The snow covered Ponyville as ponies wandered around, some decorating their homes, others giving gifts to their families and friends, and others having fun on the snow.
That wonderful scenario could be seen from Canterlot by one certain Bat Pony.
Outside of the castle, Jimmy Hook watched as everypony in Ponyville celebrated Hearth's Warming Eve. The fresh air made her sneeze once.
"Oh, I shouldn't stay still for more than half an hour." She said.
Earlier, she had prepared some clothes. She was wearing a purple jacket with a black hood, a pair of black boots, and a pair of black and purple ear muffs. However, on top of the clothes, she put her Lunar Guard Armor because she couldn't stand being separated from it.
As she stared at Ponyville, Jimmy thought about how much she missed her friends.
"Well, I'm on vacation for now, so I guess I could visit them." Jimmy said, as she went to the train station.
At Ponyville, Twilight and her friends were reunited inside the Friendship Castle, getting ready for having fun (except for Pinkie, who was busy doing things outside). The castle looked brilliant with all the decoration.
"Any idea what Pinkie is exactly doing?" Twilight asked.
"I think she said something about setting up some sort of game." Rarity answered.
"That sounds great! I wanna know what it is!" Rainbow said.
"Well, Pinkie will tell us when she gets back." Applejack replied.
Just some moments later, Pinkie bursted through the castle's doors.
"Hey, girls! I just wanna tell you the game I planned is ready, and some ponies are already playing it!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"Sounds fun." Fluttershy muttered with a smile.
"What's that game about, Pinkie?" Spike asked.
"Well, I think somepony can tell you." Pinkie said as she pointed at the doors. Everypony looked at them, noticing their old friend.
"Jimmy!" Twilight exclaimed, and everypony trotted towards the Bat Pony to give her a nice hug.
"Awwww, thank you all! I missed every single one of you during my time at Canterlot." Jimmy said.
"We also missed you! Every single day! Well, there have been a few exceptions, like last week, when I was busy making three different parties, or even when we celebrated Discord's birthday. But the rest of the time, we missed you!" Pinkie explained.
"Wow, that's a year without seein' ya." Applejack said.
"How's everything at Canterlot? Did anything happen?" Fluttershy asked.
"Nothing new. Star Swirl The Bearded came a couple of times for a visit, but nothing else besides that." Jimmy answered.
"Sounds nice." Fluttershy said.
"Oh, before we forget, I suppose you have seen the game Pinkie prepared at Ponyville, right?" Rainbow asked.
"Yep, I have seen it. And that game is really difficult! Carrying a piece of candy on my nose from a place to another place? Come on! Who can do that!?" Jimmy said.
"Me!" Pinkie replied, and they saw her carrying a piece of candy on her nose. Jimmy stared at her with a blank expression, while Twilight giggled.
"It's Pinkie, don't ask." Twilight said.
"Heh, ok then." Jimmy said.
"Well, wanna come with us? We're goin' ta be outside until tonight." Applejack said.
"Sure thing! Let's go!" Jimmy answered.
And after that, they went to Ponyville.
Jimmy looked amazed at the decorations scattered through the town as they walked.
From fillies to grown-ups, everypony was having fun.
Jimmy even saw Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle playing with the other students, the former three trying to build a snowpony.
"Move a bit to the right, Apple Bloom!"
"Okay!"
"Sweetie Belle, hold on!"
"I can't... I... I can't resist for much longer!"
And they fell down on the snow, making Jimmy giggle.
"Awww, they're so cute!" She said.
"Want to know something, darling? I made a line of dresses for Hearth's Warming, and it has been going successfully well! Maybe you would like to try one of the dresses?" Rarity asked.
"Oh, that would be cool! But there's a slight problem: I hate to be separated from my armor." Jimmy answered nervously.
"Don't worry, dear. It is your choice, after all. And now that I think about it, it shouldn't be difficult to make a dress which can fit for the armor." Rarity said, winking.
As Rarity wandered around, Jimmy smiled.
"Rarity is truly generous."
They spent the time with some activities, although Jimmy didn't want to try Pinkie's game again. But she took the chance to taste a few of the sweets the party pony made, which were just delicious.
Jimmy also saw a few fillies playing a board game dedicated to Hearth's Warming.
"Uh, I have a question: who's Snowfall Frost?" Jimmy asked.
"Oh, she was a pony who used to hate Hearth's Warming. But three spirits visited her, and now she's good!" One of the fillies said.
"Nice! And what's the game about?" Jimmy asked.
"You have to guide Snowfall Frost through the Past, Present and Future stages without getting captured by the spirits!" The filly said.
"And I play for the spirits!" The other filly replied.
"Well, I wish you two good luck. May the best win!" Jimmy said.
"Thanks!" The first filly said. With that, Jimmy walked away.
There was even a final activity: The Great Snow War. Everypony ran through the town as they threw snowballs at each other. After some time, Rainbow won, followed by Jimmy on second place and Derpy on third place.
"How did Derpy end up being third?" Jimmy asked, giggling.
"No idea!" Rainbow answered.
It was finally getting late, so everypony was saying goodbye as they went to sleep.
Twilight told Jimmy that she and the others would sleep at the castle, asking the Bat Pony if she wanted to stay with them, and she accepted.
"Yippeeee!!" Pinkie yelled happily.
A while later, they were on the beds, prepared to sleep. Jimmy was in a room with Rainbow, who was reading a book about her favourite hero, Daring Do.
"Have you had fun, Jimmy?" Rainbow asked.
"Yeah, thanks. Ponyville is a cool place for celebrations!"
"Heh, that's right." Rainbow said, chuckling. "Anyways, if you wanna sleep, go ahead. I'll be reading for a while."
"Sure, no problem. Enjoy the book." Jimmy said.
"Oh, thanks! It's so good!" Rainbow said.
"You're welcome!" Jimmy replied.
Getting comfy on her bed, she looked through the window, seeing the sky full of beautiful stars.
"Ah, this has been such a nice day." She said before closing her eyes for sleeping.
The full moon could be seen on the sky. The essence of Love covered Canterlot as ponies walked through the corridors of the majestic castle with a smile on their faces, because that day was special for them: they were going to reunite with their couples. Roses and chocolate were the typical gifts on that date although there was always certain pony who would forget to buy them until it was a bit late.
Jimmy watched with a warm feeling in her heart as mares and stallions gave hugs and kisses to each other. She could even see Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis amongst them.
"Ah, love is in the air..." Jimmy said with a genuine smile.
Just then, she saw something curious in the distance: a few reddish things were floating in the sky. Focusing a bit more, she realized those were balloons floating around Ponyville.
"Wow! Red-heart balloons! Heh, like that nurse's name." Jimmy chuckled before her expression quickly changed. "Ok, that was an awful joke."
She kept staring at Ponyville. "It's been a few months since last Hearth's Warming Eve. I think they will never get tired of seeing me." Jimmy said, turning around to trot towards the castle. She still needed to see what Princess Luna would say.
An hour later, Jimmy was inside the Friendship Express, going towards Ponyville. Princess Luna did not just give her permission to spend the day at Ponyville, but she also told her she would give general permission, so Jimmy wouldn't need to ask everytime a holiday arrived.
Time passed as Jimmy watched the landscape through the windows or did other different things. And then, after a while...
"Finally! Ponyville!"
She got out, looking around and around, while other ponies went away or entered the train, ready to travel wherever it was.
"Ok, time to see my friends once again!" Jimmy said, opening her wings for flying with a excited expression.
"Again? Why did you do it again, Pinkie?" Twilight asked.
"What? I just tried to get somepony special for Mayor Mare, like last year!" Pinkie replied.
"Which also happened the year before." Rainbow added.
"And the one before that." Applejack continued.
"Not to mention the one before..." Fluttershy followed.
"And don't forget about the year you started to do that." Rarity finished.
"Ok, it may be possible that I kept thinking that Mayor Mare wanted to look for somepony although she already said she didn't want to do that." Pinkie explained.
"Which is basically what happened." Twilight replied.
"Come on! You should be smiling!"
They turned to find the source of that voice, noticing Jimmy when she went down for hugging Twilight.
"Jimmy!" Twilight said happily. She hugged the Bat Pony back as the others joined them in a nice group hug, "How's everything at Canterlot?"
"Pretty much the same thing as always, but I have seen a lot of ponies hugging and kissing each other," Jimmy said, smiling.
"That's nice. What 'bout ya?" AJ asked.
"Heh... Well, I'm not as fortunate as them..." Jimmy answered, blushing nervously.
"Oh, I can fix that! Just wait and I'll-" A zipper appeared on Pinkie's mouth, closing it. The party pony saw Twilight looking at her, and kept an unamused expression while Rainbow couldn't resist laughing.
