//------------------------------//
// Episode 1: The Stars Will Aid in Her Escape 
// Story: Canterlot Tails Season 1: Star Power 
// by Sunnyside 
//------------------------------//

	Sunnyside had spent all night rubbing shoulders with the nobility of Canterlot, waiting for sunrise and the Summer Sun Celebration. Like most high-society parties in Canterlot, it was dreadful. When the steward announced that dawn was near, Sunnyside took the first opportunity to hop outside and flew to the tallest tower of Egg Manor, his favorite spot in the city. Sunnyside often came here to be alone, to look to the horizon and daydream about what lay beyond. This morning, though, his gaze was drawn up to the stars. Were they... moving?

Yes, unmistakeably, there were four stars drifting across the sky, converging on the Moon. He watched, entranced. When the stars reached the Moon, there was a flash of light, and then the Moon itself had changed. The dark patches that looked like a unicorn mare were gone. Sunnyside lifted his trusty spyglass to one eye, but saw nothing further.

The Royal Sunrise Fanfare began playing, and Sunnyside gazed eastward. The fanfare went on longer than usual, then faltered. The timing had been right, the Sun should have risen... but it hadn't.

~~~

The ponies of the city had been in a raucous mood, ready for the day's celebration after a night of anticipation. Now herds of tired, confused, frightened ponies stampeded about Canterlot.

Sugar Scoop's keen reporter sense cut through the confusion and directed her to the lab of the Mad Scientist Fizzlespark, where there just happened to be a new, large contraption protruding into the sky. Unable to see anything of interest through the windows, she flew into one of the large pipes opening up from the roof, clattering through a maze of tubes and finally spilling out triumphantly into the laboratory. At the same moment, the delivery pony Glitterdust opened the front door to the lab and walked in. Sugar spared Glitterdust an irritated glance before confronting the Mad Scientist.

"Fizzlespark, what are your demands!?"

The unicorn finally looked up from the lab bench where he was laboring. "Huh? Demands?"

Sugar advanced on him. "For the return of the Sun. What is it you want? Money? Power? Fillies? Or did you just block out the Sun because you can?"

"Ooh, the Sun. No, it's nothing like that. The Sun isn't actually gone. It just looks that way as a side effect of my latest invention. You see, we're actually invisible!"

Sugar and Glitterdust looked each other up and down. "Uh, no?" Sugar observed. "In fact," Glitterdust agreed.

Fizzlespark rested a hoof on his forehead in exasperation. "Not to one another, but to anypony outside-"

A loud knock rattled the door.

"Now who could that be?" he mused, opening the door.

It was approximately everypony. The new protuberance extending from Fizzlespark's lab into the Canterlot skyline had not gone unnoticed.

Sugar and Glitterdust gave Fizzlespark a skeptical look. The ponies outside seemed to have no trouble seeing those in the lab.

"It bends sunlight around the whole city," Fizzlespark said. "Canterlot is effectively invisible to anypony outside. Of course, one side effect is that we can't see the Sun from inside Canterlot. But the important thing is that it worked. It worked!"

A burly police pony entered the lab, surrounded by fellow officers. "So it worked, did it? Well, you just un-work it this instant. You're in a heap of trouble already."

Fizzlespark sighed and started pulling levers, turning cranks, and pushing buttons.

"Cousin Bobtail?" The officer turned at the voice of Long Tail, who wove through the crowd and into the lab. "Why is everyone messing around here instead of doing something about the Sun?"

"Hi Cousin Long Tail," Bobtail said, nodding politely. "We are doing something about it. This pony here stole the Sun and he's about to bring it back. Isn't that right." It wasn't a question.

Fizzlespark threw up his hooves. "I didn't steal the Sun! I just... prevented any sunlight from reaching us."

"You see? I've heard enough," Bobtail declared, gesturing for his officers to take Fizzlespark in. "And I thought I told you to turn your machine off."

Now Fizzlespark was genuinely puzzled. "I did. The Sun should be visible now."

Bobtail glared. "We'll get our answers at the station. Take him away, boys!"

Before the police ponies could reach Fizzlespark, he leapt onto his helicopter escape seat, and lifted off into the maze of pipes dominating his laboratory, cackling triumphantly. Everypony's eyes followed the clattering noises as Fizzlespark progressed through elaborate loops and twists on his way to freedom. Unfortunately, one of the pipes had been bent during Sugar Scoop's forced entry. The din intensified, drawing startled shouts from the fleeing colt. 

