Shining Armor lounged grumpily in the base of the Twinkling Balloon’s basket, re-reading his mission briefing. Above him, Prince Blueblood skilfully manipulated the balloon’s ropes and magical burner, guiding it slowly but safely towards the plains far below them.
“You know, Captain,” drawled the prince as he worked, “if you didn’t know how to pilot your own balloon, you could have just said so.”
Shining Armor grumbled. “I know how to fly it. Her. It was part of officer training at the Academy. The winds up here are strange, that’s all.”
“That’s your excuse for letting us float halfway to Hoofington?” Prince Blueblood turned his muzzle to the wind and sniffed discerningly at it. “You’re right, the winds are very disturbed. Why is that?” The two unicorns peered over the edge of the basket, gazing down at the fields and buildings of Ponyville below them.
Their destination looked quite picturesque from the air. Lush green fields and hills surrounded a collection of thatched roofs and tall green trees. At the centre of the town stood what could only have been the town hall, in a design very reminiscent of the spires of Canterlot. The two unicorns could make out the brightly coloured figures of a throng of ponies moving about the town, and several pegasi soared through the air, cleaning up the clouds.
“No wonder there’s turbulence, then,” said Prince Blueblood, leaning on the edge of the basket as he looked down. “I count at least eight ponies working the skies here. That many active weather ponies will leave a lot of turbulence in the air above them.”
Shining Armor referred to his notes on Ponyville. “It says here that their weather corps is fifteen ponies strong. That’s an awful lot for a town this size.”
“The Everfree Forest spawns a lot of unnatural weather, captain,” Blueblood explained. “I always steer well clear of it when I fly south from Canterlot. It stands to reason that they’d need a larger than usual weather corps to keep it from spilling out into the town.” He adjusted one of the ropes of the Twinkling Balloon as they slowly floated down towards the town. “So, you really think that Nightmare Moon is going to attack the celebration in Ponyville?”
Shining gestured to the box of books on the far side of the basket. “Twilight’s research all checks out, and Princess Celestia agrees that an attack is possible, if not probable. Even if it isn’t Nightmare Moon, we need to be prepared for whatever comes.” He set aside his papers and looked up at the prince. “I know it sounds far-fetched…”
“Actually, captain, I’m quite willing to believe it. My family is highly unusual. My grandmother is the immortal Princess of the Sun, not to mention ruler of all Equestria. My aunt is the Princess of Love, and has spread joy and contentment to dozens of happy couples in Canterlot and beyond. My mother is the Princess of the Sky, who puts the world’s weather pegasi to shame. Grandmother has had dozens of foals over the centuries, Princes and Princesses who have all left their mark on history. And I, of course, am the pre-eminent pilot of my generation, following in my mother’s legacy of the blue skies in a way that few unicorns could. It is no great stretch to believe that my great-aunt is the legendary monster of Nightmare Night, waiting to take her revenge upon Equestria.”
Shining Armor nodded solemnly to the prince. “At least you’re on board with this mission. It’s going to be difficult to find ponies who take this threat seriously.” He peered over the edge of the basket again as he felt it come to rest on the ground. “And thank you for taking the ropes and getting us through all that turbulence.”
Blueblood waved a hoof airily. “Think nothing of it, captain,” he said, climbing out of the basket and using his magic to secure the balloon’s ropes to pegs in the ground. “I knew Grandmother had her reasons for sending me on this mission. Speaking of the mission, do you have a plan yet?”
Shining levitated his mission briefing out of the basket, rifling through the papers. “Not a great one, I’m afraid. A threat as nebulous as this one doesn’t lend itself to concrete plans. We’ll rendezvous with the local garrison, apprise them of the threat and instruct them to be on alert. I’m sure that’s what Princess Celestia meant when she said I should make friends.” He frowned at one of the papers, then slid it back into the briefing. “Except that there is no local garrison.”
“None at all?” asked Blueblood. “Isn’t that a bit risky?”
Shining pointed up to the city of Canterlot, which was still visible on the side of the mountain far above Ponyville. “Ponyville is within a rapid response range of Canterlot. I can send a detachment of National Guard down here within twenty minutes. That should be enough for a town this far from the borders… although the presence of the Everfree Forest should factor into our defensive arrangements. I’ll review that when I get back to headquarters.”