"Don't worry about me, I'm fine. Besides, Hearts and Hooves Day is not just a date for finding somepony special for spending time with them, because you can also be happy with your family and friends: the ones who stand by your side even if you have any problem; the ones who tell you nothing else but the truth; the ones who make you laugh; the ones who are so kind towards you; the ones who give a bit of their generosity and the ones who will make you learn a lot of things."
As Jimmy was saying this, everypony around her gave a nice smile and Pinkie managed to get rid of the zipper on her mouth.
"For me, those are nice examples of special ponies. And the best thing is that I already have six of them," Jimmy finished, joining her friends in another warm hug.
"So, now that I'm here, what could we do?"
"Well, Pinkie had a few ideas for games." Fluttershy said.
"Yep! And we're gonna play them now!" Pinkie added.
"That sounds fun! Let's go!" Jimmy said.
The first game was about making hearts with long balloons and a bit of balloon twisting. Fluttershy was having a hard time, but Rarity helped her. Rainbow and AJ were seeing who would make the best heart. Jimmy was able to make a good heart, although Pinkie had made a better one with more than just one balloon.
"Wow... That's cool!" Jimmy exclaimed.
"Thanks! Yours is also nice!" Pinkie replied, earning a giggle from the Bat Pony.
Next, there came a small race around Sugarcube Corner. Horns and wings were not allowed, but that wouldn't suppose a problem. Although Jimmy wouldn't take her armor off for anything.
"Ok, everypony! The first one to complete the track gets to eat the snack!" Pinkie said.
"Zecora would like that rhyme." Jimmy said, giggling.
"Hihihi! That's right!" Pinkie exclaimed.
When everypony was behind the starting line, Rainbow made the announcement.
"On your marks... Get set... GO!"
And they ran around Sugarcube Corner. Rainbow was the first one, but Jimmy and Applejack were reaching her, followed by Pinkie, Twilight, Rarity and Fluttershy.
At the finish line, just as Rainbow was about to win, a black hoof touched the line before her.
"NOOO!!"
"YES!!"
Jimmy celebrated her victory until the rest arrived.
"Congratulations, Jimmy! You can have all that chocolate!" Pinkie said.
However, Jimmy grabbed the chocolate and distributed it among her friends. "Why would a good friend have all of this chocolate for themselves?"
And they happily ate the chocolates while sharing a few laughs.
The last game was about throwing chocolate bombs at some targets. They left some distance between themselves and the targets before throwing the "bombs".
Jimmy threw one of them, which hit against the target. When she approached it, she saw the "bomb" had reached the center of the target.
"WOO-HOO!" She exclaimed.
But, as she turned around, she saw Pinkie putting a lot of chocolate inside her party canon.
"Oh, no... No! No! NO!!""
Pinkie fired the canon, the amount of chocolate too big for Jimmy to avoid it. The others gasped when they saw Jimmy covered in chocolate. She opened her eyes, looking around...
...and started laughing. They also laughed as Pinkie went besides Jimmy and began to lick the chocolate on her face.
"Pinkie, it tickles!" Jimmy said, still laughing.
"Well, your face is full of chocolate!" Pinkie replied.
And they continued laughing, joined by the others.
And finally, it came the moment to say goodbye. They were at the train station.
"It's a shame you have to go, Jimmy. But we had so much fun today." Twilight said.
"Heh, that's right. And, whatever the next holiday is, I'll be here." Jimmy replied.
"Maybe we could visit you anytime?" Pinkie said.
"That would be a good idea! Besides, it's been long since the last time I went to Canterlot." Rarity said.
"Well, whenever you want, you can make a visit! I'll be glad to see you again," Jimmy said, and they made the last group hug of the day just as the Friendship Express arrived.
"Well, without further ado, I'll go back to Canterlot. See you all next time!" Jimmy said, and the others replied before she disappeared inside the train, which then proceeded to go away.
As they turned to leave, Discord appeared in a flash.
Winter was ending. It was time for the ice and the cold snow to vanish, in order to let the warm sun and the flowers get their place, and everypony were preparing for spring's arrival. Things were easier at Canterlot, as unicorns used their magic for clearing winter, but Ponyville's neighbours always followed a tradition: doing the same thing with no magic, as the town was founded by Earth ponies. With the ponies forming teams, the task wouldn't suppose a big problem.
At Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack was getting ready. She entered inside the barn, where the ground was covered in snow due to a hole on the wooden roof. Looking around, she saw something else, hanging from a ceiling beam.
"Awww... She could sleep more, but time is over," AJ said, with a smile on her face, before getting a good position next to a wall. "One... Two... Three!"
She stomped on the ground with her front hooves, making the barn shake a bit, but enough for someone else to fall down with a scream before hitting the snow-covered surface. A female Bat Pony stood up and shook her head before looking at Applejack.
"I forgot I asked you to stay here for sleeping, Applejack." Jimmy said, chuckling nervously.
"Heh, don't worry about that. Besides, I wanted you to help us with somethin'." AJ said, walking away.
"Oh, helping the Apple Family would be nice." Jimmy replied as she followed the farmpony.
"Well, that's right, but I'm not talkin' about the family, but Ponyville! It's Winter Wrap Up!" AJ said.
"What!? Already!? What do I do!?" Jimmy was feeling excited about the event.
AJ laughed, "Easy there, sugarcube. I think you could help Rainbow Dash and the Weather Team. You may go and talk to them."
"And where are they now?" Jimmy asked, and AJ got outside and pointed a hoof at the sky.
"Fly towards Cloudsdale; they should be there," AJ replied.
"Ok then! Thank you so much, AJ!" Jimmy said as she flew up, leaving a smiling farmpony behind.
The Pegasi were all together at Cloudsdale, Jimmy being between them, listening to the instructions provided by their multicolored leader. Everypony were wearing the blue vest from the Weather Team (even Jimmy, although she still kept her Lunar Guard armor on).
"Ok, everypony! Spring is coming, and our mission is to clear the sky! See all of those clouds? We have to remove them! Understood?" Rainbow explained, smiling as the others cheered, "Well then! Let's go!"
Rainbow and the others flew around, scattering so they could be faster with their current task. Which was not the case for Derpy.
Meanwhile, Jimmy had already removed a few clouds in a small amount of time. The reason was that, somehow, she could detect their smell. And there were also her flying abilities, which made her reach the clouds.
Those traits surprised a happy Female Hippogriff that was also helping the Weather Team.
"Hey there! You're doing a nice job!", she said.
Jimmy searched for the source of that voice, feeling amused when she saw Silverstream wearing a blue vest.
"I didn't know one of Twilight's students was also helping the team," Jimmy said.
"Well, I didn't even know what Winter Wrap Up was! But, when they told me about this, I simply couldn't resist!" Silverstream replied, "Also, your armor looks cool, like you!"
Jimmy blushed a bit after hearing that compliment, "Oh, thank you! It's a bit curious, but I haven't got it off in two years."
"Really? I thought you would get it off anytime. What about sleeping?" Silverstream felt confused as they resumed their task.
"Well, when you get to be a Lunar Guard, they tell you to keep the armor on you for anything. Even for things like eating and sleeping. At least I wash it," Jimmy explained.
The Hippogriff chuckled, "Does that mean you get a shower while wearing it?"
"Uuuuuh... Yes?"
Silverstream laughed, "I nailed it! But that doesn't make you less cooler than what you are. Anyways, let's get more clouds!"
She flew away as Jimmy blushed a bit more, following her so they could help each other.
Some time later, their work was almost done. Jimmy had seen a few things, which included Derpy having a small problem that was finally solved. The Bat Pony was even able to spot Twilight trotting around Ponyville. She waved, and the Princess of Friendship noticed her, smiling as she waved back.
And finally, for taking care of the last winter leftovers, Jimmy and Silverstream, along with Rainbow Dash and the other Pegasi, flew together, fast enough to remove the remaining clouds and icicles, making space for the Sun to appear and warm up the landscape.
Spring was finally there.
Later, while everypony celebrated the arrival of spring at the Town Hall, Jimmy and Silverstream had another encounter.
"Heh, seeing Ponyville with all of its colors is a great thing, right?" Jimmy said.
"That's right! The Sun, the flowers, the animals, the warm air, the rainbow... uh... dash?" Silverstream replied, smiling as Jimmy laughed at that pun.
"Oh, well... I also wanted to tell you it has been nice to meet a Hippogriff for the first time. A happy one, by the way," Jimmy said.
Silverstream chuckled, "Oooh, it was cool to meet you either. That means I have another friend! I can't wait for you to meet the other students!"
"Maybe I'll see them one day. Thanks for this good time we had," Jimmy said.
"Oh, you're welcome! Anyways, I have to go now. Have a good time!"
With that, Silverstream flew away as Jimmy waved at her, putting a hoof over her heart.