The empty escape copter seat tumbled out of one pipe and fell to the ground, while Fizzlespark careened out of another pipe on the smaller escape copter designed for escape from his escape copter, in case of just such a double emergency as this. Fizzlespark's mini-copter veered straight into Glitterdust, and the two were left in an unceremonious pile on the laboratory floor, the now-spent mini-copter twitching beside them.

"Now that is assault and battery, or at least reckless endangerment," Bobtail announced. "He's coming down to the station. Bring the earth pony, too, as a witness." Glitterdust sighed from underneath the mad unicorn.

Long Tail walked in front of Bobtail and looked him in the eye. "But this pony didn't do it! We need to find out what really happened. Have you contacted Princess Celestia?"

"Cousin, I'm sorry, but this whole crisis is above my pay grade. The word came down that this pony is to blame, and I'm taking him in. My hooves are tied." Sugar Scoop leaned in, interested to hear that Fizzlespark was apparently being scapegoated. Bobtail noticed the reporter and excused himself. "That's all I can say."

Sunnyside landed as Fizzlespark and Glitterdust were led out by the police. "What happened here?"

Officer Bobtail gestured to Fizzlespark. "This pony is responsible for blocking out the Sun, and we're taking him in."

Sunnyside nodded gravely. "Alright. But what did he do to the Moon?" 

Everypony turned their eyes upward, noted with relief that the Moon was still there, then realized that something was off. In the shadows of a nearby alley, a pony dressed all in black narrowed its eyes, glaring at Sunnyside.

Fizzlespark spoke: "Huh. I honestly have no idea." 

Officer Bobtail was rattled, and wanted nothing more than to wash his hooves of the whole situation. "Tell it to the magistrate," he said, getting the police force moving again and leaving the scene.

"How could somepony block out the Sun?" Sunnyside wondered aloud.

"He didn't," Long Tail put in. "That's what I've been trying to say. There's only a seven percent chance that he could have accomplished this result, and I think we can shrink that probability even further by examining the equipment he used for his supposed 'invisibility' effect."

Sugar Scoop, Sunnyside, and Long Tail introduced themselves, then put their heads together and filled one another in on what they'd seen, stepping out of the busy street and into a quiet alley.

"Someone in Bobtail's chain of command knows Fizzlespark isn't really responsible," Sugar reasoned. "We could talk to the commissioner."

Long Tail shook her head. "There's a seventy percent chance she wouldn't even speak with us, a twenty-five percent chance she'd say that the order the scapegoat Fizzlespark came from over her head, and a ten percent chance that she'd judge us to be a problem she needs to deal with because she's actually a significant player in whatever's going on."

"Long Tail, how exactly is any of that useful information?" Sugar demanded. "We still have no idea what's actually true or what she might say if we actually went and talked to her."

Long Tail scowled. Before she could retort, Sunnyside stepped between the two fillies to smooth things over. "Now hang on, Long Tail's talent could be useful for figuring out what to ask. Or..."

"Or who to ask," Sugar mused out loud.

"Sure!" Sunny quickly agreed. "Long Tail, who do you think would know something about what's going on?"

Long Tail's ears perked up. It seemed Sugar and Sunny had finally hit upon a useful question to ask. "Why, most likely the ninja hiding behind me on the roof of the blue building, spying on us."

On the rooftop, moonlight reflected off of the eyes of the silhouetted ninja pony: two discs widening in surprise. Long Tail's mane fluttered as her two pegasus companions burst into flight and pounced onto the rooftop. The ninja unfurled her own dark wings and dove into the alley on the other side of the building, with Sugar and Sunny close behind.

Long Tail looked up forlornly at her vanishing friends as the shadows of the alley began to close in on her. "Of course, that ninja isn't the only lead..."

~~~

Sugar and Sunny were oblivious, focused on the fleeing pegasus. The three ponies wove among the buildings and spires of Canterlot. The ninja tried to lose the pursuers amidst the tangle of Old Canterlot, the domain of the nobility, but Sugar and Sunny were both familiar with its twists and turns. In desperation, the dark pegasus darted into a window of Cake Manor. Sunnyside barreled in next, but while the ninja was able to dodge around the red-maned filly inside, Sunnyside crashed right into her, tumbling head over hooves into a wardrobe full of fancy dresses. Sunny found himself muzzle-to-muzzle with Red Velvet, looking into her wide, orange eyes, feeling more than a little woozy, when Sugar shot past, the way now clear of obstructions.

