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// 12: The Ponies of Salvation 
// Story: All Alone 
// by lunas_servant 
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The Princess and I excused ourselves and headed out to meet the ponies of Salvation. “The citizens here are good ponies Princess, and they live to worship your night. When I woke up most of the places were still closed, but some were just opening. This entire town works at night, while the rest of Equestria slumbers,” I stated.

“I have no doubt they are good people, and I will most certainly be having a talk with my dear sister upon returning to Canterlot. I forgive her for my banishment, and accept it as a necessary evil that she wiped me from the minds of the ponies, but what she did to my loyal ponies was taking things too far,” said Luna.

I looked up at my Princess and saw a spark of...something...in her eye. Was it anger? Anger at the plight of her loyal ponies? No, it was something else. “Princess?” I gently spoke. She looked over at me and then looked away as he cheeks turned a darker shade of blue. “It's nothing Cloud Twist, I'm not angry at her. Disappointed for sure, that she would treat any pony the way she did, but not angry.

It was at this moment that a bright green unicorn mare with a really wavy purple mane and a burst of streamers for a cutie mark appeared from inside a flash of purple light not two feet from my face. “Hiya!” she called out with a loud and hyper voice. “My name's Lunar Sweets, if you're looking for a guide to Salvation then I'm your pony friend! I know everypony in the entire town and the entire town is buzzing about you two,” she said excitedly.

“Well hello Lunar Sweets,” greeted the Princess kindly. “My companion and I would love a guide around town. We were hoping to meet some of the townsponies before the town meeting tomorrow.”

“Of course my Princess,” exclaimed the hyper pony. “I know a lot of ponies who would be very happy to meet and to serve the Princess of the Night, finally returned from her banishment. Come with me!” With that the pony started bouncing down the street like a bunny hopped up on a megamix of sugar, caffeine and Red Bull. I just looked after her in a mix of shock and surprise until the Princess began following her with a regal pace and a smile on her face. I did a double take, I hadn't seen that smile in a very long time. I had forgotten how much it lit up her face.

Lunar Sweets noticed we weren't by her side and she bounced back to us and started jabbering on at a rapid pace. “We're gonna have so much fun!” She inhaled deeply, “I almost forgot in all the excitement, we need to throw a party! Everypony can meet the princess all at the same time! Everyone comes to a Lunar Sweet party!” With that she disappeared in another flash of purple light.

“The ponies of this town sure are...interesting,” I said, staring at the place where Lunar Sweets had disappeared.

“Very much so,” replied the Princess with a giggle.

A little ways down the road was an open park with a large lake. Ponies were swimming in the lake and having picnics on the shore. We headed into the park and everything just stopped as they all looked up to see the Princess they had waited for. Many of them rushed over and began crowding around us and jabbering all at once. I saw a young filly get pushed to the ground as bigger ponies rushed forward. I pushed my way through the clambering crowd to the filly and helped her up.

“Are you okay?” I asked. She wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded yes. “What's your name?” I asked.

“Story...” she began and the rest of her sentence faded off.

“I'm sorry, what was that?” I pressed.

“Storybook Heart” she said in a whisper.

“Well Storybook Heart, would you like to meet the Princess?” The young filly nodded enthusiastically, her face lit up with a smile. I pulled her up on my back and made my way through the crowd to the Princess who was desperately fending off questions, answering as many as she could. “Princess, this is Storybook Heart, she really wanted to meet you.”

“Well hello there my little pony,” said the Princess, smiling as she leaned towards Storybook Heart. The little filly leaned forward and wrapped her hooves around the Princess in a hug and the Princess laughed cheerily, as did the crowd around us. Princess Luna pulled the filly onto her back and addressed the crowd around them. “Thank you all for the warm welcome and I promise all of your questions will be answered in time. There is still much for me to discover, I only just learned about this place a couple of nights ago and I have questions of my own. As I understand, there is to be a town meeting tomorrow night. I will answer any questions then. Tonight I would just like to get to know the ponies of Salvation.

It was at this very moment that there was another flash of purple light and Lunar Sweets appeared yelling “Party!” She pulled on a string and every type of party supply imaginable burst from a hot air balloon hovering over the park. The party supplies miraculously fell neatly into place all around the park. A DJ set up turntables near the picnic area and music began blaring from many speakers set up around the park area. The ponies began to cheer and some of them starting dancing. Princess Luna looked at me and I shrugged my shoulders. These ponies were quite a mystery to me.