A few months after Winter Wrap Up, the citizens of Ponyville were getting ready for one of the most popular days: Summer Sun Celebration. It was mostly remembered by the return of Princess Luna. Jimmy, the female Bat Pony, liked that day mostly because of what Twilight and her friends did a long time ago.
"I still can't believe it. They were so brave. And Princess Luna is here because of them." She said, after reading a book about Equestria's legends. After looking at the pages for a few minutes, she finally closed the book.
"I think I'm gonna fly a bit. My wings need some exercise!"
And she went up, flying over Ponyville as she watched ponies preparing the decoration for the night, although the real celebration would be at the Town Hall. She also saw Pinkie outside of Sugarcube Corner, making a big cake for the night.
"Oh, Pinkie, you're so cool." Jimmy said with a smile.
As she kept flying, she heard a familiar voice saying hello. Looking at her left, she saw Silverstream flying beside her.
"Hello again, batty friend! How's it going?"
Jimmy giggled, "Hi! I was just flying around, seeing what they're doing for tonight."
"I have a feeling it will be such a nice time for us!" Silverstream replied, "Oh, and my friends will also be there!"
"Great! I'm looking forward to see them! They sure will be surprised when they see me." Jimmy said, and they laughed.
"Well, I don't know about Smolder, but Ocellus will freak out! Anyways, I'm gonna be around until later. Have fun!" Silverstream said.
"You too! See you!" Jimmy said goodbye as the Hippogriff flew away.
"It's gonna be a good night."
When the Sun hid and the Moon rose high on the sky, everyone gathered outside the Town Hall. There were tables with aperitifs and good music provided by Octavia and Vinyl, so the ambience was nice. Some ponies laughed, others were dancing, and others were just talking between themselves.
As Jimmy noticed, Twilight and the others were scattered around the party, each one of them taking care of different things, while Pinkie was guarding the cake.
"Hey there!"
Jimmy noticed Silverstream waving at her. Her friends were also there, and they already saw Jimmy. As the Bat Pony smiled, Ocellus yelled a bit and hid behind Silverstream, while Smolder just smiled back.
"Hey, that's a cool armor you have!" Smolder said as Jimmy approached them.
"Thank you! Also, Ocellus? Are you ok? I didn't mean to scare you." Jimmy asked, a bit nervous.
"T-That's fine. I'm just n-not accustomed to seeing Bat Ponies." Ocellus replied, embarrassed. She felt slightly calmed when Jimmy offered her a hoof, smiling after touching it.
"Hey! Mayor Mare is there! She's going to make the announcement!" Silverstream said, and Jimmy stared as the Mayor spoke, appreciating what certain six ponies did a long time ago, and saying other things before finally making the announcement: the Sun was going to rise in a few minutes.
Jimmy and the others felt happy, while Silverstream was excited for that moment to happen. And then, after some minutes, the moment finally came, and everyone looked in amazement as the Moon disappeared, being replaced by the warm Sun.
"It's so wonderful!" Silverstream said.
"I would love to see that everyday." Jimmy said.
"But we already see it everyday." Ocellus replied, feeling nervous when the others looked at her, "Although... it's not as beautiful as today, of course."
They laughed and Ocellus joined them, as Pinkie moved the cake so everyone would have a bite.
And, at the distance, behind some bushes, a pink filly with curly mane watched everything...
Jimmy was sleeping at Pinkie Pie's house. Although Sugarcube Corner didn't have a lot of rooms, the party pony added an extra "bed" inside her room. As a result pf that, Jimmy was on a balloon-bed, which turned out to be comfy enough for the Bat Pony.
Her peaceful dreams were interrupted when the door swung open.
"JIMMY!!!"
"GAAAAH!!" Jimmy yelled as the balloons popped, making her fall down. She looked around, feeling dizzy, "Uuuuh... What is it, Pinkie?"
"Just wanted to tell you its been some time since Summer Sun Celebration, and today is... Sisterhooves Social!" Pinkie said as she walked to where Jimmy was.
"Really? Wow! I heard about the race!" Jimmy said, and her face quickly changed, "But as far as I know, I don't have any sisters..."
Pinkie gasped loudly, "That... means... you can run with me!!"
"What?"
"Because of some things Granny Smith said, it's not exactly necessary to run with a sister, although that's the best thing, but anyways. So you can run with whoever you want!" Pinkie explained, and her face brightened, "And that includes me!"
The Bat Pony smiled, "Well, I'll think about that. Thanks for telling me, Pinkie."
"No pro-" She was interrupted as Jimmy enveloped her in a hug, "Awwww!"
Jimmy moved away and went to the room's door, "Have you prepared anything for me to eat?"
"Well, I may have certain mango pie waiting for you at the kitchen." Pinkie giggled as Jimmy stood there, mouth-agape and drooling.
Some time later, Jimmy was trotting around Ponyville, licking her mouth.
"I must admit it: that pie was more than delicious!" she said with a happy face.
Exploring the town, she finally found the place where the race was going to take place. Some ponies were already there, getting ready for the competition. Jimmy even saw a few of her friends there, like Rainbow and Scootaloo, or Rarity and Sweetie Belle.
"Well, let's see. Who could participate in the race with a Bat Pony like me?" Jimmy asked herself.
"Maybe a Hippogriff like me, right?"
Jimmy looked around, seeing Silverstream, "Oh, hey! I didn't think you would also run here!"
"Well, I first thought about asking Terramar, but then decided I could look for anyone else. Maybe he wants to run with me next time! Besides, I'm doing a lot of activities since I started studying here," Silverstream replied.
"That's cool! Would you like to go there with me?"
"Of course! Come on!" a cheerful Silverstream said, and they entered the circuit. Jimmy noticed Pinkie, whom looked at her with a big smile, and the Bat Pony returned the gesture.
With every runner standing at the starting line, they listened closely as Granny Smith gave the signal.
"On your marks... Get set... GO!"
They began to move through the circuit, facing the different obstacles. Jimmy and Silverstream ran easily past the mud-filled trench, the basket hurdle and the three crates, although they had a few problems with the speed pie-eating...
"Jimmy, eat your pie! This is for me!"
"I can't resist it! Yours is a mango pie!"
...and the hay bale pushing...
"Keep pushing! With more strenght!"
"I'm not Yona!"
Despite the problems, they got fun stomping the grapes and tossing the apples, even if they slipped with the eggs they tried to balance.
A stretch of hurdles waited for them before the finish line. They looked at it, doubting if they would win.
"Are you two gonna give up now?"
They noticed Rainbow and Scootaloo were beside them, waiting as the former smiled mischievously. The rest of running ponies were far behind them.
"Not today," Jimmy and Silverstream returned the gesture, and the two pairs bolted for the hurdles.
Silverstream was having a bad time, but Rainbow and Scootaloo had trained, so Jimmy was the last hope. Within the last hurdles, the Bat Pony was able to run past the two Pegasi.
"Just... a bit more..."
After jumping the last hurdle, the ground suddenly gave way, causing her to scream as she fell inside a small pit.
"Huh? W-What happened!?"
"Hey! We need some help here!" Rainbow exclaimed.
The race was interrupted, and everypony went beside the pit where Jimmy had fallen. They gave space for Twilight Sparkle so she could get Jimmy with her magic and help her getting out.
"Did an earthquake or something make the pit?" Scootaloo asked.
"I'm afraid not. This pit contains objects normally used for traps," Twilight answered, having analyzed the place, "It's like somepony wanted to sabotage the race!"
Jimmy, Silverstream and everypony else gasped, scared by the thought. Who could have done that?
Not far from there, the curly-maned filly giggled, having seen the scene.
"A little prank is such a fun way to start everything. But that's just the tip of the iceberg..."
The Friendship Express made its way across Equestria, finally arriving to its destination: the train station at the Crystal Empire. After stopping, some ponies and other creatures got outside, including Jimmy and Silverstream.
"It's good to visit this place when they're organizing the Crystal Faire. It's such a nice celebration," Jimmy said as they walked.
"It sure is!" Silverstream replied, and then she changed the topic, "I still can't believe you ran at the Sisterhooves Social race wearing your armor! Didn't it feel heavy?"
"Not at all! In fact, Rarity told me she would probably try and make a dress which could fit with my armor. Maybe she makes it for the Grand Galloping Gala!" Jimmy answered.
"It could be a nice thing to see. I'm sure Rarity will make a brilliant dress for you!" Silverstream said, making Jimmy blush.
"Thank you, Silverstream! Anyways, let's see what happens this year at the Crystal Faire!"
Upon arriving, Silverstream looked at the Crystal Palace with a marveled expression.
"It's exactly as my parents told me! Completely made of crystals!" she exclaimed.
"And it also has stairs!" Jimmy added, laughing as Silverstream stared at her, mouth-agape.
Inside the great palace, Jimmy and Silverstream entered the Throne Room. There, they found Princess Cadence talking with one of the Royal Guards. Just after they entered, Cadence spotted them.
