The walk would have gone much faster if Raven Wing hadn't hopped off his master's wing to try and chase down a field mouse. Nexus assumed it was because he'd come by just before feeding time. He never liked using magic on Raven Wing so his mischievous pet did everything in his power to not be apprehended by Nexus.
But after a good few minutes of chasing, Raven gave in and allowed his master to catch him and take him where he was going. The phoenix hopped back and forth between Nexus' wings anxiously hoping he could somehow take flight. Nexus came back to town to see the residence putting up streamers, paper lamps of varying colors, and even just colored lights. Most of the usual stands of food and such were starting to shut down while the buildings that housed shops were starting to make modifications for their own events.
Nexus himself had passed a record shop that was preparing the place for a rave. The white unicorn he assumed owned the shop was constantly bobbing her head to an inaudible beat. He was tempted to ask her where the children's corner was but he wasn't sure if she was quite right in the head. He continued to the north side of town towards where he roughly remembered the old library to be. He knew it wasn't there anymore, thanks to the legendary centaur mage, Tirek but he'd never gone by to see what was even left.
Probably nothing left but it was worth a look. There had to at least be some kind of memorial right? As he approached where the large hollowed out oak tree once stood and found almost nothing left. one branch stood in defiance of the attack along with the doorway. The bark outside was singed black from the fires. Nexus let out a sigh of sadness looking upon the ruins. He'd never had the pleasure of actually having been inside the library, all he did was make a contribution of his own knowledge to her vast collection that was now gone.
It was also where his time as a wanderer began nearly ten years ago. Upon reflection, he'd wished he'd not thought about those years. Two months a wandering, angry soldier with nothing more but the voice in his head telling him to give up and let the power it held come in. Just angrily slaughtering any hostile creature that crossed his path and contemplating the same for everypony.
Nexus shuddered and continued walking. In the distance, massive explosions of confetti shot over the roofs. He gathered he could get a good bearing on the direction of the kid section of town; but it was just a thought. Knowing his delay, he picked up the pace and began trotting. Raven Wing didn't quite like the bouncing of his trotting so instead of riding on his wing, he leapt onto Nexus' back and leant forward to keep his balance. As he approached, he saw the bright pink mane of his God Daughter coming in and out of sight.
As he approached, he saw that the whole roof of a building open and both Astral and Gale were being launched out of it. As Nexus redirected his gaze, he noticed the light signal that was Ephilates' red and black coat. Ephialtes turned, sensing Nexus' presence, and Dust and Hestaria followed his gaze. Dust smiled and met him half way. She gave him a quick hug before doing what she did best, gently pushing his buttons.
"Guess Twilight's directions weren't that hard to follow." Dust said sarcastically before quickly looking back to their children flying up out of the building again.
He hated when she was sarcastic with him. "What the heck is going on here anyways?" Nexus asked as Raven Wing hopped onto Dust's back.
"Pinkie Pie opened the roof and replaced the floor with a bouncy castle. Astral and Gale are loving it."
"Speaking of, where is P-"
Before Nexus could finish the name, a bubble gum pink earth pony mare appeared behind him from what seemed like thin air. Her mane and tail looked a lot like cotton candy would have surely had its fair share of children trying to take a nibble on. With her, a bright blue cannon. She pulled string in the back and fired it point blank at Nexus. Instead of blasting him to little tiny bits, a blast of confetti shot from the cannon to the sound of a party horn.
Nexus jumped in surprise and nearly knocked Dust off her hoofs. "Right here!" she said with a massive smile on her muzzle.
"So you are…. How'd you-?"
"How'd I what? Make Sugar Cube Corner into a bouncy castle?" From literal nowhere, she pulled a light blue hard hat with a flashing red light on top of it along with a white board with a rudimentary drawing of the building, still with its roof, and a bounce castle drawn in red marker. The roof had an up arrow pointing away and the bounce castle had its own arrow, this one pointing to the roof that Nexus assumed would be where ever another arrow told it to.
"I was more concerned on how you snuck up behind me. No pony can physically sneak up behind me."
"Well I did."
"But- but- but- How!?"
"Don't worry." Ephialtes said rolling his eyes as though he'd gone through the same conversation. "It's Pinkie Pie, don't question it."
Nexus looked back to where Pinkie and her white board were but they weren't there at all. "Ooo!" She said from behind Dust. "I've never seen a blue phoenix before! What's it eat?"
He swung his head around to answer. "Well nothin' too-"
"What's up with your legs?" she asked from behind him while pulling his right hind leg before gasping heavily. "Are you from the future!?" He tried to get a word in, while forgetting to ask how she got behind him while he was looking at her, but to no avail. "What do I get for my next birthday!?" He opened his mouth to answer but she was quicker on the draw. "Wait don't tell me! What abo-"
Nexus had had enough of this. He shoved his hoof in her mouth and stopped the rapid flow of her nonsensical babbling. "It's a long story I'd like to not go into right now. So I'd like you to not ask about it and slow - down! Now I'm gonna take my hoof off your mouth, and you're not going to get that close to me again, please." Pinkie nodded and Nexus took his hoof off her muzzle. "So this is safe then?"
"Of course Silly Billy! Twilight wouldn't've let me do it otherwise! And you should see what I'm doing with the park!"
"I think I can handle the anticipation. Now uh… How do we get our kids down from there?"