The guard captain eyed the buildings of Ponyville slowly, trying to get a feel for the layout of the town. “The Wonderbolts will be here at about midnight, since they always perform at the Summer Sun Celebration. I’ll brief Captain Spitfire on the situation then. For now, we’ll need to meet with the local weather corps, since they’re the only permanent military presence in Ponyville. Let’s flag down one of these weather ponies and make an appointment with their sergeant.”
He pointed with one hoof towards two pegasi gathering clouds in the distance, and pushing them towards a central collection tower. As he watched, a sky-blue shape sped towards them, leaving a trail of rainbows in its wake. The shape approached with worrying rapidity, until Shining Armor realised that it was on a direct collision course with Prince Blueblood.
“Highness, look out!” he shouted, and he pushed the prince aside with a well-placed shove of his shoulders. He placed himself in the path of the onrushing pegasus and conjured a force field around himself, causing his attacker to bounce off his shield and skid to a halt several yards away. Shining Armor dismissed the shield as quickly as he had erected it, and pounced on the pegasus, pinning her to the ground with his hooves.
“Got you!” he snorted, his lips curled back angrily. “Who do you work for? Why were you trying to kill the prince? Are you a spy?”
The pegasus squirmed under Shining Armor’s pin. “Whoa, dude, take it easy!” she said, her magenta eyes flicking from side to side. “What prince? I wasn’t trying to kill anypony, it was an accident!”
Shining Armor glanced quickly over at Prince Blueblood, who had fallen into a large puddle of mud when he pushed him aside. The prince was struggling to his feet and whimpering. Shining Armor swallowed awkwardly and looked back at his captive. “An accident, huh? A likely story. Do you always fly straight at the ground at those speeds?”
The pegasus grinned. “Sure do! I’m practising my moves for when the Wonderbolts get here tonight. When Captain Spitfire sees my moves, I’ll be on the fast track for a Wonderbolts commission for sure.”
Shining Armor slowly eased himself off the talkative pegasus, eyeing her cautiously as she sprang to her hooves. She didn’t appear to begrudge him ponyhandling her, seeming more interested in talking about the manoeuvers she was going to show off at the Summer Sun Celebration. As soon as he drew himself upright, she looked at his uniform and gasped. “Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh, you’re Captain Shining Armor! Sorry, sir, I didn’t recognise you!” She spread her wings and hovered a few feet off the ground, saluting him smartly. “Sergeant Rainbow Dash, Ponyville Weather Corps, reportingfordutySIR!”
“At ease, sergeant,” replied Shining Armor, returning the salute. Rainbow Dash immediately looped around and lounged on a low-hanging cloud. That’s not what “at ease” means, he thought, but he decided to let it pass. “I’m here to…”
“Are you really Spitfire’s commanding officer, sir?” asked Rainbow Dash, her face radiant with obvious admiration for the Wonderbolts. “How does that work when you’re, y’know, a unicorn?”
“I… uh… well…,” stammered Shining Armor, a little taken aback by this pegasus’s eager questioning. “Captain Spitfire is the commander of the Equestrian National Guard, while I’m in charge of the Canterlot Defence Guard. According to the Royal Guard Charter, we operate independently unless the entire kingdom is under threat, in which case she reports to me, and I take my orders directly from Princess Celestia. There’s a spell I can use to walk on clouds when I inspect the academies in Cloudsdale and Las Pegasus. That’s not important right now, though. Prince Blueblood and I need to talk to you about… oh, great.”
Prince Blueblood had staggered to Shining Armor’s side, dripping with mud. His mane and tail were in complete disarray, and dirt was smeared all over his saddlebags and jacket. “Captain,” he growled through clenched teeth, “I demand you do something about this at once! How dare you push my royal person into that disgusting mud?”
Shining Armor rolled his eyes. “I was saving you from a collision with the sergeant here, your Highness,” he explained, gesturing to Rainbow Dash. “Just go and have a bath like anypony else. They mentioned a day spa in the tourist guide.”
“Absolutely unacceptable!” insisted Blueblood, stamping his hooves. “I refuse to walk into town looking like some dirt-grubbing farmer who hasn’t bathed in weeks.”
Rainbow Dash peered over her cloud at the distressed prince. “Come on, captain, give the guy a break. Look, I’d dump a raincloud on him if I had one, but we just finished clearing away all of the clouds for the Summer Sun Celebration tomorrow. This one here hasn’t got any rain left in it.”
Just then, a darker cloud moved into view, pushed by a young pegasus stallion with a dark grey coat and a blue striped mane and tail. “Way ahead of you, boss!” he called, placing the cloud above Prince Blueblood and giving it a kick. Rain cascaded out of the cloud, drenching the prince thoroughly and making his blonde mane cling to his face.
