It Begins - Happy Summer!

As the hour hand neared two o'clock, a chant of "summer, summer, summer" floated up to the front of the classroom, growing to a volume that Rainbow Dash would greatly approve of.

"Alright class! Don't forget to work on your picture diaries over your summer break!" Cheerilee smiled as the students in front of her groaned in protest while packing their bags. "It won't be too bad. Just keep a log about what happens over your vacation. You can even draw if you want! I will be checking -" The teacher was interrupted by the bell, signaling the end of school and the beginning of summer break. Everypony broke into loud cheers, screaming "SUMMMEEEERRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!"

As Sweetie Belle tossed her bag over her back, students poured out of the building, voicing their excitement through song and that weird background music that always appeared out of nowhere. Sweetie wasn't quite sure why that always happened. It was kinda strange. But Pinkie Pie had said to not question it. When Pinkie says to not question something, you don't question it if you value your life. The air was filled with the colts yelling "what time is it!?", after which the fillies would reply "summer time!" Together, everypony danced through the school yard, singing "It's our vacation! What time is it!? Party time! That's right, say it loud!"

Sweetie Belle trotted along with the crowd, joining in on the song. She wished her other friends were here. Button Mash was home sick with the flu, Apple Bloom was in Fillydelphia with her sister, and Scootaloo had decided to play hooky without telling her. Oh well, she thought. I guess I'll just go home then. Rarity isn't there, so I'll have the place all to myself. She smiled to herself, thinking about how she'd get to make something to impress her sister. And maybe she could sneak some candy without her finding out. She giggled as she trotted up the path to the Carousel Boutique, causing ponies to give her weird looks and survey the area, wondering what was so amusing. Once inside, she tossed her bag on the floor and got a glass of water.

"Oh!" Her eyes widened as she was struck with a sudden stroke of genius. "I know, I'll go for my walk a bit early today! Also, I can make it a bit longer since Rarity won't be waiting for me." Placing her glass on the counter, Sweetie Belle grabbed her bag and ran upstairs, emptying the well-worn markers, pencil stubs, and doodle-filled notebooks on her bed. "I'm gonna have to get a diary too," she said to herself as she closed the flaps of her saddle bag and put it on before closing her bedroom door and heading back downstairs. "Rarity won't even know I'm gone. She's not supposed to be back until dinner time." The filly locked the door to the boutique, exiting once again into the warm summer air.

A few minutes later, she was strolling through the dark alleyways of Ponyville, humming cheerfully to herself. Just as she was rounding the corner of the alley, she tripped over something. As she fell through the air, a squeak so high pitched that only dogs could hear it came from her mouth. She landed with a dull thud on the street. "Owwww," she complained as she regained her composure. "What the hay?" Looking back, she discovered the cause of the disaster. A visually pleasing journal lay on the ground behind her. It was covered in a velvety maroon material with gold embroidery across the front and back. Picking it up, she flipped through the pages to see who it belonged to. It was blank. A sly grin crept onto Sweetie Belle's face as she turned it over in her hooves. Looking around cautiously to make sure nopony was there to see her, she sneakily slipped the empty journal into her bag.

"Well, at least I won't have to buy a journal now," Sweetie Belle smiled, pleased with what she had found. Turning around, she began to trot back home, taking the long way. She couldn't wait to see what exciting things she would experience over the summer to put in the diary. This was going to be a great summer!

A week later, Sweetie lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, and groaned. "UuuuuuuUUUUUGGGGHHHHHHHHHH! Nothing has happened this summer! Nothing! At! All!" She groaned again, flipping over and burying her face in her pillow. After sighing heavily and proceeding to hold her breath for exactly 45.86 seconds, she lifted her head from her pillows, gasping for air. She felt so incredibly bored. She looked it too. Never in her life had she felt so annoyed at the world. Begrudgingly, she got up and wandered downstairs, looking for something to eat or do to curb her boredom. She hadn't written anything in her journal yet. She bet that Apple Bloom had already filled her journal with all the adventures she had had with her family in Fillydelphia. Button Mash, once he got better, had gone on vacation with his mom and dad and wasn't due back until next Friday. Scootaloo had been spending a lot of time with the Rainbow Dash fan club lately, organizing events and spending every waking moment observing her hero. And Rarity wasn't any fun. She was working on a huge project for some famous pony Sweetie Belle had never even heard of. Whenever she tried to help, Rarity would just get annoyed and push her out of the room. Miss Cheerilee was going to think Sweetie Belle was just some pathetic little pony with no life when she showed up on the first day of school with an empty notebook. She trudged into the kitchen and spotted a white box sitting on the table, in perfect condition, bearing the excitingly familiar logo of Sugarcube Corner.

Stuffing her face with cupcakes that Pinkie Pie had brought over, Sweetie Belle could almost hear the light bulb appear over her head. Grinning, she ran back upstairs to her room and closed the door behind her. Reaching under her bed, she pulled out the bag that held the journal she had found in the alley way. As she lifted the slim journal out of the bag, her shoulders began to shake and she threw her head back, laughing maniacally. She had the perfect idea. If nothing interesting would happen this summer, she would just have to make something up! Miss Cheerilee wasn't going to do intensive event-checking to make sure everything was true. She would never know the difference!

Sweetie Belle grinned mischievously as her shoulders quaked with the remnants of her laughter. Slowly and dramatically, she turned the pages of the journal and picked up her pen. Oh yes. This was going to be a most exciting summer. Most exciting indeed.

Author's Note:

Ah, references. I couldn't help myself.