The ninja had landed in a crouched position, breathing heavily. Sugar Scoop almost had her! The ninja leapt into action at the last moment, desperately slamming shut a heavy door. Sugar tried in vain to halt her forward momentum, then collided with the door face first and slid to the floor.

"Ow." The reporter rose unsteadily to her hooves and bent her snout back into position. She grouchily opened one eye, and what she saw made her forget her pain. A clue! The ninja had closed the door on her own uniform, and a scrap of cloth had torn off. Sugar opened the door, and while the ninja was long gone, the scrap of cloth was all hers. She unfolded it and grimaced at what she saw. 

Hearing the other pegasi, she put the cloth away and walked nonchalantly back into Red Velvet's boudoir, where a furiously blushing Sunnyside was apologizing ceaselessly to Red Velvet as he attempted to extricate himself from the clothing that had been dumped out of the filly's wardrobe on top of the pair of them. Red Velvet had risen, taken a few steps away, and was now watching Sunny sidelong, her own white cheeks nearly as red as her now-disheveled mane. She spotted Sugar Scoop and startled, her demeanor shifting.

"What are you two doing in my bedroom?" she demanded.

Sunnyside finally rose, covering his eyes with one hoof. "Red, I'm so sorry for barging-"

"Stop apologizing," Sugar Scoop interrupted, annoyed at losing their prey. To Red Velvet: "We were chasing a ninja who knows something about what happened to the Sun."

"And who knows Old Canterlot really well," Sunnyside added, blindly trying to work his way towards the exit. "Like somepony who grew up here." Sugar's eyes darted from side to side. Sunny went on, "It's a shame we weren't able to figure out who it was!"

"Yeaaaah," said Sugar. Red Velvet was watching her intensely. "So, Sunny, we should talk. Let's go."

Sunnyside turned his head as Sugar Scoop led him away. "So long, Red. It was, uh, good bumping into you!"

"Oh Sunnyside," Red Velvet shook her head at the departing pegasi. "You simply must stop associating with those Scoop fillies. They're nothing but trouble."

~~~

Meanwhile, at the jailhouse, Officer Bobtail interviewed Glitterdust about the assault. Glitterdust held an ice pack to her head and sighed.

"Can I go yet?" Glitterdust asked

"Just a few more questions..."

For his part, Fizzlespark decided he needed a nap, which meant he needed an alarm clock. Using the materials available, he devised a a mechanical contraption that he wound up, and which would knock on his bed when it had unwound. He settled in for a snooze and was snoring moments later.

None of the police ponies noticed Fizzlespark's tinkering. As he was working, a grey filly with a blonde mane trotted into the station, right up to Officer Bobtail, and stared him right in the eyes, her jaw protruding with determination. Her yellow eyes held his for a moment.

"Er," the police pony began. "Can I help y-agh!" Those yellow eyes drifted disconcertingly in different directions. The new arrival's expression softened to a vapid grin.

"According to Section 173(g) of the Equestrian Martial Code," the filly began. "In times of emergency, delivery ponies shall not, er... derp."

Bobtail looked at Glitterdust, who shrugged. "I think the boss wants me to get to work," Glitterdust offered, looking hopefully at Ditzy Doo.

"Hurp. In times of emergency, delivery ponies shall not be hindered in delivery of parcels related to the defense of the realm." Ditzy pointed out the door with one hoof to an overflowing cart full of envelopes bearing the seal of the Royal Army. Glitterdust grimaced at the number of letters – she'd have her work cut out for her.  

Officer Bobtail started to object, but one of the other police ponies had pulled out a copy of the Equestrian Martial Code. "Bob, the delivery pony's right! We have to let Glitterdust deliver those military notices."

Ditzy nodded vacantly and derped out of the police station, absently dropping an envelope on her way. Glitterdust followed, snatching up the envelope and stopping just outside to take a peek. It was addressed to Ditzy, and bore the seal of the Royal Army. The seal had been broken, and Glitterdust took out the message inside. It was an order to deliver a huge number of military notices today, but it was dated a week ago. Somepony had known in advance that there was going to be an emergency. Glitterdust read on. The order was signed by General Gemesis. Glitterdust held in her hooves actual hard evidence that the General knew of the catastrophe in advance.

Fizzlespark's timer ran down, and he was awakened by his device prodding his bed. But "prodding" is not quite the right word. A more accurate description might be "hurling with explosive force."

The rocketbed – with Fizzlespark and his clockwork dragon holding on for dear life – crashed out of the jail cell and shot out of the station, spewing fire and smoke and carrying him off into the night.

Glitterdust stood in front of the station, holding a pile of ashes in her hooves where once there had been an incriminating letter. She sighed, then checked the enormous cart full of mail she had to deliver. Some had been scattered about the street, but the envelopes all seemed intact. She dusted the ashes off her hooves, gathered up the scattered mail, and diligently carted it off to start her deliveries. 