Prince Blueblood gritted his teeth, but stood his ground as the downpour washed the mud from his hair. “Ugh. What a dreadful start to the day. Thank you, soldier, at least dishevelled is better than dirty.” He gave the pegasus stallion the barest nod of courtesy, then stamped his hooves in an attempt to shake water out of his coat.
“No problem, sir!” said the stallion, flitting up into the sky to hover near Rainbow Dash, who gave him a nod and a hoof bump for his work. “I went and fetched it from the storage tower when I saw you might need it.”
A pegasus mare with a pale gold coat and teal hair raced up beside them both. “The sky’s clear, boss,” she said, panting. “The others have all gone home to get ready for the celebration. Who are these guys?”
Rainbow Dash gestured to the two new pegasi. “Captain, this is Corporal Raindrops and Corporal Thunderlane, my 2ICs. Raindrops keeps the troops in line, and Thunderlane is my technical assistant. Guys, this is Captain Shining Armor, who’s, like, my boss’s boss’s boss, and Prince Blueblood.” The two corporals saluted Shining Armor, then touched down on the ground.
Shining Armor returned their salute. “At ease, soldiers. Now that I’ve got the three of you here, I need to brief you on the situation with tomorrow’s Summer Sun Celebration. We have reason to suspect that an ancient enemy of Equestria is going to make an attack during the celebration.” All three pegasi looked astonished, and drew themselves up into postures of readiness. “Therefore, Princess Celestia has sent me here to oversee preparations and security for the event. I can see that the weather has been handled very efficiently, so it’s time to look to security. Has anypony seen anything odd around here lately?”
The three pegasus soldiers looked at each other briefly. “No more weird than usual, sir,” said Rainbow Dash. “There’s the Everfree Forest, but nopony ever goes in there. Occasionally weird things come out of there, like rogue weather we have to deal with…”
“I was flying near the forest the other day, actually,” said Thunderlane. “I could have sworn I saw things moving in there. Nothing came out, but… it felt weird. Almost like the forest was waiting for something. Or somepony.” He shivered, rubbing his hooves together as if cold.
“So what are we up against, sir?’ asked Raindrops. “We can’t really prepare unless we know what we’re facing.”
Shining Armor exchanged a glance with Prince Blueblood, who nodded. He turned back to the pegasi. “We have reason to believe that the Summer Sun Celebration will be attacked by Nightmare Moon.”
Rainbow Dash’s mouth twitched, and Thunderlane covered his lips with a hoof. “Nightmare Moon, sir?” asked Rainbow Dash, obviously trying to suppress a grin. “So we should… stock up on candy? Tell everypony to wear costumes to the celebration?”
Shining Armor sighed heavily. “It’s not like that, sergeant. Nightmare Moon hasn’t been chasing children for their candy, she’s been trapped inside the moon for a thousand years, ever since Princess Celestia put her there. She’s the Mare in the Moon. On the thousandth Summer Sun Celebration, the stars will free her from her prison, and she’ll come down to Equestria to take her revenge on Celestia and bring about night-time eternal.”
He saw the horrified looks on the faces of his audience, and swallowed hard. “At least, that’s what the prophecy says. It, uh… we really don’t know. Princess Celestia is worried about something, though, so she wants us to increase the security around the celebration.”
“How?” asked Raindrops. “What can we possibly do if something that old and powerful is coming here?”
Shining Armor began to pace around, keeping his gaze trained on the pegasi. “I can’t say for certain. If Nightmare Moon really does attack, then I have a backup plan that will let me keep everypony safe. I think. In the meantime… stay alert and be ready to fight. Make sure the rest of your squad is aware of the danger. Report anything suspicious, and keep your armour nearby.”
Rainbow Dash saluted again. “Will do, sir! Whatever’s coming, it won’t get past us!”
“Wait a minute.” Thunderlane hovered a few feet off the ground, looking nervously at the sky. “If something is going to attack the Summer Sun Celebration, then I should warn my little brother to stay home.”
Shining Armor shook his head. “We can’t do that, corporal. Princess Celestia doesn’t want to cause a panic at the celebration – that’s why she only sent me and the prince, not a full company of soldiers. If ponies start staying home, everypony will know that something’s up.”
“Yes, but…” Thunderlane flitted forward, looking at Shining Armor plaintively. “What if something happens to him? I can’t take that risk. Do you have a little brother, sir? Or a little sister? Would you want them anywhere near this thing?”
