Summer Sun Scavenger

by AizakkuHorooee

Act 2

After having teleported, Cozy Glow and I are now outside of Canterlot Castle. I’m about half familiar with Canterlot, mostly from what I remember seeing over two and a half years ago. But ever since Twilight, Spike and Starlight started hanging out more with Twilight’s old friends, I’ve taken note of a few additional places in relation to the ones I saw beforehoof.

“Alright Cozy, once we find a nearby landmark in Canterlot, I should know the rest of the way to the local hardware store.”

“And how will we find that?” she asks. “It’s so dark out here, we won’t be able to see the facade.”

I momentarily wrap my hoof around Cozy as I give her the main instruction. “Just follow the light of my eyes. Twilight and the rest of us visit her old friends sometimes, and we usually go for some donuts. And I do know I always see something along the lines of our target somewhere between Pony Joe’s and the train station.”

While walking, I make sure our movement is efficient and quick. At least now I sort of know my way around here. Once we enter familiar territory, I close my eyes for a moment and charge my horn. Now I can smell in space, but unlike last time, I can pick up on more than just organic scents: I can also pick up on elements as well. To my right, donuts are detected, and on the left, something at least partly metallic.

“Aita, why did we stop?” asks Cozy, looking around.

“I was using my abilities to find our way,” I explain as we continue our way to the first destination. “I smelt nuts and bolts where we’re headed now. This is what Chrysalis and Carve call trailing.”

Now looking to our right, and toward the night sky, we see a storefront labeled with a hammer, saw and screwdriver, me because of my sight alone, and Cozy since I’m looking at the sign. Cozy realizes what trailing means now. “Because that way you always find what you’re looking for!”

Entering the store, thirteen aisles in all are present on the sales floor, filled with a variety of tools, metals, plastics and other items a mechanic could potentially use. The outer shelf across the sales floor spans the entire wall while a single counter occupies the front of the wall on our side. Behind the counter, a unicorn stallion with a white coat and orange mane, tail and mustache looks to be working a night shift. His cutie mark depicts a silver wrench.

“Oh! Hello there, Aita,” he greets. “How may I help you?”

I hover up to the counter, pointing to Cozy when I say her name. “Um, did Shining Armor come by earlier? Cozy Glow and I are on a scavenger hunt that led us here.”

“Oh! I think I know who you’re talking about. He said he was leaving a note somewhere.”

“The ink carts?” Cozy Glow says as she joins me at the counter, prompting the clerk to confirm.

“Mhm. Right across the sales floor in the front.”

Cozy and I turn around to see that the clerk is right. We approach the note as I take it off the shelf of ink cartridges and read it.

“You need to find the fancy dress as you go and take a guess. This suit is loose, but it’ll fit when buttons always come with it. You know what this means, right?” I ask Cozy, already knowing the destination.

“Canterlot Carousel!” the clerk answers for her. “You know the way over from here, right Aita?”

I nod and head back out with Cozy behind me. “Thanks for the help. Have a wonderful day!”

“You too, Aita, Cozy Glow.”

And so, it’s off to Canterlot Carousel we go.

---

Following what happened in the throne room, I begin looking for Shining Armor. Unfortunately, I don’t know where he could be.

“Oh, if only I could trail like Aita could.”

After what feels like hours, I pass by the ceremony hall, seeing Shining Armor at the doors, but I don’t notice until he’s out of my sight. I gasp and backtrack to the same hall.

“Twily?!?”

I race toward him.

“Shining Armor? Could you explain what’s going on? Why would you send Aita and Cozy Glow on a scavenger hunt without my knowledge?”

“Wait a minute; who told you?!?” he frantically asks, looking around.

I shake my head. “Nopony. I was in the throne room, preparing to rewrite my speech when I saw your note!”

Shining Armor puts a hoof to his chin. “That’s strange. They never took it with them?”

“Apparently not! Why would Aita and Cozy lie to me? They said they were just going to be playing in the castle!”

In response, my brother just takes a deep breath. “I thought that if I just kept the hunt between them and me, that would be one less thing for you to oversee during the celebration. Looks like Aita had more of an impact on you than I thought, huh? I remember when Flurry Heart was on the way, it took you nearly a minute to go over the clues and figure it out. And now look at you. It only took ONE clue for you to get it.”

“Hm… I do remember Aita figured out what she was getting for her birthday two years ago with only a couple of unintentional hints.”

Shining Armor hugs me. “I’m sorry, Twily. I should’ve told you I’d be hosting the scavenger hunt for Aita and Cozy Glow.”

“It’s okay, BBBFF. At least I learned my lesson about doing the same with Aita. I can only imagine how she felt when I had her step out before Lightning Dust’s welcome party. At least Muffins was there to comfort her. Now, why don’t you go and finish your part of the scavenger hunt.”

My brother nods and heads elsewhere in the castle while I head back to the throne room to begin rewriting my speech.

---

Normally, this time of day, I would be asleep at home, but tonight is different, since it is the Summer Sun Celebration. And while Rarity IS in Canterlot, she’s busy helping with the fireworks display troop at Canterlot Castle for the festival there, so I am running Canterlot Carousel as “normal”. As a result, business is rather slow, but manageable.