"Oh, you must be Jimmy! Come here," she said, signaling the Bat Pony to approach, whom bowed as the Princess of Love descended from her throne, "Twilight told me about you, and she said good things."
Jimmy giggled, "If I was an enemy, she would probably not do that."
Cadence laughed before noticing one thing, "Your armor looks so different compared to the one from my guards! Also, what's that coming out of your helmet?"
"This? Oh, it's my mane! My Lunar Armor was designed with a few changes, so Princess Luna could recognize me easily. Besides, I never get it off. Don't ask why, but I just hate to be separated from my armor." Jimmy explained.
"She told me that Pinkie Pie removed her helmet one time. Sugarcube Corner almost got destroyed," Silverstream said as Cadence stared nervously at a blushing Jimmy.
"Yeah... Not exactly beautiful..." the Bat Pony added.
After a few seconds, Cadence shook her head, "Well, I'll make sure to remember those traits of you, Jimmy. Thanks for telling me."
Jimmy nodded with a smile, "I also wanted to ask: how's the Crystal Faire going?"
"Oh, the tents and booths are almost ready, including the jousting match. If you two want to participate, you're welcome to do it," Cadence answered.
"That would be great, Your Highness! I'm sure we'll have fun!" Silverstream said as she and Jimmy bowed.
"We may talk again later, Princess Cadence. Enjoy the day!" Jimmy said, and she went with Silverstream outside of the palace, as the Princess of Love smiled.
They were walking between the booths at the faire when Jimmy felt her stomach trembling.
"Huh... Wanna eat something?" she asked.
"Well, I'm not exactly hungry right now, but I guess we could get a snack," Silverstream said.
"That sounds nice. What would you like?" Jimmy asked, and Silverstream looked at the different snack booths until she spotted one.
"Oh! What about berry pies?"
"Great! Let's try them!" Jimmy replied, and they went to the berry pies stand.
Waiting for a little time, one mare finally faced them, "Oh, hello there! Would you two like a taste of my berry pies?"
"Sure! One pie for each of us, please!" Jimmy said.
As soon as the mare gave them the pies, Jimmy and Silverstream started eating. The Bat Pony was enjoying the flavour, "Hmmm... It's delicious!"
But the Hippogriff, after getting a good taste of her pie, opened her beak and got the piece out with a disgusted expression.
"Uuuuh... It tastes awful!" she said.
Before the mare could say anything, Jimmy spoke, "Really? Let me try it," and she got the piece of pie inside her mouth, spitting it out in a matter of seconds.
"I don't understand what the problem is. What happens with that pie?" the mare asked.
Jimmy inspected the piece she spitted out, finally discovering the issue, "Well, I'm not an expert on cooking, but I don't think berry pies include dirt within its ingredients."
Jimmy showed that piece to the mare, who looked surprised, "It's strange... I made all of these pies the same way! I don't know how some dirt ended up in that one!"
"Maybe it was an accident?" Silverstream asked.
"Or maybe somepony tainted it," Jimmy added.
The mare gasped, "Whoever could be so cruel!?"
"No idea, but they probably are here. Anyways, we'll be around. If you see anything suspicious, call a guard," Jimmy warned the mare, earning a nervous nod from her, "Oh, and thanks for the pie! You sure have talent with cooking!"
"Thank you! Have a nice day!" the mare said as Jimmy and Silverstream walked away.
After some time, in which Silverstream got a funnel cake for herself so she could eat something better, and also in which she and Jimmy played a game of ring-tossing, they visited the place where the jousting match was being held.
"It's so cool to see ponies fighting like knights!" Jimmy said, feeling happy.
"Indeed it is! It's like the knights from some books I have read!" Silverstream replied, "Should we try and fight somepony?"
"That... would be... awesome! Well, let's get inside!" Jimmy said, and they went to check themselves for the tournament.
Silverstream tried an armor that was given to her, holding the spear with her left paw, before looking at Jimmy.
"Oh, come on! You already have your own armor!" she said.
Jimmy chuckled, "I still need a spear if I want to participate! Also, that armor looks great on you."
The Hippogriff blushed and, as her name was mentioned through the megaphones, she got ready, "My turn! Wish me luck, Jimmy!"
And she walked away as Jimmy stared at her with a smile, which soon evolved to surprise as Silverstream came back.
"I didn't think Pinkie would win!" Jimmy exclaimed.
"Me neither! She's so good at jousting! But it's cool to see another creature's abilities!" Silverstream said, making Jimmy giggle.
Then, Jimmy's name was mentioned, and she got her spear, "Wish me luck, Silver!"
And she arrived at her place at the jousting match, looking at the ponies who were cheering for the event. As she focused her eyes on the other extreme of the arena, she felt shocked.
"Do I really have to fight against YOU!?" she exclaimed as her opponent chuckled.
"You don't get in a joustin' match everyday, Jim!" Applejack replied.
"Well, whoever it is, it will be an honor to confront you, Knight Applejack," Jimmy smiled as she bowed playfully. AJ liked it, so she returned the gesture.
When the horn was heard, everypony cheered loudly as Jimmy and Applejack charged towards each other. It was a matter of seconds before they collided...
But that moment never came...
In fact, the jousting was interrupted when the two "knights" heard something cracking. They looked just in time to see part of the spectator stands breaking, causing Derpy to fall down. As everypony stood quiet, the Pegasus' voice was finally heard.
"I'm ok!"
And they gasped in relief. No more joustings were made after that incident.
Although the Crystal Faire was coming to an end, Jimmy and Silverstream did have such a good time, despite the mysterious events that occurred. And now, Jimmy was feeling a bit tense about something.
"Uh... Silverstream? Can I tell you one thing?" she asked.
"Of course! Whatever you want to! What is it?" the Hippogriff stood there, waiting for whatever Jimmy would say.
After shaking her head, the Bat Pony spoke, "You know, it's been some time since we hang out together, and we have done a lot of things. So... after thinking about it... I wanted to ask you... uuum..."
"Yes?"
Blushing a lot, Jimmy finished the sentence, "Would you... Would you like to be... my girlfriend?"
That question made Silverstream gasp as she also blushed. Jimmy stood there, thinking if that was even a good idea, until Silverstream answered.
"That... would be... AMAZING!!"
Before Jimmy could reply, Silverstream enveloped her in a warm hug, "Sure thing! I'll be your girlfriend!"
Jimmy looked at the Hippogriff as a smile invaded her face. And just then, the Crystal Heart's magic was spread all around, turning everypony into the Crystal versions of themselves.
Once again, the Friendship Express moved across Equestria, arriving at Canterlot. There, Jimmy hugged Silverstream one more time.
"Are you going home, Silverstream?" Jimmy asked.
"Yeah. My parents and Terramar are waiting at Mount Aris. Once I arrive there, I'll tell them about the things we did today! They are gonna like it!" Silverstream said.
"Heh, ok then! Have a good night and see you anytime!" Jimmy said, waving at Silverstream as the train's doors closed and it disappeared on the horizon.
"I simply love her!" Jimmy exclaimed before flying to the castle.
Somewhere else...
"If you thought I would stop after the Crystal Faire, that's because you haven't been paying attention."
The Everfree Forest kept the dark and mysterious essence it always showed. Nopony would dare to venture into the sinister grove unless they were brave enough to do so.
Although some ponies, instead of brave, were more of the ignorant kind.
After her last attempt to sabotage things, Cozy Glow continued wandering around Equestria, following certain two creatures. That was the main reason for her to end up getting lost in the Everfree Forest.
"Last time I was free, I was stealing all the magic from Equestria! And now I'm following a Bat Pony? And she spends time with Silverstream!? Oh, come on!!" she said as she flew around.
The Pegasus filly only felt angrier as she kept seeing trees and trees everywhere.
"Why did I decide to do that in the first place!? AND WHERE IS THE EXIT!?" she exclaimed.
She arrived at another area of the forest, which looked more swampy. Fortunately, she had wings, so she didn't have to touch some of the more disgusting places.
After a while, she finally noticed something different: a tree, bigger than the others. It had a few windows and a door, like a house, but it was also decorated in an odd way: there were totems scattered around, and small bottles hanging from it's branches.
"Uuuuh... I didn't think witches could be real..." Cozy thought, flying to the tree. She knocked on the door, awaiting for anypony to show up, but she had no answer, "I guess I could wait for the owner... Or maybe..."
She tried the door, managing to open it, and entered. Her amusement grew as she saw how the hut looked inside. Even more totems and bottles were around, along with a few candles. And there was a black cauldron in the middle. Investigating a bit, she also noticed a room with a bed.
"Ok... Maaaaybe witches are real..." Cozy said nervously.
She looked at the bottles: potions which could be used for everything. Seeing one, she stood there for a few seconds before licking a bit of the content. Just then, her head fell down, but her body kept moving, tapping the floor until it found the head, sticking it on its place.