Shining Armor was taken aback. “I… I’ve got both. Twily would be fine – actually, she’d probably be really useful, teleporting other ponies away from the danger – but Spike… he’s just a baby dragon. He can’t run very fast, or fight, or do magic, or even breathe fire very well. I’d want him to be somewhere safe.”
The captain pawed at the ground, thinking. “But I don’t know if anywhere is going to be safe if Nightmare Moon comes for us. Not even Canterlot or Cloudsdale. If the worst happens, then the safest place for him is right behind me, so I can protect him. I’d say it’s the same here in Ponyville – keep your brother somewhere you can protect him, which means bringing him to the Summer Sun Celebration. Everypony will be there, including your squad, the Wonderbolts, me, and Princess Celestia. If anywhere is safe, it’s there.”
Thunderlane pondered this for a moment, then nodded. “You’re right, sir. I’ll make sure Rumble is at the celebration, with everypony else. Besides, he’d never forgive me if I stopped him from meeting the Wonderbolts. Hey, maybe I could introduce him to you, too! He’d love to meet the Captain of the Royal Guard.”
“Uh, I’m going to be busy with security for the whole night,” began Shining Armor, but Rainbow Dash and Prince Blueblood both glared at him. He sighed, hanging his head. “Fine, I’ll make some time to meet your brother.”
“Thank you, sir!” said Thunderlane happily. “He’s going to be so excited!”
“Alright, ponies, you heard the captain,” ordered Rainbow Dash. “You two alternate patrols of Ponyville until the Wonderbolts get here, three weather ponies to a team. I’ll see you at the celebration. Keep me informed if you see anything.” The two corporals saluted their sergeant and flew away. Rainbow Dash turned back to face Shining Armor. “We don’t really have a barracks, but there’s a bed and kitchen in the weather station, so you can stay there for the night.”
Without warning, a huge gasp came from Shining Armor’s right. He turned his head quickly, horn already charging to prepare a shield spell, and saw an excited pink pony staring at him and Blueblood. “Oh my gosh!” she shrieked. “You’re both new ponies in Ponyville and that means… there’s not a moment to lose!” She spun around and sprinted towards the centre of Ponyville.
“Oh, for the love of… Pinkie Pie, wait!” Rainbow Dash snapped off a quick salute to Shining Armor, then sped off after the pink pony, leaving a rainbow trail in her wake. The unicorns could hear “Don’t you dare…” before her voice was lost to the wind.
Shining Armor blinked and looked in the direction that the new pony had departed. He then sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes with a fetlock. “This has been far too much drama at this hour of the morning. At least weather is taken care of, as well as security until the Wonderbolts arrive.” He levitated the Official Overseer’s Checklist out of his saddlebags. “Let me see… the top item on the list is catering, at Sweet Apple Acres.”
“Absolutely not,” snorted Prince Blueblood, stamping his hoof. “Being drenched in mud and rainwater was bad enough – I categorically refuse to sully my royal hooves with a trek through open farmland to inspect some common carnival fare. I need to get the spa and see to my coiffure.”
“Not before we’ve completed at least one more of these items, highness,” Shining Armor insisted. “Royal duty and all that, remember? Next on the list is decorations, in the town hall. We need to go there anyway, to brief the Mayor about the threat. Then you can go to the spa, I promise.”
A parade of ribbons, sparkling with magical light, floated past the last undecorated pillar in Ponyville Town Hall. As each one was held up against the pillar, the white unicorn mare overseeing their movements shook her head. “No… no… no!” she muttered, tossing the rejected colours aside. “Oh, none of these colours is working! I’m going to have to redesign the colour scheme for the entire hall!”
A pink earth pony filly with a purple and white mane scurried to scoop up the rejects and place them in their proper places in their supplies. “Come on, Miss Rarity,” she said, craning her neck to observe the beautiful ribbons and banners adorning the rest of the hall. “You’re nearly done! I’m sure you can find the right colour for this last pillar.”
Rarity raised her fetlock to her forehead and sighed dramatically. “No, I have tried everything! All is lost, my dear! All is… wait, did I try the amaranth?”
“Um… no,” said the filly, nosing through a pile of ribbons. “Just the scarlet, crimson and vermillion. Here’s the amaranth.” She trotted over to Rarity with a red ribbon on her nose, and Rarity snatched it up in her magic at once.
“Yes! This is exactly what I need!” Rarity applied a gentle layer of sparkling dust to the ribbon, then affixed it to the pillar and stood back to admire the effect. “Sparkle always does the trick, does it not?”
