"Okay. That was good, but let's try it from the top again." I said to my crowd of songbirds. A few days ago the mayor had given me the job of training the songbirds for the Summer Sun Celebration. They were doing fairly well, but a few of them were still a tiny bit off key.
They tried it again and we came really close, but one, a blue songbird, was still off key. "Oh my. Um, excuse me, but you were just a teensy tiniest bit off." I said. He nodded and I prepared to start again. "A one, a two-" I started but was cut off by a pony behind me.
"Hello?" she said. "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten your birds." the purple Unicorn said. I flew down and kicked some dirt. I had never seen her before. I know most of the ponies around Ponyville, but I knew she wasn't from here. I really hope she wasn't going to say anything bad about the birds or how I was doing.
"The Princess sent me to check on the music for the Summer Sun Celebration. And I can tell it's going great." she said with a smile. I stayed quiet. I was glad that my efforts were working and that the pony the Princess sent approved of it, but I wasn't sure what I was supposed to say to her. Was there some form of proper tone I had to use while speaking with her? Should I not speak at all?
She gave a wide, awkward smile. "I'm Twilight Sparkle. What's your name."
"Um...my name is Fluttershy." I said quietly.
"What was it?" she asked again.
"My name is Fluttershy." I said even quieter.
"Still didn't catch that." she said. I didn't know what to do. I was so nervous being around her knowing that she was reporting all her findings to the Princess. "Sooo it looks like your birds are back! I'll just be going." she said and quickly left.
I saw her walk away and she started talking to a baby dragon. I instantly perked up. "Oh my gosh! A baby dragon!" I exclaimed. I had read so much about dragons, but I was too scared to find them. They were big and breathed fire and could easily eat a pony. But this was a baby dragon so maybe he could tell me more. "Oh, I've never seen a baby dragon before. He's sooo cute!"
"Well well well." he said pridefully.
"Oh, and he talks! I didn't know dragons could talk!" I said, excited. "That's just so incredibly wonderful I, I just don't even know what to say!"
"Well, in that case, we'd better get going!" Twilight said, putting the dragon on her back.
"Wait! What's his name?" I asked.
"I'm Spike!" he said.
"Hi Spike. I'm Fluttershy. Wow, a talking dragon! And what do dragons talk about?
"Well, what do you wanna know?" he asked.
"Absolutely everything." I replied. He told me everything he knew. What he did in his spare time, what he ate, what he dreamt about, what he liked, what he hated, and so many other things that the books I had read couldn't tell me. I can't believe I'm actually talking to a baby dragon. It's so interesting! I thought.
"...and that's the story of my whole entire life! Well, up until today. Do you wanna hear about today?" he asked.
"Oh, yes, please!" I said.
"I'm so sorry, how did we get here so fast?" Twilight said as we stopped in front of the Ponyville library. "This is where I'm staying while I'm in Ponyville and my baby dragon needs his sleep."
"No I don't-" he said, but fell off of Twilight's back.
"Aww, wook at dat, he's so sweepy he can't even keep his widdle bawance!" Twilight said.
"Oh my, you simply must get into bed." I said, picking him up. I was going to fly inside and tuck him in, but Twilight stopped me.
"Yes, yes, we'll get right on that. Well, good night!" she said and slammed the door.
"But...it's day time." I said, looking at the sky. "Oh! That's right. Pinkie invited me to another party today at the library. I should probably tell Twilight about it." I said, running in.
"Surprise!" I heard Pinkie Pie shout to Twilight. "Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie, and I threw this party just for you! Were you surprised? Were ya? Were ya? Huh huh huh?"
I found Rainbow Dash and Applejack and stood next to them. "Does she always talk this fast?" I asked them.
"Yep. Seems like she's a one way train of fast talkin'." Applejack said.
"Eh, it's whatever. She knows how to throw a party." Rainbow said.
"Well, it certainly does match up with her last party. However, I will admit that I'm not used to a library being this loud." Rarity said, walking next to us.
"And now you have lots and lots of friends!" I heard Pinkie exclaim. Twilights eyes started to water after she drank something. Smoke shot out of her ears and she ran up the stairs.
"I thought that only happened in comics." Rainbow Dash told me. I gave a slight giggle. I remember how much she loved comics as a filly.
There was a slight tingle in the back of my head again that made me look back to Rainbow. There was something about her that was just....beautiful. I felt something in my chest, but I didn't know what it was. "So how are you doing? Are your tricks coming together nicely?" I asked.
