Fluttershy was outside the throne room. The queen had requested to speak with her,
“The Queen will see you now.” Thunderlane said as he stepped out of the throne room.
Fluttershy tried to look brave as she entered the throne room.
“Fluttershy,” Celestia said. “I fear you are working too hard to find Mozzarella Jack. I request you take the day off.”
Even though she wasn’t in trouble, Fluttershy felt bad about having to take the day off.
“Yes my Queen.” Fluttershy whispered before departing.
She walked out of the throne room, but bumped into somepony. She looked up and saw Rainbow Dash standing there.
“Watch where you’re going, why don’tcha?” Rainbow snapped.
“You have no business just standing in the middle of the hallway.” Fluttershy said angrily.
“Says who? You can’t tell me what to do.” Rainbow retorted.
“Well I’m the Captain. So you have to do what I say!”
“Today you aren’t! Spitfire’s taking your place.”
As if on cue, Spitfire emerged from an open door and stood next to Rainbow Dash.
“…And what she says goes. Right Captain?” Rainbow asked.
“That’s right, Lieutenant.”
“What? But Daring Do is Lieutenant.” Fluttershy said. “And if she’s gone, then it’s Gilda.”
“Well, Spitfire’s the captain now, and what she says goes.” Rainbow repeated. The two started laughing.
Fluttershy flew so fast her armor flew off and she flew until she reached a spot she hadn’t been to in years: It was an old stump that was hollowed out to make a little seat.
She sat there and sobbed. After she had ‘broken up’ with her old friends, she became Captain. It had made her braver. She hadn’t cried in years.
She wished for a friend. Someone she could be herself around. She didn’t see the pony walking up behind her.
--------------------------
Pinkie was looking at almost everything in town. It was all so new.
She looked at a big mural made with what looked like candy wrappers. It was of the king and queen holding a small filly. Pinkie looked at the child for a moment. She saw a small colt holding a rose with a purple ribbon tied around the stem.
“It’s for the Lost Princess.” he explained to the older mare standing next to him, whom Pinkie could only assume was his mother.
Jack was walking away from Sugar Cube Corner. He had just bought some brownies frosted with cookie dough and sprinkled with bits of chocolate. He knew Pinkie would love them.
He saw Pinkie In the middle of the square, dancing. Pinkie took Pipsqueak by the arm and danced with him. She even got Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy to dance. She linked arms with a purple unicorn.
Pinkie never noticed that the five’s coats were sort of dull, compared to the other ponies’ vibrant colors. She watched as Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and the unicorn’s coats turned vibrant.
She saw Fluttershy dancing with a grey stallion. He had a twister Cutie Mark.
Pretty soon almost everypony was dancing to the music. Octavia had started playing her cello, while Vinyl played some dubstep along with it on her bass canon.
Pinkie motioned for Jack to come over, but he just shook his head. Pinkie went over and grabbed his arm and dragged him over to the dance circle.
At one point Pinkie was dancing with the grey stallion, and Jack was dancing with Fluttershy. Jack wanted to run, but Fluttershy’s grip was firm. He was waiting for her to drag him to jail, but that moment never came. He noticed that her mane and coat were more vibrant today. That was weird.
Then the music stopped. The Mane 5 galloped over to one another and hugged.
Most of them had tears rolling down their cheeks and were all frantically apologizing to one another.
“You.” the purple unicorn said, walking over to Pinkie. “Thank you so much. You’ve made us happy again. We are in debt to you. My name is Twilight Sparkle.”
“Aww, it was nothing.” Pinkie said, blushing lightly.
“No, really.” Twilight urged. “We would be honored to be to your friends.”
“Really?” Pinkie asked. “Now I have 6 friends!”
Later that evening.
Pinkie was standing out on a dock while Jack was carrying a canoe over.
“So, what are we doing now?” Pinkie asked.
“Well, it’s the best day of your life, right?”
Pinkie nodded.
“I figured you should have a good view.” he said.
They sat in the canoe, watching the sunset. Gummy sat on a knob in the boat.
“I’m so nervecited!” Pinkie said happily.
Celestia was also getting ready for the big night. It had been 18 years. Pinkie Pie still hadn’t shown up.