“Oh, Miss Rarity, you are such a talent!”
“And you are the most perfect little assistant, Diamond Tiara. What would I ever do without you? I am simply dying to see you step out into the Summer Sun Celebration in your new dress, by the way – it’s one of my finer creations. You will have the eye of every colt in Ponyville, I am certain of it!”
Diamond Tiara waved a dismissive hoof. “I don’t care what colts think, Miss Rarity. I just need to be the best dressed filly at the celebration. I will be, won’t I?”
Rarity pursed her lips, looking down at the filly. “Well, of course you will, dear, but that’s not what fashion is about! Remember what I’ve told you. Who’s the most important pony to dress to please?”
Diamond Tiara turned to face the door, and raised a hoof to point at something. “Prince Blueblood?”
Rarity laughed musically. “Oh, I know I talk about him a lot, but you must dress for yourself, dear! You must express your own true self first and foremost with your couture, and only after that should you bother to impress other ponies.”
“No, I mean Prince Blueblood. Isn’t that him there?”
“Oh, darling, what in the world would Prince Blueblood be doing in our little… oh my goodness, it’s Prince Blueblood!” Rarity dashed behind a green curtain, dragging her box of ribbons and curtain fabrics along with her magic. “I’m not dressed for this! Distract them!”
When Shining Armor and Prince Blueblood strode into the town hall, they were greeted by a curtsey from a well-groomed pink and purple filly, who wore an ornate tiara on her head, and stood near a rustling curtain. Noises occasionally came from behind the curtain, including the unmistakeable sound of magic being performed, and the occasional buzz of power tools. “Good morning, your Highness!” the filly said to Blueblood. She then turned to Shining Armor and looked over his uniform briefly. “And good morning to you too, Commander! I am Diamond Tiara, and it is my great honour to welcome you to Ponyville!”
“Uh… thanks,” said Shining Armor, smiling awkwardly. He rarely found himself talking to children outside of the Royal Academy, except for Spike. “I’m actually a captain, Captain Shining Armor. You were close, though. This is Prince Blueblood.”
“A pleasure to meet you, young miss,” said Blueblood, bowing low to the child. “And may I ask, who was that lady you were speaking to when we entered the hall?”
“Who? Her?” said Diamond Tiara, hastily stepping between Blueblood and the curtain. “Nopony! Nopony at all. Pay no attention to the mare behind the curtain. What brings two such important ponies to Ponyville?”
“Well, Princess Celestia will be here for the Summer Sun Celebration tomorrow morning, and so it is our royal duty to check on preparations and secur... uh… on preparations. For the celebration.” Shining Armor bit his lip, reminding himself not to talk about the threat of Nightmare Moon around civilians, and children to boot.
“Oh, of course!” said the filly. “So, as you can see, Miss Rarity and I have just finished decorating the town hall. Isn’t it just perfect?”
“Did I hear my name?” asked Rarity, stepping delicately out from behind the curtain. Her mane was bound up in an elaborate tower, bedecked with ribbons. A cloak that blended between hundreds of different colours was draped across her back. “Why, good morning, gentlecolts! I wasn’t expecting any visitors to our little celebration.”
“Miss Rarity, this is Prince Blueblood and Captain Shining Armor,” said Diamond Tiara, gesturing to the two stallions. “They’re here to oversee preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. Your Highness, Captain, this is Miss Rarity, who is in charge of decorations.”
“I am deeply honoured to make your acquaintance, your Highness,” purred Rarity, curtseying deeply to Blueblood. “Oh, and you too, of course, Captain!” she added casually. “Now, your Highness… what may this humble subject do for you?”
Shining Armor pressed a hoof to his forehead as Blueblood and Rarity seemed to have eyes only for each other. He glanced at Diamond Tiara, who looked very satisfied with the course of the conversation.
“Well, now that you mention it,” said Blueblood, smoothing down his wet mane, “I ran afoul of your town’s weather corps on my way here, and am badly in need of grooming. Perhaps you could direct me to the day spa of which I have heard so much?”
“Oh, your Highness!” said Rarity, giving another curtsey. “I can do more than simply direct you – I shall accompany you there myself. I am its most loyal patron, after all. It is the least I could do for such an honoured guest!”
Shining Armor cleared his throat. “Your Highness, we still have the rest of the checklist to complete. And your grandmother specifically asked me to ensure your safety on this mission.”
