//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 : Summer Sun Celebration // Story: An adventure from a history book makes a comeback // by keam //------------------------------// Chapter 4: Summer sun Celebration “So, is this the first time you're in Canterlot?” Mint politely asked the grey earth pony stallion and blue pegasus mare that they had learnt to know as Hypie Tech and Bright Sky during the past few days. Hypie Tech simply looked up from his food and gave her an annoyed look before continuing eating, completely ignoring the question. "And what is that supposed to mean?!" Mint snapped, greatly annoyed by Hypie’s ignorant ways.   “Please, don't mind Hypie, he doesn't really like being social at all." Bright Sky said, putting a hoof on Mint's shoulder. “It's Hypie's first time in Canterlot, but I've been here before to visit my cousin, who moved here when she graduated high school.” “And you? Have any of you ever been to Manehattan?” Bright then asked. “I haven't, have you?” Mint said, visibly calmer, looking at Heart Dot, Misty Moon, and Daffodil Spark. Heart Dot shook her head as a no, but Daffodil nodded. “My mother is from Manehattan, so I've been there visiting relatives, and Misty Moon was born in Manehattan.” The other girls looked over at Misty Moon, who was beginning to slouch away as to hide herself from the stares of the other girls. Even Hypie looked out from his food. “Really? That's interesting. I mean, what are the odds that you'd be born in Manehattan?” Hypie Tech said, suddenly not so grumpy, giving Misty one of those smiles he'd given her the first time they met. Misty Moon replied with a shy smile of her own, making eye contact and remaining it for a few seconds.  Already the first day, Misty and Hypie had bonded with each other in a way the others still hadn't, despite having spent 2 weeks practicing together, which had caused the others to “ship” them in a teasing way, saying that they're such a cute couple and such. Bright Sky and Misty had also bonded very much, and the other girls were well aware of that they were staying up late at night talking with one another. “So both you and Heart Dot were born in Canterlot, then?” Bright asked Mint, causing Hypie to change focus from Misty to her. Mint Letter and Heart Dot nodded, finishing the last of their lunch. And so it finally came, the day they all had been waiting for. They all stood at the end of the big, wide stairs outside the castle and waited for the Princesses. And so did thousands of other ponies, hoping to get a glimpse of the Princesses in all their regal glory. As it was important that they looked exactly alike, they had all been dressed in the same delicate dresses, or suite in Hypie’s case, with golden suns and silver coloured moons on them, but in different colours. Mint's dress was blue, Heart's pink, Daffodil and Bright Sky's yellow, and Misty and Hypie's black. Suddenly, when they were standing and waiting for the Princesses, a grey unicorn guard came running out of the castle and whispered something to the brown pegasus guard next to Misty Moon, who, in pure shock, screamed out the message for the hole crowd to hear: “The Princesses are missing!” A shocked gasp was heard from the crowd. The Princesses, missing? What had happened to them? Has Discord returned to his evil antics again?  What were they going to do?! Panic burst out and the crowd was soon dispersed, the grey unicorn guard just standing next to his colleague, face hoofing for all he was worth. Seconds later, all the guards in the castle began running around looking for the Princesses, the captain of the guard franticly trying to get a grip of the situation. Forgotten in the chaos erupting all around them, the six flag carriers decided to try and help in the search for the princesses. They walked in to the castle, and wandering around searching without a plan. None of them could tell how much time that had passed when they finally came to the library.  As soon as they entered the big library, Misty noticed one thing. Why she noticed it, she would probably never know, but it would be the beginning of a fantastic adventure. All the books were standing in their shelves, their backs turned outwards so that you could see the titles. However, the little detail Misty noticed was that there was one book that wasn't. Misty couldn't resist taking the book out, and when she did, they heard a click and the floor opened up, revealing stares leading down through the floor. Without thinking of what they were doing, they all walked down under the library, and when they came down, they heard somepony say: “I still don't understand, why did it have to happen again? How could we be so blind? How could we not see it coming?” They could hear the pony, apparently totally devastated by something, quietly sobbing. “I don't know Celestia, I really wish I did, but I don't!” a male voice said, revealing the mare to be Princess Celestia. “It shouldn't have happened! It just shouldn't!” Celestia continued, her sobs growing louder. So the crying pony was Princess Celestia? Why was she, of all ponies, crying? This should be joyful day, not a tear drenched on! “I know Celestia, but it did, and we're defenceless! The elements stopped listening to you after you banished her the first time, and they've never listened to me in the first place!” The stallion, who as an opposite of Celestia, was trying to find a solution to the problem instead of trying to drench her problems in tears, exclaimed. “I know that, Discord, but I just can't bear thinking about my beloved subjects right now!" Celestia exclaimed, slowly starting to sound old and tired. “I lost Luna again! Again, Discord!" So the stallion was, in fact, Discord? Why was Princess Celestia hiding behind the Royal Library with the spirit of chaos himself, instead of being out there among her beloved subjects? And why where they sounding like Luna died or something? Again? Now they couldn't resist the urge to stick their heads in too the room anymore and looked around the corner. On the floor was Discord, hugging a crying Celestia in an effort to comfort her, even if he seemed as sad as she. Suddenly, Celestia turned around and looked at them. “Who are you?” She said, quickly wiping away her tears and rising from the floor. Mint Letter, Heart Dot, Daffodil Spark, Bright Sky, Hypie Tech and Misty Moon stepped in front, not seeing any point hiding now that she knew they were there. A surprised expression spread across Celestia's face as they stepped out in yes light. “Oh, it's you, the flag carriers!” She said, apparently not expecting it to be them.   “What is that?” Bright Sky asked, pointing at the painted glass window on the wall, depicting of six ponies, standing in a circle around some kind of evil creature, rainbow coloured beams hitting the evil creature in the middle. “It is the latest carriers of the elements of harmony when they defeated Night Mare Moon and turned her back to....” Celestia wasn't able to finish the sentence before new tears were forming in her eyes and she once again shrink down on the floor. “Turned her back to Luna, the Princess of the Night.” Discord continued in Celestia's place. “You have all heard that story, haven't you?”  They all nodded in response. Who hasn't heard the story of the Mane Six? “The Mane Six defeated Night Mare Moon and Discord...” Mint Letter blushed a bit realising who was listening.  “Um, before they made him good of course. And they also found the Crystal Heart and helped save a thousand years old civilisation from an evil unicorn who wanted to rule it and enslave the ponies who lived there.” She had read all books she could find about the Mane Six, and Twilight was her hero since she read her first book about the Mane Six when she was five year old! “And they helped prevent a Changeling invasion” Discord added before letting Celestia continue.  “And saved Princess Mi Amore Cadeza, if you know who she was, so she later on together with her beloved, Shining Armour, Princess Twilight's big brother, could set up a magical aura and throw out the changelings from Canterlot” Even Discord was listening intense now, he had been an imprisoned in stone by the time of this events in history and never heard the details. “And probably saved my life...” Celestia finished the story. “Sun knows where Luna was during the invasion, I’m just happy that she was safe!” Celestia at first sounded tired, and then, at the end, she was even slightly smiling, even if it didn't really reach her eyes. They only stood there, their jaws hanging open at the new facts. “But today something we didn't think ever would happen again happened” Discord said. Before Discord could finish the sentence, black smoke appeared, swallowing Celestia and forming Nightmare Moon, or they assumed it was Nightmare Moon, in front of him. “Well, if it wasn't Celestia, my precious sister!” Nightmare Moon said.  “And here we have Discord, the one who only yesterday claimed to love me!” She then continued. “You fool! You never suspected anything! And because of your kindness, you’re standing on the losing side!” “I love Luna, and nopony else, and especially not you!” Discord replied.   “But, I’m Luna! Come again Discord, you may not want to, but you know that this is me!”  “You’re not Luna” Discord then said. “I mean, look at that ugly armour you’re wearing. Luna would never wear something like that! And you know what? I will never turn back to the dark side.”  Discord crossed his arms over his chest.  “I gave Fluttershy that promise and I won't break it!” “You still keep yourself stuck with that promise!” Nightmare Moon screamed. “Unable to move on, unable to forget!? She is gone Discord, gone!  You shouldn't show such feelings for somepony who was mortal!” “She was my first friend in thousands of years!” Discord screamed. “She showed me all the great things in life that I hadn't bothered to notice, all the great things in life that only friendship can give you! And the first friend is always something special, you of all should now!”   Nightmare Moon stared Discord with a mix of surprise and disbelief written across her face, but didn't say anything. “Do you remember that day by the lake?” Discord asked. “You were lost and crying because you didn't know how you would get home and I didn't know what to do, so I made toys appear in order to get you to stop. Eventually it worked, and then I showed you the way back to the castle. Do you remember what happened the next day? You came back! Next day, and the day after that. You came back every day to the lake and we would play! Then I was foolish enough to turn to the dark side, and I lost you!” Nightmare Moon seemed like she wanted to ask something, but Discord continued: “But when Fluttershy made me change my ways, I got a second chance, a chance to do things right. But I let Tirek trick me, and when I realised exactly what I'd done, I didn't think I'd get another one, but I did!” Discord paused before continuing. “Don’t you see? I won't get another chance if I blow it this time!” Nightmare Moon seemed like she didn't know what to do, and disappeared. Celestia didn't return, and by now, they had understood that the only way to get her back was to find the Elements of Harmony. “What will we do now?” Mint Letter said, sounding somewhat scared. “Well, since you aren't in the area close to the Everfree Forest.” Discord started. “Have you considered travelling to Ponyville?” “What? Why would that help? And why should we take advice from the spirit of chaos?!”  Hypie Tech immediately said, causing everyone to stare at him, since it was the most he had said since he came to Canterlot. “I cannot help, being the kind of creature I am.” Discord replied. “But it  seems like Nightmare Moon always return to the old castle in the Everfree where she and Celestia lived before she turned evil the first time around.”  “And they still have Twilight Sparkles personal journals and their “friendship diary” in the local library, by magic prevented from turning to dust, which could help you find the elements.” Discord added. “Okay, but if you’re tricking us, we'll make sure you regret it!” Daffodil Spark said before they all ran up the stairs to the library and headed for the station to see if they could catch a train to Ponyville. “And how exactly are you going to punish me?”  Discord said after the ponies left the room and could no longer hear him, a missives smile playing on his face. “No one has been able to punish me in more than a thousand years!”