"What happened!?" Cozy exclaimed, scared.
Suddenly, she heard sounds outside: somepony was coming. She looked around frantically, trying to find a place to hide until her gaze fell on the cauldron. It had a strange liquid, but it was the only place to hide, so she flew inside the cauldron. Just as the door opened, she took a deep breath before submerging into the liquid.
Zecora entered inside home. She had gone outside for collecting some ingredients, as she always did, and now she was feeling tired, so she left everything on the shelves before going to rest on her bed. Once she got comfy, it was just a matter of seconds before she finally closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Meanwhile, Cozy Glow got out of the cauldron, or at least attempted to, because the liquid had turned into some kind of jelly, so she had a bit of a hard time, until her lower body emerged from the substance. Putting her back hooves on the outside, she made a lot of efforts until she finally got free, as she saw her mane, which looked red. She gasped before dipping it in the substance, smiling as she got her former color back.
Just then, she took a chance to leave, but she found a small box on the shelves, which caught her attention. Making sure the Zebra was still sleeping, she slowly opened the box, discovering an interesting secret.
"The Alicorn Amulet!" she thought. What was it doing there?
She looked at both sides before taking the amulet. Zecora wouldn't need it anyways.
She finally opened the door and went outside inmediately, as she didn't want to be seen, flying upwards until she got out of the forest.
"Well... Now, what?" Cozy thought. Just then, she saw something familiar: a tall castle with a large star on the top. A grin appeared on her face as she remembered something.
Canterlot City, a peaceful place where human beings lived, each one of them spending their own time with different activities which made them feel happy. The students where going towards Canterlot High School, where they had their classes. That day, however, they were going to have a friendly competition dedicated to music.
The Wondercolts statue was still there. Sort of. Its base was what remained, but it had a curious secret inside...
As the students went inside the school, a portal opened on the statue's base, and a couple of friends emerged from within, feeling surprised as they inspected her humanized bodies.
"Oh! Oh! Oh! I know Princess Twilight told us about the human world and everything, but I still can't believe any of this!" Jimmy exclaimed.
Back at Equestria, Lyra's eyes opened as she looked around in confusion.
"Did somepony say human!?"
"I know, right!? This is amazing! I can't fly because for some reason I don't have wings, but anyways!" Silverstream replied, dancing a bit as she looked at her features, "Hey! Where's my beak?"
Jimmy giggled, "Well, at least I still have my armor. I would be totally nervous right now if I didn't have it! It would be like being... being..."
"Naked?" Silverstream replied, looking at her girlfriend with a grin as she blushed.
"Uuuuh... Maybe..." Jimmy said, blushing even more.
Silverstream chuckled at that, "Anyways! Could you remind me what we're doing here?"
"Well, I think Twilight said something about some celebrations in this world, so I guess that means we'll stay here for a while. What do you think?" Jimmy explained.
"That sounds nice! Where should we start?" Silverstream asked.
"At the high school, for example!"
And they went inside the building for attending the celebration. At the entrance, however, they got some bad news from a guy with glasses.
"I'm really sorry, but the lists for the musical showcase are already complete."
Silverstream groaned, "But I wanted to sing!"
"It's ok, Silvy! We can enter and watch the others, right?" Jimmy asked the guy.
"Uuuh... Yes, of course! You two can enter the gym whenever you want," he said.
"Thank you! Come on, Silvy!"
And just then, Jimmy and Silverstream ran inside the gym as more people were getting ready.
The humanized Hippogriff wasn't sure she could feel more excited. She was at another world, with her girlfriend, listening to all kinds of music.
"This is one of the best days in my entire life!!" she exclaimed.
"And there's more! Look right there!" Jimmy said, pointing at something. Silverstream looked around until she saw a few girls, all of them having familiar traits.
"Huh? But... But those are..."
"Kinda. Let's talk with them!" Jimmy said, and they went to greet those girls, which called themselves The Rainbooms.
Once they said hello, the human version of Pinkie smiled as she hugged them.
"Welcome, Jimmy! How's everything going?" she said.
"Um... Do you know them, Pinkie?" the human Applejack asked.
"Of course I do, silly! Ever since Sunset told us about the pony world and the portal, I have been using it sometimes to travel to that world and meet the pony me, having a bit of fun and meeting others. And I also met Jimmy! This girl... is a Bat Pony!" Pinkie explained, making the others gasp.
"And who are you, sugarcube?" Applejack asked the other girl.
"My name is Silverstream! And I'm... a Hippogriff!" she answered.
Pinkie giggled as she saw the expressions on her friends' faces.
"Well, I have a question for you two: do you like singing?" the one who looked like Rainbow asked.
"I sure like it! And my girlfriend said it a while ago, so she also does!" Jimmy said, making Silverstream blush.
"Then, would you two like to sing with us?" Rainbow said.
Silverstream gasped, "That would be really great!!"
Rainbow chuckled, "Cool! You two have a place with us!"
And the couple laughed as they joined the Rainbooms for the music event.
"I'm gonna have lots of fun!"
Outside of Canterlot High School, the portal flickered a bit before opening once again, as a pink hand emerged from it, carrying a strange amulet.
Jimmy and Silverstream had stayed at the human dimension after the music event at Canterlot High School. Spending time with the human versions of their equestrian friends was a cool experience for them.
And finally, the day had arrived: the students from both CHS and Crystal Prep Academy would be together for an event Jimmy had heard about: the long-awaited Friendship Games.
Everyone were inside CHS, standing here and there as the twelve selected students from each school were getting ready for the event.
"What do you think about it, Silverstream?" Jimmy asked her girlfriend.
"Well, I don't know much about human traditions, but those games sound cool!" Silverstream answered.
"Indeed they do! And we're about to watch the students compete!" Jimmy said.
"Wait... Is it only the main students? What about the others?" Silverstream asked.
"I think the other students were not the ones chosen for the games. Also, the principals and teachers normally are there for judging how the participants make their progress. The rest of people simply get to watch," Jimmy explained.
"Oooooh! Ok, I get it! Thanks for the info!" Silverstream replied, making Jimmy giggle.
The Bat girl looked at the CPA students, "So, Cadence is the principal at your academy?"
"Yeah. She's been performing that role since Cinch left a long time ago. I have to admit it: Cadence is even better," a student called Fleur answered.
"Heh, it's good to hear that!" Jimmy said, just as Principal Celestia started to speak.
"It's been some time since Abacus Cinch retired from her job and, as the majority of you know, Cadence is the new principal at Crystal Prep Academy," she explained.
"I must say it's such a big difference. The last principal was a lot angrier..." Vice Principal Luna added, making everyone laugh.
"Indeed! But anyways, the time for the Friendship Games is finally upon us. I'm sure everyone know what they are about, right?" Celestia asked, smiling as the students nodded, "Very well. In that case, I ask for the selected students to come with us. The Academic Decathlon is waiting for your skills."
And with that, those students followed Celestia, Luna and Cadence into the corridors as the others scattered around, talking to each other.
"Oh, ummm... Principal Celestia!" Jimmy exclaimed, walking as Celestia turned to look at her, "This will probably sound absurd, but I was wondering if we could go there and see what they do."
"Oh, I'm really sorry to tell you but, aside from the three of us and the selected students, nobody else can be inside during the first trial. However, they can tell you what happens once they're done," Celestia explained.
"Heh, no problem then. Thank you anyways," Jimmy said, as Celestia nodded before they finally left.
Jimmy went back beside Silverstream, who was smiling, "Were you trying to get in like you actually were a student from here?"
Jimmy giggled, "That would have been a fun thing to see!"
"Yep! So, we just wait until they finish, right?" Silverstream asked.
"Of course. And don't worry about that, because the cooler challenges come next!" Jimmy replied.
"Great!"
Some time later, the ACADECA, like some students liked to call it, ended as the contestants went back outside. As always, the elimination system had done its job there, cause the teams were now formed by six, and they were about to proceed to the next round.
"How did it go?" Jimmy asked the Wondercolts.
"Almost like last time, but a bit different," Applejack said.
"Different? What do you mean?"
"Well, the Shadowbolts have won, like every single time they come here for the games, but that's not it. The thing is that, when we got to bake cakes, not any of them tasted good! Not even mine! And I always do the best cakes!" Pinkie exclaimed, confused about everything.
"I don't think she made any mistakes. I mean, Pinkie always makes sure about the ingredients before preparing the cake," Rarity said.
"Did anyone mess with the cakes? Maybe there was a sabotage or something, right?" Silverstream asked.
The others thought about it, until the principals called everyone to go outside of the building. The next round was in front of them.
Jimmy and Silverstream felt surprised as they stared at the field where the next challenge would happen: the Tri-Cross Relay.