Blueblood tilted his head condescendingly. “Don’t worry, mother. I’m sure you can complete the rest of the inspection without me, since decorations have been taken care of so beautifully by this fair lady here. I hardly think a trip to the spa entails any danger to my royal person.”
Shining Armor groaned, then shrugged. “Alright, but I expect to see you at the weather station before midnight, alright? And don’t get into any trouble!” He found himself relaxing slightly as the prince strode off with his new date. In truth, he could get through the rest of the inspections much faster without Blueblood’s presence, and an assassination attempt was rather unlikely. He turned back to the pink filly, who was watching him expectantly.
“So… kid…”
“Diamond Tiara,” the girl reminded him.
“Diamond Tiara. So, you seem to know your ranks and uniforms pretty well. Are you looking for a career in the Guard yourself?” The filly didn’t look like the martial type, but he had been surprised in the past by cadets who were much more than they seemed.
“Me? Oh, goodness no. I’m not nearly brave or hard-working enough to make it as a Royal Guard. Daddy just says that I should make a point of knowing all about the ponies who sacrifice so much to keep us civilians safe.” She beamed a bright smile up at Shining Armor, blinking innocently.
What a sweet kid, Shining Armor thought. I wish the Royal Guard got this sort of respect from Twilight’s classmates. “That’s a very commendable attitude, Miss Diamond,” he said out loud. “You look to be pretty hard-working yourself, though, helping out Miss Rarity with the decorations. Working hard on earning your cutie mark, huh?”
Diamond Tiara’s beatific smile became a scowl in an instant, and her tail swished around to cover her bare flank. “What?” she snapped. “Who told you that? I know exactly what my special talent is, and I’m going to have my cutie mark any day now!”
Shining Armor found himself taking a step backwards, startled by Diamond Tiara’s sudden rage. “Oh, gosh, uh… sorry I mentioned it. I mean, you’re obviously, uh… very talented!” he stammered, pointing to the decorations around the town hall. “I’m sure Miss Rarity appreciates all of your help.”
Diamond Tiara’s smile returned quickly, although her tail kept covering her flank. “She’d be lost without me,” she said, holding her head up proudly. “She’s Ponyville’s finest interior decorator, and she makes dresses too! I think she’s the most important pony in Ponyville, after Daddy and the mayor, of course.” She gasped, then jumped forward to tug at Shining Armor’s leg. “You should meet Daddy! He’s the chairpony of the Ponyville Chamber of Commerce, so he always likes to meet new ponies, especially important ponies like you.”
Shining Armor found himself dragged along by the energetic pink filly. He briefly considered struggling, but meeting local community leaders was probably part of what Celestia meant by “making friends”. Besides, he was being led deeper into the town hall, so a meeting with the mayor seemed likely to follow.
Diamond Tiara led Shining Armor into a large meeting room at the back of the town hall. Ponies with clipboards, notebooks and official-looking cutie marks, most of them earth ponies, trotted from desk to desk, taking notes and issuing orders. At the largest table in the middle of the room, two earth ponies were conversing over a large stack of notes and forms. One, an elderly mare with a light amber coat and grey hair, was holding up a series of papers, gesticulating at them and raising her voice. The other, a much younger stallion with a darker amber coat and dark grey hair, seemed to be trying to placate the older mare.
“Look at this!” said the mare, producing another pile of papers. “No matter how you look at it, we’ve gone far beyond our budget estimate for the Summer Sun Celebration. We can’t afford all of this entertainment!”
“We can’t afford not to have it, Madam Mayor!” insisted the stallion. “We have to spend bits to make bits. Ponyville needs the tourism that a good Summer Sun Celebration will bring to the town, and we have to capitalize on having Princess Celestia here for it! More tourism means more disposable income being spent in Ponyville stores, and more word of mouth to bring even more tourists and commerce! We can’t rest on the laurels of our agricultural produce forever.”
Diamond Tiara walked up to the stallion and tugged on his tail. “Daddy?” she said. “There’s a pony here I really think you should meet.”
“Hmm? What’s that’s, princess?” The stallion’s voice quickly subsided to a less argumentative tone, but it still held a clear note of authority and confidence. He turned to Diamond Tiara and scooped her up onto the table, so that her head was level with the adults’.
“Daddy, Madam Mayor, this is Captain Shining Armor, who’s come from Canterlot to oversee preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. Captain, this is Filthy Rich, my father, and this is the Mayor of Ponyville.”