Sombra came up behind her. He wiped away a tear trickling down her cheek. They walked out onto the balcony together, neither saying a word.
The pink lantern with Pinkie’s Cutie Mark sat there, waiting. Together they lifted the lantern into the sky. One by one more lanterns filled the sky, these ones appearing from all corners of the kingdom.
From the boat, Pinkie gasped at the sight. It was so beautiful. Every bit of the sky lit up. She looked back at Jack and saw that he was holding two lanterns.
“I have something for you, too.” She took out the satchel.
“I wanted to give it to you before, but I was afraid you’d leave me.” Pinkie explained.
“It doesn’t matter to me anymore.” Jack said.
They each took a lantern and lifted it up into the sky.
Pinkie saw a lantern about to hit the water, and at the last minute she slipped her hoof under it and lifted it back up into the air. She didn’t notice the three balloons in the pattern of her Cutie Mark.
She looked back into his eyes. They just stared into each other’s eyes for a few moments until they both started moving closer.
The gap between them was almost gone when Jack spotted something. A green light shone on the shore with the shapes of Aria and Sonata.
“I need to do something real quick.” he said, pulling away.
“Okay.” Pinkie said, slightly hurt.
--------------------------------
Fluttershy sat there. Why did Rainbow Dash always have to ruin things?
She had no friends, and no job. She was quitting. She never wanted to see that cyan pegasus again.
She was so caught up in her sorrows she didn’t notice the approaching pony until he had sat down next to her.
Fluttershy’ heart started racing, not sure what to expect. She looked over and saw the stallion she hadn’t seen in years. She started grinning like a maniac, looking at her closest friend.
“Discord! You’re back!” she exclaimed, throwing her hooves around his neck. Discord smiled and returned the gesture, holding her tightly.
He was just as she remembered. He was always so warm and smelled strongly of cotton candy and chocolate milk.
“Are you staying here?” Fluttershy asked.
“If that is what you wish, my dear.” he said.
Fluttershy smiled.
---------------------------------
Present time
Jack tied the boat to a tree.
“Wait here.” he instructed. “I’ll only be a second.”
“O-okay.” Pinkie stuttered. This wasn’t like him, and she couldn’t help doubting that he wouldn’t come back. It didn’t help that he took the satchel with him.
Pinkie watched Jack until he was out of sight.
Jack found Aria and Sonata sitting behind a large rock. Sonata was sharpening her knife, while Aria sat flipping a silver coin in her hoof.
The lantern cast a light directly on their faces, making them seem deadly.
He just wanted to get this over with and be back to Pinkie as soon as possible.
“Well.” he started. “I just wanted to tell you that you were right, you do deserve the crown. And you can have it, no catch.”
He tossed the satchel over to Aria. He expected her to catch it, but she let it fall to the ground.
“We don’t want the crown, Jack.” Aria said. She walked slowly over to him, stepping on the worn leather.
“As you may have noticed, we are so ordinary. Always thieving, but we’re not much concern. There’s nothing amazing about us, although we are quite attractive. We’ve been watching you Jack. And we couldn’t help but notice that little mare alongside you.”
“Stay away from her!” he said.
“You and what army?” Aria asked. “That mare could make me rich. Everypony would remember Aria Blaze, the girl who captured the freakshow.”
Jack narrowed his eyes.
Pinkie was thinking that Jack would never return when she saw a silhouette coming nearer.
“Oh, there you are. I should have known you wouldn’t leave with the crown.”
She gasped in shock as the large pony separated into two smaller ponies walking side by side.
They were both mares. One was purple with a dark purple mane, and the other was blue with a dark blue mane.
The blue one was giggling madly, and the purple one had a wild look in her eyes.
“He did.” the purple one said. She pointed to a boat which a stallion was at the wheel, steering.
“Jack?” Pinkie called out to him. There was no response. “Jack!” she said frantically.
“Sonata, how much do you think somepony would pay to stay young and healthy forever?”
Pinkie turned around in time to see a sack being produced from the inside of the jacket the purple earth pony was wearing. It was the size of a full grown pony.
“No!” Pinkie cried as she took off running into the black of night.