A few hours into the night shift, the bell rings decidedly twice. So, I do the same blind song and dance as I always do.

“Welcome to Canterlot Carousel! How may I help-” Suddenly, I notice a young changeling and a pegasus filly together at the entrance. I don’t recognize the latter, what with the pink coat, sky blue curls, ivory ribbons and rook cutie mark, but certainly the former. “Panels and patterns! It’s Aita!”

Aita waves hello and floats a piece of paper out of her saddlebag to me. “Hi, Sassy Saddles! Cozy Glow and I found a note at the hardware store that led us here.”

“A note? Let’s see.” I take the paper and read it in my head. My eyes widen when I recognize the hornwriting. “It’s from Shining Armor! He stopped by during the day and placed something similar on one of the stallion tuxedos. That appears to be what he was referring to here on this note. Accompany me around back, and you’ll see.”

I lead Aita and Cozy Glow to the back of the shop and turn on the lights. Across the room, a manikin dons a particularly smashing stallion tuxedo, buttons and all, only with a note attached to its left side. Aita is wide-mouthed from the suit’s beauty, zipping over to the manikin to examine it further.

“Man! I’ve NEVER experienced something so amazing! It’s really too bad I had such a bad response to the chain of retirements and moving last year. I probably would’ve looked really good in that as a drone!”

I giggle as she hugs the manikin, feeling the full texture of the tuxedo. “I’m certain you would’ve. What wonderful input, Aita.”

Cozy Glow flies over to the manikin, takes the note off and begins reading. “I know you’re reading number three, so take a look among the trees. Over there, a spirit pens when friendships are about to end? All I got from that is that it stems from that friendship mission involving my school that Aita and Chrysalis were on.”

“Very interesting! My boss, Rarity, has talked with me in the past about similar quests of hers around Equestria,” I explain.

Aita gasps in excitement. “That’s it! The tree of harmony!”

“The what?” Cozy squeaks, tilting her head.

“Thanks for your help, Sassy Saddles. But Cozy and I will need to get going if we want wanna see the sunrise.”

I nod at Aita while she stores the note inside the saddlebag. “Happy to help, fillies. Now, good luck with the hunt.”

And so, Aita teleports herself and Cozy out of my boutique, leaving me to my own devices. I take a look at the clock: one in the morning.

---

In the food area, Pinkie Pie begins testing all the carts while I track down Braeburn.

Step away from the wagons! Official food tasters on official food tasting business! Pinkie springs from one of the carts, scaring away the rest of the earth ponies while she consumes all the pies within it.

I turn to Braeburn and give him the card as he sighs. “It ain’t gonna be easy. But I think we can whip up these new cookies Twilight wants before sunrise.”

“If anypony can handle some last minute bakin’, Braeburn,” I say, quietly laughing midway through. “It’s y’all.”

“We brought plenty for the celebration, but if she keeps testin’, we might be in trouble.”

As Braeburn is talking, Pinkie is eating all the cupcakes on another designated cart, so I walk over and grab her by the tail with my mouth and drag her away from the food.

“But I see a suspicious looking COOKIE!” Pinkie shouts.

---

Rainbow Dash and I are consulting Feather Flatterfly about the new changes to the weather. Unfortunately, he ends up freaking out when he first hears.

“The princess wants WHAT?!?”

He is shown Rainbow Dash’s card as she speaks. “Just what’s on that little card. No big deal.”

“No big de-de-” he stops short, his eyes darting around. “G- …I-i-it’s a m-MUCH more aggressive weather pattern than what was originally ordered! This- this is… very… irregular! We’ll need to- No! Uh first, we must- Wait! We c-”

Feather Flatterfly starts pacing around like a certain best friend I know would’ve years ago, but after a while yawns from the exhaustion of his freakout, so I approach him and try to comfort him.

“Take a breath… Let it out slowly.” He does as I tell him, calming him down significantly.

“Tell the princess we will do our best.”

“We’re sure you’re doing an excellent job,” I assure him.

“D- oh yeah, totally… you’re not gonna panic and screw it up AT. ALL,” Rainbow Dash says, masking her apparent doubts for Feather Flatterfly, but we walk away from him anyway.

---

Rarity and I arrive at the stage to see the unicorn troops practicing their pyrotechnics display for the celebration.

“Whoa!” I exclaims as we look up.

“The flaiming sky firework troop is a marvel,” remarks Rarity.

The leader, Fire Flare, turns around with pride. “We take pride in what we do.”

I walk up to the stage and give her me and Rarity’s cards. “These last minute changes aren’t too challenging, are they?”

“Ha!” Fire Flare laughs as takes the cards with her magic and reads them. “The more challenging, the better! We aim to astound! Now if you don’t mind, we do have a new routine to prepare.” She gives me back the cards and faces backstage again. “Horns at the ready!”

Sounds good enough for me and Rarity, so we quickly leave the unicorns to their work, heading back to the throne hall probably like the rest of us will be doing pretty soon.