~~~

Sunnyside and Sugar Scoop returned to the darkened alley where they had left Long Tail, but she was gone. Inspecting the ground, they found a long, blue hair and scuffed hoofmarks, as if there had been a struggle. They shared a look, their faces grave. Sugar Scoop spoke first: "They've taken her."

(The program ceased for a "commercial break," during which we ordered pizza, then resumed)

After fruitlessly searching for a trail, the two pegasi slumped against the alley wall in defeat. Sunnyside spoke first: "You know what we need?" Sugar Scoop cocked her head. Sunny continued: "Breakfast."

The two soon had a table at Pony Joe's Donut Hole.

"How are we going to find Long Tail now?" Sunny asked. "We haven't got a clue!"

"Actually," Sugar began hesitantly. "There is one thing."

"Oh?"

Sugar surveyed the cafe. As usual, there were quite a few police ponies at the Donut Hole. She cautiously placed a scrap of cloth on the table, positioning herself so the police in the cafe couldn't see. 

"The ninja's uniform got caught in the door at Cake Manor," Sugar explained. "This tore off." 

The dark fabric was emblazoned with an ice cream cone, with a crescent moon prominently displayed on the scoop of ice cream.

"The old Scoop family war crest?" Sunny asked, incredulous. "That hasn't been used in a thousand years!"

Sugar nodded.

"But, if the ninja was from your own family..." Sunny's face was quizzical.

"Why show it to you?" Sugar put the fabric away and snorted. "I'm not exactly on good terms with the rest of the Scoops."

"I know Lady Double Scoop wasn't happy when you gave up ice cream making to go into journalism, but it's hardly a reason to disown you."

"That's not the only thing Mom was unhappy about." Sugar chewed her lip. "I wrote an exposé on the Scoop family history. Professor Greenhorn's latest archaeological dig turned up evidence that the Scoops had supported a pony known as Nightmare Moon... a pony who tried to overthrow Princess Celestia and brought civil war to Equestria."

Their waiter, Pancake, arrived with breakfast, giving Sugar a wink and a broad smile. Naturally, the Cake family had been pleased when scandal hit the Scoops.

Pancake left, and Sugar Scoop continued between bites of breakfast. "That article made my career. But now... I wonder if it gave my family ideas."

"It's hard to imagine anypony making war on the Princess, and that Nightmare Moon stuff is ancient history. Literally!"

"Hello, remember the ninja?"