The participants had to be separated in pairs so each pair completed one of the trials at the field: archery, speed skating and motocross.
As people went to sit around, Jimmy noticed the human Twilight being on the Shadowbolts team, despite she having said earlier that she wasn't studying at the academy anymore.
"Huh... Shouldn't Twilight be with the CHS students?" she asked.
"She is! But she mentioned something about evening the odds... Or was it odding the eves? You know, the same number of people on each team!" Derpy answered, as her eyes moved in different directions.
"Oh, that makes things clear!" Jimmy said happily.
Just as Derpy offered Jimmy a muffin, Principal Cadence spoke through the microphone to tell everyone the second round was about to start. Every student cheered and applauded as the Wondercolts and the Shadowbolts got ready, each pair at each of the sections.
"Is everyone ready? If so, good luck to all of the participants! The Tri-Cross Relay starts in three... two... one... GO!!" Cadence exclaimed.
That time, almost everything happened like the last time the Friendship Games were celebrated, but there was no way the carnivorous plants would appear again, as Twilight's device no longer existed.
Sour was a bit more caring towards Twilight (in her own way), but Applejack made sure the CPA girl helped her teammate with the rope above the mud pool.
Besides that, the speed skating and the motocross race went fine. Well, fine except for a moment when Sugarcoat's bike got out of control, leaving her unable to do anything until she finally fell off, rolling across the ground. The Wondercolts won the round, but they ignored their victory for some time while checking how Sugarcoat was.
"Oh, my... Are you ok?" Fluttershy asked, visibly scared.
"Oh, it's nothing. I just fell on the floor and broke my hand," Sugarcoat answered.
"How can you say it's nothing!?" Sour asked, astonished.
"Because it's just a hand. It will get cured. But you still have a chance to win. That is, of course, if nothing happens like last time..." Sugarcoat said, looking at Twilight, who felt nervous after remembering it.
Meanwhile, Jimmy and Silverstream were staring at the competitors as the rest of students spoke between themselves.
"Well... It could have been worse, right?" Silverstream asked.
"Yeah! Uh, I mean... I'm glad to see she's fine..." Jimmy replied, her eyes focused on Sugarcoat, whose face didn't change during the whole time.
Later, everyone gathered at the front gardens for the last round: Capture The Flag.
Before explaining the rules, Vice Principal Luna told the students Sugarcoat got taken to the school's infirmary so Nurse Redheart could take care of her. After seeing relief on their faces, Luna finally mentioned what the last game was about.
However, some stormy clouds were gathering on the sky, and that wasn't a good sign.
"Awwww! I can't believe it's gonna rain when we were just about to look for the flag!" Pinkie lamented.
"I don't think those are rain clouds, sugarcube..." Applejack said, feeling suspicious about something.
"I don't need to be a weather expert to confirm that. It's not going to rain!" Rainbow added.
"Oh, golly! I finally found you!"
"Oh... No... Not her, please..." Jimmy thought, as they turned to see who said that: a pink-skinned little girl with curly blue hair. Her eyes were red and, on her neck, there were two pendants which Jimmy recognized. One of them was shaped as a tower. As for the other one...
"How did she manage to follow us into this world, Jimmy!?" Silverstream asked.
"And that's not the worst thing..." Jimmy replied.
"What is it then!?"
"She's wearing... the Alicorn Amulet..."
Everyone stood there, feeling scared as Cozy Glow laughed malevolently, while an energy ball formed on her hand...
The entire sky went darker as everyone ran inside the school, not wanting to be in front of the lunatic Cozy Glow and her magic. Well, everyone except for Jimmy, Silverstream and the Humane Seven.
"Awwww! Do you know what the worst part is? I'll have to wait another four years to play Capture The Flag!!" Pinkie lamented, before noticing the looks of her friends as they stared at her, "What?"
"Don't be sad! Cozy will make sure you don't worry about that anymore..." Cozy said, as her eyes kept glowing in red.
"What do we do now, Jimmy!?" Silverstream asked, feeling scared of the situation.
"Well, there's nothing we can do except fight! One way or another, we're gonna win!" Jimmy replied, looking at Cozy with anger in her eyes.
"It will be over soon..." Cozy said, forming a ball of energy between her hands before throwing it at her adversaries. However, as it was about to hit them, Rarity created a diamond shield, stopping the ball.
"Don't you dare thinking we'll simply stand here without doing nothing, you black-hearted infant!" Rarity exclaimed, infuriated.
"Golly! Such a mean language!" Cozy replied, offended, before trying to attack once again.
As easy as the confrontation seemed from the start, Cozy proved to be a strong opponent. But Sunset and the others were smarter, and they used their powers against their enemy.
Silverstream, feeling too nervous to do anything, took the chance to run away and hide, far from the battlefield. Meanwhile, Jimmy kept avoiding the magic spells Cozy was throwing.
At some point, Applejack used her strength to move a car and put it between herself and Cozy.
"Ha! As if that thing could stop me!" the evil child said, her face changing when she saw Applejack raising the car like it was a small box.
"Well, sooner or later, a car would be able to hit ya!" the farmer girl said, throwing the car at Cozy, who yelled as she jumped aside before the car crashed on the ground. Just as she stood up, she felt someone running in circles around her.
"What do you think about that? Such an athlete I am, right?" Rainbow said, grinning as she kept running, only stopping when Cozy got really dizzy. The youngster stumbled, trying to process what had happened, until she leaned on something.
"Huh? What is this cylindrical thing?" she asked.
"It's a cannon, silly!" Pinkie answered, as her party cannon shot confetti at Cozy, stunning her a bit.
Finally, as she was about to fall down, a small diamond shield floated, letting her fall on its surface, before moving back to Rarity, while Sunset, Twilight and Fluttershy waited beside her. However, Cozy managed to recover her senses and clapped her hands one time, causing a shockwave which distracted everyone and pushed them back. Jimmy raised her head just to watch as a furious Cozy Glow stared at them.
"I have had enough of this! You had the good side of the board for too much time! Now, it's my turn to set my pieces on their place!" Cozy exclaimed.
So focused on the enemies in front of her, Cozy didn't notice as a spider made its way towards her, sneaking behind her. As she kept staring at the others, a magic aura enveloped the spider as it grew bigger and changed its aspect. When the aura vanished, Cozy finally noticed, and she turned around just to get punched on her face by a blue-skinned girl almost of her age, with cyan-colored eyes.
"Sorry... But you kinda deserved it..." the girl said, in a shy way.
As Cozy looked at her, the girl covered her own eyes, scared. The evil child attempted to create another energy ball, but she felt herself being hit by something, and ended up falling down.
"You mess with Yona's friends, you mess with Yona!" a brown-skinned girl said, as Cozy tried to stand up. However, one guy appeared and tackled her, so she couldn't move.
"Come on, we got her!" the guy said, and other three kids ran towards them as Cozy threw him off, jumping back on her feet as she grabbed him from behind.
"Did you really think I would stay down just because of you!? You don't know what you have done!" she yelled, before talking to the others, "Don't you see it!? He has condemned himself to this fate! And there's nothing you can-"
Her voice trailed off as Jimmy, having grown a pair of bat wings on her back, flew towards her and kicked her on the chin, causing the little villain to fly a few meters before hitting the ground. Everyone remained alert just in case, but she had fallen unconscious.
At last, Cozy Glow was defeated...
"Is she...?" Fluttershy asked, too scared to say the last word.
"I don't think so. She has received a lot of damage, but she should still be alive," Twilight replied.
Nurse Redheart went past the doors of Canterlot High School, getting beside Cozy and inspecting her. In less than a minute, she finished.
"She has pulse. Things will go better for her, but she has to stay at the hospital," she said.
Silverstream, having witnessed everything, got out of her hiding place and ran towards Jimmy, hugging her.
"Way to go, Jimmy! I can't believe you defeated her!" Silverstream said.
"I feel bad about her," Jimmy said as Redheart and Sunset carried Cozy for taking her to the infirmary, "I know she almost got us killed, but look at her. She's a child..."
The human version of Gallus told Redheart and Sunset to wait a few seconds as he approached Cozy's corpse "I think I'll get that, if you don't mind," the cerulean-skinned kid said, grinning as he took the Alicorn Amulet from Cozy's neck. Just then, the stormy clouds vanished, so there was nothing else to worry about.
Jimmy thanked the Rainbooms and the human versions of Silverstream's friends while the transformed Hippogriff had a fun time with her counterpart, like they were twin sisters.
But then, Jimmy realized something: if Cozy Glow had the Alicorn Amulet, and she arrived at the human world...
"Uh oh..."
"What is it?" Silverstream asked.
"We have to go back to Equestria! I fear Cozy did anything there!" Jimmy said.
"Um... Would you like if we joined you? I mean, we helped you with... well, that girl..." the human Ocellus said.