Filthy Rich immediately ensnared Shining Armor’s hoof in a firm shake, looking him straight in the eye. “Pleased as punch to meet you, Captain. On behalf of the merchants and businesses of Ponyville, I’d like to welcome you to our fine town.”
Shining Armor disengaged from the hoofshake with difficulty, and pressed his hoof against the ground to keep it from vibrating. “Uh, thanks. It’s good to be here, Mr Filthy.”
Diamond Tiara winced, and Filthy Rich scowled briefly. “I prefer Rich,” he muttered.
“And on behalf of all of Ponyville, I would like to welcome you as well, Captain!” said the mayor. She extended her hoof, but Shining Armor took half a step backwards and simply bowed to the mayor, who bowed back.
Filthy Rich patted his daughter’s head. “Good work looking after our guest, Diamond Tiara,” he said, watching her face glow with pride. “It’s not every day we have important Royal Guard officers visiting Ponyville.”
“Oh, it’s not just the captain, Daddy,” said Diamond Tiara. “He brought Prince Blueblood with him, too! Miss Rarity is taking care of him.”
“Goodness gracious!” exclaimed Filthy Rich. “I never would have expected a guard captain and a prince to come to our little celebration. All that investment in this year’s entertainment must be paying off, wouldn’t you say, Madam Mayor?”
The Mayor gave a polite chuckle. “Alright, Rich, you win this one. Now, come along! We must show our important guest all around Ponyville!”
“Actually, ma’am,” began Shining Armor, “I was hoping to speak to you about the details of the celebration, and…”
“No time like the present!” boomed Filthy Rich, hustling Shining Armor out of the hall. “You’re getting the grand tour of Ponyville!” The Mayor led the way with a spring in her step, and Diamond Tiara trotted alongside them, a smug grin on her face.
“Here we are in Ponyville’s commercial precinct,” drawled Filthy Rich, as he dragged Shining Armor around Ponyville. “The fresh produce market is over here, with carrots, apples, cherries, lemons… whatever fruit and vegetables you care to name, odds are we grow it here! Except asparagus, we can never keep that in stock for some reason.”
“That’s great, really, but I’m not here to go shopping…”
“And in this direction you can see the shopfronts!” said the mayor, pointing out each shop as they trotted along. “There’s the bookstore, the House of Hats, the Day Spa – that’s very popular, as I believe you’re already aware – the flower shop, the Mane Salon, the toy shop… and here’s Quills and Sofas!”
“Wait, you have a shop that just sells sofas and quills? How does that even work?”
“Why, the financial and logistical synergy should be obvious!” said Filthy Rich, urging the party along. “And here is my very own creation, Rich’s Barnyard Bargains, the cornerstone of retail in Ponyville! Don’t forget to drop in and buy a gift for that special somepony in Canterlot before you leave!”
“I definitely don’t have one of those. Look, I’m here in my official capacity as…”
“Now, all the way over on this side of town, you can see our farmland. There’s Golden Harvest Fields, and the Lemon Hearts Orchard, and over here is Sweet Apple Acres, the oldest farm in these parts, and the source of Ponyville’s own zap apple jam!”
Shining Armor stopped in his tracks, looking over the apple orchard stretching out in front of him. “This is where zap apple jam comes from?” he asked, surprised.
“It certainly is, old boy!” said Filthy Rich, drawing himself up proudly. “Ponyville was founded on the back of that jam. In my grandfather’s day, it was Granny Smith who tamed that bit of the Everfree Forest and turned it into a regular crop, and Stinkin’ Rich who commercialized it and shipped it all over Equestria! Our families put Ponyville on the map, no two ways about it.”
“I love that jam,” mused Shining Armor. “We only buy one jar a year, and we make it last.” He sighed, remembering countless breakfasts with his parents, Twily and Spike before moving into the barracks. “Anyway, where were we?”
“We were just moving on to the entertainment district!” said the mayor. “Here is Sugarcube Corner, Ponyville’s premier party venue. The bowling alley is just down this road, and here is Haute Cuisine’s Fine Dining, where we shall have lunch!”
With a groan, Shining Armor took a seat at the outdoor restaurant they had reached. He was no stranger to marching all day, but drills didn’t usually involve paying attention to shops and scenery at the same time.
Filthy Rich took a seat opposite Shining Armor, and the mayor and Diamond Tiara joined them. “So, captain, what do you think of our town now?” asked Filthy Rich, while the mayor placed an order.
Shining Armor rubbed his eyes wearily. “It’s… it’s very nice. You have… shops and things, and it’s all very impressive. Can we talk about why I’m here, now?”