"Point taken. So... I suppose the place to look for Long Tail is Scoop Manor." Sunny finished off his last pancake and grinned. "I knew breakfast would help!"

~~~

Sunnyside and Sugar Scoop headed to Scoop Manor in search of Long Tail. The Scoop estates were expansive, and included some of the tallest towers in Canterlot. There was a pervasive chill from all of the ice cream refrigerated here, a chill that was accentuated on this occasion by the unnatural night. 

The two pegasi walked up to the door of the manor, and Sugar Scoop got out her house key. The lock, though, refused to budge.

"They've changed the locks!" Sugar grimaced briefly, then perked back up. "Good thing they keep a spare key under the mat."

Sugar lifted the doormat with one hoof, then gasped in surprise. "They've changed the mat!"

Sunny placed on hoof on his temple and walked up to the door. "Why don't we just ask your sister Sprinklebelle to let us in?" 

Sunny knocked on the door, and Sugar quickly stepped off to one side. After a moment, Sprinklebelle peeked through the peephole in the door and, seeing only Sunny, happily opened it. 

"Sunnyside! What a pleasant surpri-" she spotted Sugar Scoop and frowned. "Sunny, why don't you come in," Sprinklebelle quickly suggested, yanking Sunnyside through the threshold before slamming the door in Sugar Scoop's face.

Sunny started explaining the situation, but Sprinklebelle was too distracted to listen. Sugar Scoop plastered her face against the window, shouting unintelligibly. Sprinklebelle shut the curtain. The process repeated with several other windows until the room was shut off from the outside. Sprinklebelle breathed a sigh of relief, smiled at Sunnyside... and the doorbell rang. 

She turned to the door, at the end of her rope. "I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO GET LOST!"

An unfamiliar voice responded. "Delivery for Lady Double Scoop. High priority." Sprinklebelle was taken aback. An urgent message for her mother? She looked through the peephole suspiciously. She saw an earth pony mail carrier, but she didn't spot Sugar Scoop, who had plastered herself flat against the wall, out of sight. Sprinklebelle opened the door.

Sugar Scoop charged in, holding the incriminating scrap of ninja garb in front of her. "You've got some explaining to do, sister! Just what is the meaning of THIS!" Sprinklebelle was backed against a wall, with the scrap of cloth so close to her face she was staring at it cross-eyed.

"It's our old family crest," Sprinklebelle replied. "So what?"

"So it's our battle crest from the days of Nightmare Moon. It's treason!"

Sunnyside butted in: "That was a thousand years ago. Probably someone just used the wrong crest by accident." 

Sugar Scoop looked at Sunny incredulously "Then why are there Scoop family ninja prowling the streets?" She turned to her sister. "Why do we have ninja?"

Sprinklebelle blinked. "Ninja?"

Sunny interrupted again, gently separating the two Scoop sisters. "Actually, the reason we're here is to find our friend Long Tail. She might have been injured by, um... somepony... and maybe taken here?" Sprinklebelle looked puzzled. "You know, maybe to the infirmary?" Sugar opened her mouth to object but Sunny shot her a look that said it was time for a gentler touch.

"Oh," Sprinklebelle's expression softened. "Yes, we would certainly not leave an injured pony to fend for herself." 

At this point, Glitterdust the delivery pony cleared her throat. Sprinklebelle had clearly forgotten the common Earth Pony was even there. "Oh dear, the letter, yes. The Lady is in the kitchen. We were preparing some special flavors for this afternoon's celebration."

Sugar Scoop gulped. "Mom's here?" she squeaked, eyeing the exit.

Sprinklebelle spoke again to Glitterdust. "Close that door, won't you?" Glitterdust shut it, still patiently waiting for the chance to deliver her message and thinking of the hundreds of others still waiting for her to deliver. 

Sprinklebelle glared at Sugar Scoop as the door closed. "We don't need anypony else barging in uninvited." 

Sugar Scoop's retort was just reaching her lips when the door crashed in off its hinges and Fizzlespark tumbled across the room, the remains of his rocketbed belching smoke and shedding gears and springs in all directions. Sunny leapt in front of Sprinklebelle, taking an errant gear in the snout. Sprinklebelle fell back on her haunches, stunned. The smoke left the ponies coughing briefly, then cleared, exposing the disoriented Fizzlespark. Glitterdust, now flattened under the door, sighed resignedly.

Sunny rubbed his bruised snout. "Hey, that's the pony the police took in for blocking out the Sun!" Sprinklebelle gasped. "But Long Tail said he didn't, probably." Sunny stopped rambling, thinking again of the missing filly. Long Tail. 

Sugar Scoop caught on and went to the battered and soot-covered Fizzlespark. "I think this pony needs to be taken to the infirmary!" She announced. "That bruise looks pretty bad. It must hurt a lot, huh?"

Fizzlespark looked at the reporter pony, who had one hoof ready to give him an ugly looking bruise if necessary. "Yes!" He agreed, urgently. His gazed passed back and forth between Sprinklebelle and Sugar Scoop. "Ow?" Sugar Scoop lowered her hoof.

"You should get some ice on that," Sprinklebelle said absently, pointing a hoof in the direction of the infirmary. She turned to Sunnyside, still dazed. "Do you need me to come along? I should get back to helping in the kitchen."