"Of course! I'll be a part of the Wonderbolts in no time." she bragged.
"Are ya' sure 'bout that? Sure you won't break under any of that pressure?" Applejack asked.
"Oh please. The only pressure I'll be feeling, is the air as I blow them away with my moves."
"But darling? Have you ever been in front of ponies of their particular class?" Rarity asked. "Are you absolutely positive you won't crack?"
She rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. Nothing makes me crack!" They chuckled and we all walked over to the punch table. We got to know each other through out the night. I didn't talk too much, I mainly listened. "So, Rarity. Where are you from?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Well, Rainbow Dash, I am from the populace city of Manehatten. My dear sister, Sweetie Belle, and I moved here after we were unable to pay the, umm, well, the rent." she said glumly. "I wasn't able to sell many dresses there, so we moved here, hoping to start a new life with less sophisticated ponies."
"At least Ah work hard for what Ah do. We may not be as sophisticated here, but at least we work hard." Applejack said. "Ah tried the sophisticated life in Manehattan when Ah was just a filly. Ah had to be all dressed in fancy, them ponies were rude, and gosh darnit, them meal selections were just too small." she said.
"Oh please, Applejack. You were never fit to live in that city. But I will admit that you do run a respective business with apples. But it's nothing compared to the intense concentration one needs to find the absolute perfect gem to go with the beautiful ensemble I have to make." Rarity retorted. Applejack just shared a small grin with her.
"What about you Applejack?" Rainbow asked. "Bucking apple trees all day has to be one of the most boring things a pony could do. You know, next to reading."
"It's only boring if ya' can't find the purpose in it. Ah love it 'cause it helps feed the ponies here and makes me feel like Ah'm doin' somethin' productive in town." she replied. "Granny always wanted me to be a productive mare and not a lazy vermon that would jus' sit on my rump all day long."
"What about your parents?" Rainbow asked.
Applejack's mood quickly changed. She wasn't as cheerful as she was before. "They, uh, they aren't around anymore. Ah was jus' a filly when they passed." she said, dropping her head. "They ran the farm before Ah was even a few months old. I'd rather not talk about that though." she said.
I looked at her. I never thought about what had happened to her parents. I didn't see them at the barn or house now that I think about it. "It's okay, Applejack." I said. "I don't have any parents either." It was true. I don't consider my mom and dad parents and Rainbow's parents were never around to actually be parents and Felix was never home either. We basically raised ourselves. I don't know what happened though. It's always been a blur. Like something's blocking it."
It wasn't the truth really. I still remembered everything my dad did to me when I was a kid, but I didn't really want to tell everyone that. "Oh, come now. Let's stop this sad recollection of our pasts. I say we toast! To our new friend, Twilight Sparkle!" Rarity said with a raise of her glass.
"Yeah. Cheers." Rainbow said.
"Well, Ah, better go see if Ah'm needed down by the apple orchards for the celebration." Applejack said as she downed her drink. "Ah'll see ya'll later." she said and walked out the of the room.
"I might as well go too. Who knows what Sweetie Belle has gotten herself into." Rarity said. The way she looked at Applejack was very familiar to me. Rarity followed Applejack out of the library. I gave a light smile as I thought back to Big Mac. I had a date with him in a few days, and I was really excited for it.
"You see it too?" Rainbow asked me.
"Oh, yeah." I said, snapping back from my thoughts. "She's, as Angel puts it, twitterpated." I said, thinking of how Applejack reacted to Rarity's comments about Jack.
"Well, haven't we all felt that way at one time or another." she said.
I blushed and turned my face away from her. "Yeah. We have I guess. I started feeling a pain in my chest every time I looked into her eyes. I got a fluttering feeling in my belly that I couldn't explain. My mind went back to Big Mac and I felt the same feelings, just without the chest pains.
"Of course, there's never anypony here who I could like. They're all boring and can't keep up with me. I need someone fast." she said.
"Oh. Yeah." I said quietly. That hurt me. I don't know why it did. It just hurt to hear her say that.
"Hey guys! It's time for the ceremony!" Spike said as he ran by us. Rainbow stopped him with her hoof.
"What's your name squirt?" she asked.
"I'm Spike. Why do you ask?" he said as he took the lamp shade off of his head.
"Well I didn't catch your name when you and Twilight came by and watched me clear the skies." she said.
"Oh yeah! You're that Pegasus that made her mane into a puffball!" he said with a laugh. "That was great!"