"Heh, that's right, and I'm glad all of you came here to help. But it would be better if you stayed here, just in case. Besides, there are a few friends who would love to meet you," Jimmy replied, stroking Ocellus' hair.
Jimmy and Silverstream said goodbye to everyone, sharing a group hug with the Humane Seven, before reaching the portal to go back home.
They weren't ready for what they would find at the other side...
When Jimmy and Silverstream arrived at Equestria, again as a Bat Pony and a Hippogriff, they looked all around until remembering they were inside Twilight's castle.
Jimmy giggled, "That's right! Although I don't see Twilight or anypony else here... It feels strange..." she said, feeling suspicious.
"Maybe they are celebrating with other ponies? Because I see a lot of them all around Ponyville!" Silverstream asked.
"Heh, maybe. And there's only one way to know it!" Jimmy replied.
Some time later, the duo were going outside. Jimmy was wearing her Lunar Guard armor, like always, but Silverstream had a funnier appearance. Her costume was a mix between a mummy, a skeleton, an astronaut and a bat with a mask and a cape.
Jimmy chuckled, "It seems a few monsters merged together and created you..."
"Hah! I just wasn't sure about what disguise I could use. Like every Nightmare Night!" Silverstream said, laughing, "What about you?"
"Oh, well... I just didn't think about any costume I could wear. There are a lot of ideas, but I don't know!" Jimmy replied.
"Don't worry about that! Maybe next year we can find something for you! Although I don't think a mask should hide that pretty face!" Silverstream said, cheerful as she gave Jimmy a quick peck on her lips, making her eyes open fully as she blushed.
"Such an sweetheart you are..." Jimmy giggled, "Anyways, let's see if our friends are around."
All around the Town Hall, the ambience was perfect: almost everypony were disguised as different monsters or anything else, talking between themselves as they took place in the different activities scattered here and there.
The Student Six hadn't dressed for the night (except for Sandbar, who looked like a vampire), but they were having enough fun. And then, Yona smiled when she saw two familiar faces.
"They're here!" the young Yak exclaimed, as she pounced on Jimmy, hugging her.
"I'm also happy to see you, Yona! Although not as much as you!" Jimmy said, chuckling as Yona moved away.
"Hi, guys! I see Sandbar and I are the only ones with a costume! But that's ok!" Silverstream said, feeling as excited as always.
"Well, I have my own disguise here!" Ocellus said, before transforming into a timberwolf. Silverstream screamed as the wooden beast growled at her, turning back into Ocellus after that, "Heheh, sorry..."
Everyone laughed because of that prank done by the little Changeling while she blushed, trying to cover her face.
"Ah, the timberwolf prank... It never gets old..." Gallus said, grinning.
"Oh, I almost forget! Have you seen Twilight and the others anywhere? We're looking for them!" Silverstream asked, but her friends shook their heads.
"No clue about them. Aren't they at the Castle of Friendship?" Smolder asked back.
"We didn't find them there. It feels odd... I mean, they wouldn't miss a celebration unless they were doing any important thing," Jimmy said.
"I guess they are at Canterlot. Some ponies were talking about that a while ago," Gallus explained, "No idea what they're doing there."
"Well... We can have some time here while waiting for them. What do you think?" Jimmy asked, smiling when her friends nodded, "Great!"
The time Jimmy and her friends were having in Ponyville couldn't be better. They had fun with apple-bobbing, although Smolder almost burned a few of the apples; and they also spent some minutes with shooting pumpkins at targets, even if Yona's strength made her send a pumpkin far away, but nopony got hurt. They also heard one of Zecora's scary stories, which left Ocellus trying to hide behind Jimmy's wings.
"It's fine, Ocellus. It was just a story!" Jimmy said.
"I know... But it was terrifying..." Ocellus replied, making Jimmy giggle as she kept trying to remain hidden.
After some time having fun for Nightmare Night, Jimmy finally noticed strange lights at Canterlot.
"Huh... Are they having a disco party of something? Maybe Vinyl Scratch is also there?" she asked.
"Oh, no! She's right there!" Derpy pointed somewhere, and Jimmy looked in the same direction. Sure, the DJ Unicorn was there, talking to Octavia.
"If Vinyl is here, what are those lights then?" Jimmy asked, pointing at Canterlot.
"Uuuuh... I'm not sure about that... but it may not be a party, as I saw Twilight and the others going there with non-happy faces..." Derpy said.
Jimmy blinked, "Non-happy faces? What kind of faces were those?"
Derpy's eyes moved randomly before she spoke again, "Well, Twilight looked scared, Applejack looked angry, Pinkie Pie looked happy for some reason, Rainbow Dash l-"
"Then, they aren't having any party!!" Jimmy exclaimed.
"I guess that's right... I mean, Twilight said something about taking care of a problem they had..." Derpy said.
A nervous Jimmy grabbed Derpy, getting her face closer, "And when did they go towards Canterlot!?"
"Um... Two hours ago..." Derpy replied.
"Oh, no!!" Jimmy yelled, letting Derpy go as she fled to gather her friends, "Guys, we have to go!!"
Jimmy convinced the others, and they went towards the train station while Derpy stared at them.
"I don't think they would want a muffin right now... but hey, it's more for me!" she said, taking a good bite of a muffin.
At Canterlot, Jimmy and the others heard some sounds coming from everywhere.
"It seems they're in front of the castle! We have to help them!" Jimmy said, motioning her friends to follow her.
When they arrived, they saw the Mane Six together as they confronted somepony.
"What's happening here?" Jimmy asked.
"Jimmy Hook! You need to help us defeat those ponies!" Rarity said.
The Bat Pony looked in front of them, mouth-agape when she noticed the enemy, "How... How's that even possible!?"
Their enemies were six female ponies with a dull collection of colors. But the worst part was their appearance... They're faces were really familiar...
In fact, it felt like looking in a mirror and seeing a completely different thing.
Jimmy, Silverstream and the others felt scared as the evil twin version of Twilight laughed...
Panic and confusion were the mixed feelings shared by the ponies at Canterlot. Jimmy, Silverstream and the others stared as Twilight and her friends fought against what looked like clones of themselves, only more aggressive than the originals. It could be a Changeling attack, but they were reformed a long time ago, and that issue had never happened again since then.
"If they look almost the same... will it be the same for their powers?" Jimmy thought.
"I'm too scared to watch!!" Silverstream exclaimed, covering her eyes as she trembled.
"Well, you have nothing to worry about! Look!" Jimmy replied.
The Hippogriff opened her eyes, noticing the thing: surprisingly, the evil clones proved to be nothing as they backed up until they were safe inside Mean Twilight's shield.
"Come out of that shield and fight!" Applejack said.
"We will! You just have to wait a bit more!" Mean Applejack replied.
"They're about to win!" Jimmy exclaimed happily, but her face changed as a flash blinded everyone. When they could see again, they were able to catch a glimpse of the clones running inside Canterlot's Castle.
Well, not all of them, as Mean Rainbow stood in front of the doors.
"Uuugh... I can't believe I have to stay here, but whatever... Bring it on!" she said, looking at Rainbow.
The athletic Pegasus simply shrugged her shoulders before launching herself towards her clone, giving her a powerful kick on her head and making her fly a few meters before hitting the floor.
"She should have known that nopony is better than the original Rainbow Dash," she said with a grin, as Jimmy and the others approached them.
"Good to see you're fine! Can we help?" Jimmy asked.
"Well, Canterlot's Castle is big, so they could have scattered around for trying to make an ambush. I guess some help could be nice," Twilight answered, smiling.
"Of course we'll help!" Silverstream said.
Pinkie giggled, "I see some creature is excited! Me too! This is gonna be great!"
"This one is not going anywhere! Go inside the castle and check for the rest!" Rainbow said, and her friends nodded.
Every single one of them entered the castle, determined to stop the imposters.
"Shall each one of us go to check an area?" Jimmy asked.
"At least two. The more, the better," Twilight said.
"My clone must be at the gardens. Oh, those poor animals are probably having a bad time..." Fluttershy said, flying towards the back side of the building for getting out to the gardens.
"Darling! Are you sure you don't need us?" Rarity asked.
"I'll be fine! Focus on the others!" Fluttershy said, disappearing.
"Well, that should leave us with four other clones to defeat," Ocellus said.
"Four clones we WILL defeat! That's what will happen once we find them!" Gallus said.
"We'll check the rooms in this floor. Twilight, you and your friends go upstairs. I have no idea about how the Throne Room is right now but, if the Princesses are here, they should handle anything without problems," Jimmy explained, and the others nodded.
"Got it. Be careful: we outnumber them, but they may try anything to catch us by surprise," Twilight warned.
Separating and moving on, they went directly to accomplish their mission: the sooner those evil clones got defeated, the better.