"Oh, I don't want to keep you from your work," Sunny said, relieved. "Go ahead. And I'll let the cleaning ponies know that they're needed here, okay?"

"Yes, good. Thanks for stopping by, Sunny." Sprinklebelle slowly rose and left the room.

As the stunned filly drifted out of the room, Sunnyside lowered his head and breathed a sigh of relief. "That could have gone worse."

Sugar Scoop regarded him skeptically.

Glitterdust, sturdy earth pony that she was, helped Fizzlespark rise to his hooves.

Sugar Scoop walked to the middle of the room and spread her wings for attention. "There's no way they took Long Tail to the infirmary." She regarded each other pony in turn. "She's going into the Deep Freeze, below the manor." The other ponies regarded her quizzically.

"The Deep Freeze is a facility for keeping things frozen. Most commonly, ice cream." Sugar's expression grew dark. "But the Scoop family is not above freezing ponies there to keep them out of the way. Long Tail's talent is the greatest threat there can be to this conspiracy. There's no doubt in my mind – they're going to put her on ice!"

Sugar led everypony out of the building and into an interior courtyard. The ponies spotted a small window at ground level covered in ice crystals. Sugar Scoop wiped it off so the ponies could see inside.

There was Long Tail, standing amidst rows and rows of freezers, arguing with a couple of Scoop family flavormeisters about their selection.

"Why would you stockpile all this strawberry? What are you going to do with this year's strawberry harvest? It doesn't make sense. Unless there's going to be a shortage for some reason, and you somehow know in advance. And no mint chocolate chip? It's been a hot summer so far, and when it's hot, ponies love their minty flavors, so..."

Another group of ponies stood a distance away from Long Tail and the flavormeisters, obscured by mist speaking in hushed tones. Here and there, the glint of armor could be seen.

"It looks like she's holding her own for now," Sunny remarked. "But we have to find a way to get all those other ponies out of there so we can rescue her."

"Are you kidding?" Sugar said. "I'm not letting them get away without snapping a couple of choice pictures!" She hefted her camera. "If only there were better lighting..."

"Better lighting..." Sunny repeated. "Why, that's it! Okay, here's the plan..."

The four ponies conferred quickly in the moonlight, then Sugar Scoop and Glitterdust found the stairs and descended to the Deep Freeze, hiding behind some large cartons of ice cream. Long Tail was still stalling the flavormeisters, and the mysterious group of ponies were at the other end of the chamber, near another set of stairs.

Meanwhile, Fizzlespark and Sunnyside waited at the window.

"Okay," Sunnyside said. "On my mark, I need as much light as you can give m-" Sunnyside noticed Sprinklebelle through the nearby kitchen window and darted into hiding. "Oh, horsefeathers... I forgot the kitchen was right there. What if Sprinklebelle sees? It'll look like we're melting the ice cream, or lighting the manor on fire!"

Fizzlespark hadn't ended up going to the infirmary, and was still pretty out of it from his various painful escape attempts. "Fire?" he mumbled in response.

Fizzlespark's clockwork dragon perked up at the command word. "FIRE!" It announced enthusiastically, spewing a gout of orange flame from between its metal teeth.

Sunnyside didn't have time to check if Sprinklebelle was still at the kitchen window. He leapt out of hiding and spread his golden wings to reflect the light of the fire, focusing it on the window to the Deep Freeze. Slowly, he raised the focus of the reflected light. From inside, it looked just like:

"Sunrise!?" Light from the window crept up the length of the shadowed pony, exposing his expertly-pedicured hooves, his barrel chest, his flowing blond mane, and his cutie mark, an eight-pointed star. "Then Aunt Luna, Nightmare Moon, has failed us!"

Sugar Scoop simply stared, slack-jawed, her camera forgotten. Why is Prince Blueblood in my family's basement!?

"Well, never mind," the Prince continued, quickly regaining his composure. "That just means it's time for Plan B: Operation Solar Flare. Ahahahaha!" His haughty laughter filled the room. "Come, peons, there is much for you to do." With that, the Prince and the other ponies left the flavormeisters and Long Tail alone in the Deep Freeze.

"Now's she's definitely heard too much," said one flavormeister.

"Time to put her on ice," said the other, advancing menacingly.

"Not likely," Long Tail said, her head held tall. Glitterdust and Sugar Scoop burst out of hiding and charged, the shock knocking the flavormeisters back on their rumps. Long Tail and the others dashed out of the Deep Freeze, but something caught Sugar Scoop's eye. 

Surely she had misread, in her haste to escape. "Cake Batter Ice Cream? Why would anypony create such an abomination?"

The three ponies emerged into the courtyard, only to be blinded by sunlight.

"Wow, Sunnyside, you've outdone yourself," Sugar said, squinting against the brightness. "You can cut it out now."

"That's not me," said Sunnyside, a contented grin on his face as he soaked up the light. "That's the real thing. The Sun is back!" 

The ponies whooped in celebration -- except for Long Tail, whose expression was serious: "But the danger is just beginning."