“Oh, but of course, captain,” said the mayor. “You’re overseeing the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration, and I dare say our little tour has demonstrated the town’s readiness quite nicely! You will mention all of this to your prince friend, won’t you?”
“I’m not just here about the preparations, Madam Mayor. I’m here on… official guard business.” He flicked his eyes towards Diamond Tiara, hoping the others would understand the hint.
“Ah. Very good.” Filthy Rich turned to his daughter. “Diamond Tiara, would you excuse us? The Mayor and I need to discuss business with the captain here.”
“But Daddy…” the filly began, pouting mournfully.
“No ‘but Daddy’, princess,” said Filthy Rich, speaking gently but firmly. “This is one of those meetings that I can’t let you listen to, no matter how much I want to. Why don’t you go and help your mother get ready for the celebration? You’ll see Captain Shining Armor tonight, I’m sure.”
“Okay, Daddy!” said Diamond Tiara, giving her father a long hug. She exchanged a familiar nuzzle with the Mayor, then suddenly hugged Shining Armor, who was so surprised that he could only think to pat her mane gently. “Silver Spoon is going to be so jealous when I tell her all about this!” She scampered off into town, giggling to herself.
Shining Armor watched her gallop away. “What a sweet kid,” he said, turning to Filthy Rich. “You must be very proud of your daughter, Mr Fil… Mr Rich.”
“That we are, captain, that we are. She is quite the charmer, though. I hope she didn’t try to wrap you too tight around her hoof.”
Shining Armor pondered this. “Well… I did think she was being surprisingly complimentary of the royal guard…”
His thoughts were distracted by the arrival of their waiter, an elegant earth pony stallion with a cream coat and a striking blue mane. He deposited a platter of sandwiches on their table and bowed deeply. “Will there be anything else, madame, monsieurs?” he asked, watching the three ponies expectantly.
“Uh, no, that’s all, thank you,” said Shining Armor impatiently. He waited for the pony to move to another table, then closed his eyes briefly and concentrated on a spell. A faint rose aura began to suffuse the air around them. When he opened his eyes again, he could hear the soft chatter of voices all around him.
“Alright, listen up,” he said, tapping the table to get the attention of the mayor and Filthy Rich. “I’ve cast a spell to ward off eavesdroppers, so I need to talk to you about the celebration tomorrow.”
“Please, go on, captain,” said the mayor, before applying herself to her sandwich. Filthy Rich waved a hoof, urging Shining Armor to continue while clearly enjoying his own lunch.
Shining Armor cleared his throat. “Well, Princess Celestia sent me here to oversee preparations, but also security. We can’t be certain, but there is the distinct possibility that somepony or something will make an attack on the Summer Sun Celebration.”
Both earth ponies looked as surprised as they could around a mouthful of daisies and bread. The Mayor managed to finish her bite first, and took a careful sip of water before speaking. “An attack on the Summer Sun Celebration? Who would do such a thing?”
“We have our suspicions, but the details are classified. We don’t want to cause a panic by discussing our worst case scenario with everypony. Your weather corps has been briefed on the situation, though, and I’ll be co-ordinating with the Wonderbolts when they arrive, too.”
“What do you want us to do, then, captain?” asked Filthy Rich. “We don’t have a garrison here – we rely on Canterlot for defence.”
“And Canterlot will defend you, I promise. As long as I’m here, anything that threatens Ponyville will need to go through me and my shield. I need you two, and your ponies, to support the weather corps and the Wonderbolts as best you can. Let them set up their perimeters and patrols wherever they need to. More importantly, make sure that whatever happens, the townsponies don’t panic. If the worst happens, we will all need to work together to pull through this.”
The mayor nodded solemnly. “I’ll prepare a speech for the occasion. My speeches always keep the people calm.”
“And I’ll make sure we’ve got plenty of food and entertainment to keep ponies occupied,” said Filthy Rich. “I’d better head over to Sweet Apple Acres and coordinate that with Applejack. You’ll want to speak with her later about the catering, no doubt.”
Both earth ponies quickly finished their lunch and departed, the mayor in the direction of the town hall, and Filthy Rich towards the apple farm. Shining Armor brought the checklist out of his saddlebags and checked off “decorations”. That made precisely two items complete, out of four. As he rubbed his eyes in weariness and frustration, he heard the Ponyville clock tower chiming twelve noon.
Somehow, everlasting night didn’t seem so bad, if the alternative was a morning like this.