"Have you met Fluttershy?" she asked.
"Oh, we've met. Isn't he amazing?" I said.
"Eh, I guess. We better head over to Town Hall though. Don't want to miss that, and you need to get your birds ready." she said. We left the library and walked to Town Hall. The ponies left the library and made their way to Town Hall. I had never seen so many ponies massing at one area like this.
"I've got to go and find my birds. I'll see you later Rainbow." I said when we entered. I flew up to the balcony where I told them to go. They were all there, and I waited for my cue.
"Fillies and gentlecolts, as mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!" Mayor Mare exclaimed. "In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise, and celebrate this, the longest day of the year! And now, it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria..."
"Ready?" I asked them. They all nodded and prepared themselves.
"Princess Celestia!" I heard the mayor say. They started singing on cue, but were cut off by the crowds gasps. I turned to see what had happened and realized that the Princess wasn't there.
"She's gone!" Rarity said from the balcony.
"Oh no. Where is she? What happened?" I said amongst the other questions by the crowd. I looked to my birds which had started to flutter away from all the noise. I looked out the window and saw a blue box flying away from Town Hall. Doctor? I thought, remembering back to a time when he took me back to Rainbow's house in the same thing. My head suddenly hurt, but quickly vanished.
I looked over to the balcony when I heard laughter. "Oh, my beloved subjects. It's been so long since I've seen your precious, little sun-loving faces." a dark mare in armor said standing where the Princess was supposed to be.
"What have you done with the Princess?" I heard Rainbow shout to her. She was about to fly up to her, but Applejack caught her tail in her mouth and held her back.
Good. I don't want her running into danger. I thought. The mare on the balcony chuckled. "Why? Am I not royal enough for you? Don't you know who I am?" she asked.
"Ooh, ooh, more guessing games! Um, Hokey Smokes! How about... Queen Meanie! No! Black Snooty, Black Snooty-" Pinkie Pie rambled before having a cupcake shoved in her mouth from Applejack.
"Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years? Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?" she said, flicking her mane at me.
Signs? I thought. I saw my dad in a dark room, surrounded by the Princess, the Doctor, and me and Rainbow. "But she will return! The signs, Princess. You see them, don't you?" I remembered him saying.
Is this who he was talking about? The leader of the Shadows? I thought. My head started hurting again. I don't know why it hurts every time I think back to anything involving Rainbow Dash. It went away just as quickly as it had come.
"I did. And I know who you are. You're the Mare in the Moon. Nightmare Moon!" Twilight said.
"Well well well, somepony who remembers me. Then you also know why I'm here." Nightmare Moon said.
"You're here to...to..." Twilight stammered. I don't think she really knew what she was doing here. Maybe the Doctor did. But then why did he fly away from Town Hall? He could've helped us.
Nightmare Moon laughed again. "Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night will last forever!"
She disappeared in a puff of thick smoke. If she's here...then Rainbow... I thought. I didn't know where I was going with that thought, but it caused another round of pain to run through my head. I saw Rainbow fly out of Town Hall, following the smoke. Twilight ran out through the doors while everyone else was just in a state of panic.
I flew down to Applejack. "What's going on?" I asked her.
"Ah'm not sure. Apple Bloom!" she shouted. Her little sister ran over to her. "Ah want you to go home and stay there. Ah'll be back in a few."
"Okay, Applejack." she said. I could tell that she was scared, but she was trying to hide it.
"Applejack! Who was that pony?" Rarity asked.
"How should Ah know? Why are ya'll asking me and not Twilight? She's the one who knows who she is." she said.
"Well, she ran off after Nightmare Moon disappeared into smoke." I said.
"She's probably goin' to the library. It's the only place that Ah can think of that may just explain more about what she wants." Applejack said.
"Ooo! Ooo! Are we going on an adventure? I've never been on an adventure before!" Pinkie Pie said.
"Well, girls, let's get going. We should see what Twilight has found to stop this mare from ruining Equestria." Rarity said.
Rarity and Pinkie Pie ran out of Town Hall, but I stopped Applejack before we followed. "Um...Applejack?" I asked.
"What is it sugarcube?"
"Well, I know you sent Apple Bloom home, but what about Big Mac? Is he going to be okay? And Granny Smith?" I asked.
She smiled. "Big Mac is tough enough to handle anything. Don't worry. He'll be fine and dandy for ya'lls date." she said. "Now let's get going. We need to find out all that we can." We ran out of Town Hall and headed for the library.