Approaching the ballroom after Silverstream's friends followed Fluttershy to the gardens, Jimmy and the Hippogriff heard some ruckus inside, rushing in to see Mean Applejack and Mean Pinkie breaking everything.
"Hey! You can't break that!" Jimmy said.
"Oh, we're not breaking anything! We're just... uuuuh... making some slight changes!" Mean Applejack said, her eyes moving left and right.
"I hate ballrooms! Dancing is stupid!" Mean Pinkie added, smashing the windows.
"I get the evil Pinkie Pie!" Silverstream said, smiling as Jimmy giggled.
"Ok then! The bad apple is for me!" the Bat Pony said, and they charged towards their enemies.
At that moment, the true power of the imposters was shown: Silverstream had no problems with a Mean Pinkie who, aside from being mostly bitter, didn't have the ability to move fast and bounce around like the original party pony. As for Mean Applejack, she was strong, but the real Applejack was stronger, so the clone's strength didn't work against Jimmy, who avoided the few attack attempts against herself until she finally could beat the false farmer.
"Well, another one down! How are you doing?" Jimmy asked Silverstream, but the Hippogriff was busy carrying Mean Pinkie as she flew around the room.
"You think this is fun!? It isn't!! Let me go right now!!" the clone said.
"Your wish is my command!" Silverstream replied, throwing Mean Pinkie away and making her crash through a window before she finally reached the ground.
Jimmy felt astonished after what she had just seen, until Silverstream booped her muzzle.
"Don't worry, she's just unconscious! And that means another problem solved!" Silverstream said.
Jimmy smiled, "Good to know it! Now, let's see if we find the rest."
As they got out of the ruined ballroom, Fluttershy and the students appeared once again.
"Everything is fine. I gave my clone The Stare, and now, she's too scared to do anything," she said.
"Such a pair of scary eyes on a sweet face like that. What a cool combo..." Smolder said, making Fluttershy blush.
"Then, if I'm not wrong, we just have two enemies left to win! Come on!" Jimmy said.
"Yona is ready!" Yona exclaimed as they went upstairs.
On the upper floor of the castle, Jimmy and the others checked every separate room just in case, although they had already seen Twilight and her friends moving inside the Throne Room.
And then, they heard a crazy laugh as Mean Rarity, who was inside one of the rooms and not so sure about what things she could get for herself, used her magic to steal Jimmy's helmet.
Wrong move. In a matter of seconds, rage invaded the Bat Pony as she yelled and ran inside the room. Silverstream and the rest stood outside as they heard things being broken while Mean Rarity screamed.
And then, silence filled the room as Jimmy went outside once again, with the helmet back on her head and a serious expression.
"You just can't steal the armor from a guard... And, if it's my armor, don't even dare to try..." she said, as the others nodded.
Finally, they entered inside the Throne Room, where Twilight and her friends, and also Princesses Celestia and Luna had managed to corner Mean Twilight, who was protecting herself inside a shield.
"I don't even know where you come from, but there's one thing you need to understand: you can't just mess with the inhabitants of Equestria, but you committed that mistake. A mistake we can't forgive." Twilight explained, glaring at her counterpart as everyone got reunited.
Mean Twilight knew she couldn't do much in her current situation, as she was surrounded not only by ponies, but also a few other creatures, waiting for her shield to drop down.
"This hasn't ended... Don't forget it..." she said as her horn summoned a spell. Everyone rushed forward to get her, but there was no use.
Mean Twilight had disappeared.
"No! She can't be gone! Where is she!? Where!?" Pinkie asked, looking around.
Jimmy sighed, "No idea, but one thing is for sure: this won't be the last time we see her."
"It will take a while to recover everything those imposters have ruined, but it's alright." Celestia said.
"Besides, even more things could have broken if Jimmy wasn't here to help, right?" Luna said, looking at the Bat Pony.
"Oh! Um... Well, I'm just happy to be part of your guards, Princess Luna. And to help my friends, of course!" Jimmy said.
"And that mix has shown us the bravery you have for confronting the enemy. And those actions deserve a reward," Luna said.
"Oh? What kind of reward?" Jimmy asked.
"Let's just say I may wait for your birthday," Luna answered, giving Jimmy a wink.
Everyone laughed at that quote for a bit, and then Celestia spoke again.
"You can return to Ponyville now. I'm sure the party is still going to be celebrated once you get back there," Celestia said, smiling.
"That would be so much fun! Can we go, Jimmy? Can we go?" Silverstream asked.
"Of course we can go! No evil clones are ruining my Nightmare Night party!" Jimmy said, and they laughed once again.
The Temple of Ponhenge had always been one of the most calm locations from Equestria. Only one shadowy problem dared to cross the sacred barriers, but the Pillars took care of it a long time ago.
Seated on the center of the circle made with rocks, there was Starswirl the Bearded; his eyes closed as he did some meditation; his mind full of calmness until a sudden sound disturbed him.
"Gah! Who is there?" he said, opening his eyes and looking around, spotting the source of the sound: Derpy had crashed on the ground, and a few letters fell around her, "Oh... How are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling good, sir! I was just reading one of the letters when I suddenly found the ground!" Derpy said.
Starswirl tried not to roll his eyes as he talked back, "Well, it could have been worse. Anyways, why are you here?"
"Oh, I almost forgot! Let me see..." Derpy looked at every single letter out of her bag until she found the right one, "Here! This letter is for you!"
The leader of the Pillars used his magic to levitate the letter towards himself, opening it to read the contents. As he finished, a smile appeared on his face.
"This Jimmy Hook has come with such an interesting idea..."
Inside Ponyville's theater, the female Bat Pony and Silverstream were making some preparations for the final show, as they along with three other ponies and Ocellus, who also volunteered to participate, would do the tale of how Hearth's Warming Eve was originated.
Sweetie Belle and Ocellus were exchanging quotes of their scripts for practicing, with the former having a bit of a problem with a word, but it was quickly solved.
"You think they will do it, Jimmy?" Silverstream asked.
"Well, if Starswirl allows them, of course. But yeah, it would be cool to have them here," Jimmy answered.
"I also believe it would be a nice thing..." Jimmy and Silverstream heard a peaceful voice and turned around, facing two well-known mares.
"Meadowbrook! Somnambula! I take he let you come here, right?" Jimmy said.
"He sure did. And I have to say yours is one of the best ideas. It has been a millennium since the last time I performed in this show," Somnambula replied.
"Wait, you also participated in it?" Jimmy asked.
"Of course. Chancellor Puddinghead is my favourite character," Somnambula answered, making Jimmy smile as she had seen her dream coming true.
"I'm feeling curious: who will be the narrator?" Mage Meadowbrook asked.
"Yours truly! I'm really good with it," Spike said, flying besides them, "Oh, and this time we'll have two narrators!"
"Two narrators? Who's the other one?" Silverstream asked.
"Well, there she is!" Spike said, pointing somewhere. Everyone looked to see the second narrator, who was Ember covered with her armor, "Let's just say I heard she has a good voice for narrating."
Ember chuckled, "Oh, it's nothing. Just reading a tale for a celebration. But yeah, my voice is a good one."
Finally, the set was complete, and Jimmy couldn't be more happy.
"So, what do you think? What is next, Jimmy?" Silverstream asked.
"Well, get some practice, everyone! It's time to make a show!" Jimmy said, smiling as they took their costumes.
Later, when the long-awaited time arrived, ponies started to enter the theater, along with other creatures who wanted to know what Hearth's Warming Eve was all about. Silverstream noticed her friends were also there, while Jimmy saw Twilight and the others.
Everything was on its right place, and the narrators were ready to start.
"Are you feeling nervous, Silvy?" Jimmy asked, making the Hippogriff giggle.
"Not nervous, but excited! This is going to be so much fun! I'll try to stay in character though," Silverstream answered.
"Heh, ok then! Let's see how it goes!"
Jimmy gave a signal to Spike and Ember, and they started narrating the story as the curtain opened...
The show went with not a single problem, and got to its end, when Jimmy and the others got together for singing a song. They stayed on the stage for talking a bit as the rest of ponies and creatures left, with Rarity telling her friends about how Sweetie's disguise suited her so well, while Ocellus and Silverstream reunited with their friends.
"Thank you so much for your help. You two have done a nice job!" Jimmy told Somnambula and Meadowbrook.
"Thank you for telling us about this. Being Chancellor Puddinghead once again has been fun for me," Somnambula said, feeling happy.
"If you ever need us for another play like this one, don't hesitate to tell us. We'll be glad to hear about you," Meadowbrook added with a smile.
Jimmy laughed, "No problem with that!"
Then, the Bat Pony moved beside Silverstream, and they shared a hug as the others stared at the happy couple.
Unknown to every creature in Equestria, inside a library, a book shoke a few times, until it finally opened. The air in the room went somewhat colder as an Unicorn emerged from its pages.
