope in this town." Mayor Sentry said. "Wait...that's it! Pinkie Pie, I have an idea, but I'll need your building expertise to make it work." Sunset asked. "Wait, how did you know I have building permits?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Because your you. It'd be stranger if you didn't." Sunset said. "Can't argue with that. Let's build whatever it is your thinking of building!" Pinkie Pie said, suddenly putting on a hard hat she got out of her mane. "Where did you get that hard hat? And what building permits?" Mayor Sentry asked. He was suddenly smacked in the face with building permits Pinkie Pie had stowed in her mane. "Okay, how exactly are you able to put so much stuff in your mane?" Mayor Sentry asked. "Word of advice Mayor: There's a rule in Ponyville about Pinkie Pie." Sunset said. "Really? What rule would that be?" Mayor Sentry asked. "That you shouldn't ever question Pinkie Pie." Sunset said. "...That's a pretty sound rule..." Mayor Sentry said after he witnessed Pinkie Pie take an entire steel guarder out of her mane. The mayor quickly signed the permits without a second thought and let the mares get right to it. Three days later, the ponies then revealed the big project that folks had become interested in. "Citizans of Lightning Town, I figured that the best way to give you hope...was to not only remind you of what hope you've already been given, but remind you of why you were given that hope." Sunset said. "I present to you, the Lightning Town Museum." She said, and the tarp over the now repurposed Orphanage was taken down. Ponies and Pokemon alike soon began to go inside to get inspired. Within minutes, they were all chatting, being friendly, and even taking photos together. "I can't believe it..." Mayor Sentry said. "I've never seen the town like this in my entire lifetime. It's...it's so wondrous and beautiful!" He added. "You two did a really good job." Raiden said, coming up with Rain. "You even gave me an excuse to have a THIRD date so soon after the second." "Yeah, I think the townsfolk are going to be inspired to hold onto hope for years and years now." Rain said. "You've done good." "Thanks. We did have to move the Raiden Statue inside here, but I think it was worth it." Sunset said. Suddenly, the flanks of both her and Pinkie Pie glowed. "Oh! I think that means we solved the issue here." Pinkie Pie said. "You two have become real heroes today. In fact, I think this museum could use one more statue..." Mayor Sentry said. A bit later, he unvieled a new statue: One of both Sunset and Pinkie Pie, memorialized as the founders of the museum. However, meanwhile, a weakened Chrysalis began crawling her way to Ponyville, accompinied by Thorax and Pharynx. "We got to warn those ponies. That freaking Mawile is insane!" Thorax said. "For once, I'm in agreement. Even the Queen is." Pharynx said. "Dear god, we barely got her and most of the changelings away from that...that monster!" He added. "I...must...make it...gotta warn..." Chyrsalis. "Easy there. Let us help you." Thorax said. He then knocked on the door. Twilight answered. "What the...what happened to Chrysalis?!" She exclaimed. "You...you need...to be warned..." Chrysalis said. "A-a monster...a pure psychopath..." She then fainted from her injuries. "CHRYSALIS!" Twilight exclaimed. "YOUR HIGHNESS!" Pharynx exclaimed. To be continued...