Canterlot was split. At the base of the mountain, surrounding it like a wreath, was the majority of the city: the apartments, the grocery stores, the libraries and hospitals. Lower Canterlot. Perched on the mountain’s edge was the artificial promontory on which was built Canterlot Palace and the small collection of high-class mansions, private businesses, and museums. Greater Canterlot. The seat of the diarchy.

On the mountain’s slopes, just a mile from the palace walls, a sole equine figure slowly trotted, pulling a ramshackle cart along with it. He was cloaked, hiding his body from the cold, still, nighttime air. He carried no light; the moon was waxing enough by which to half-see the world. The cart’s wheels creaked and stuck in an occasional imperfection in the ground, but there was no one to notice. The figure stopped on a grassy hillock just on the banks of a tiny pond and surveyed the landscape. Magic was in the air, and it was his.

He smiled as he removed the tarpaulin from the cart’s back, revealing a pile of assorted fireworks, each gaudily painted with sparkling spirals and arabesques. With a deft thought—as simple as recalling a fresh memory—all became shiningly manifest around him: the magical lines and symbols that flowed across the ground and all around the palace, the colossal sigil that had taken months of careful surreptitiousness to lay, all glowing a vibrant, eager crimson. He had to hurry; the princesses would be alerted to his designs within the minute. He wasted no time in activating the spell he had set before.

The moon was high and calm over the spring night, and the majority of Ponyville was asleep. The few windows that were still lit had their curtains drawn, subduing the otherwise bold light. There was no sound, no activity.

Spike lay safe and snug in his basket, dreaming of Rarity. A small smile was fixed on his face like a kiss as he lived his fantasy. He occasionally turned over or mumbled something in response to her.

He had been helping Twilight put some books away when Rarity had arrived, knocking in her usual, polite way. He answered the door, somehow already knowing who it would be; still, her appearance was enough to set his heart into joyful little flutters.

“Uh, hi Rarity.” He idly reached up to scratch his head, trying to keep his composure. Twilight had not come down yet, though the sounds from upstairs had fallen curiously quiet; he would notice it in memory only. “What can I do for you?”

“Oh, I was just wondering if you’d like to take a walk with me,” she said nonchalantly. His heart leapt, and his claws tightened on the doorframe in an effort to keep himself under control.

“Oh, uh, y-yeah, sure.” He looked around nervously. “I-if you want to. Uh, let me just ask Twilight, and I’ll, uh, be right there.”

He made to turn back into the library, and then, without transition, he was walking with Rarity near the gardens on the west side of town. His heart was pounding still, harder than before, and he was afraid that with each whu-whump! Rarity would hear him, and chide him for his childish anxiety. It was just a pleasant stroll among friends, after all. He nervously brushed his spines, and, out the corner of his eye, saw her looking at him queerly. He looked back, but she turned, her own eyes fixed directly ahead. “She probably doesn’t want to be with me now,” he thought. “I’m probably making her feel weird.”

“Spike.”

His heart skipped a beat, and in the best calm voice he could muster, he responded. “Yes, Rarity?”

“Are you all right? You seem jumpy. Is something bothering you?” He wanted to deny her, but said nothing, favoring instead a casual “I dunno” shrug. “It’s just, I’ve known you for a while now,” she began, “and I’ve always thought of you as—”

Nothing. He saw only the dark brown, almost black arch of the wooden roof above him, and his ears rang with the phrase Rarity had spoken to him. He tried to hold on to her words, but his thoughts were cut short; his flame glands were coming to life, acrid and burning. A letter was coming. He was seized by a moment of irrational panic, but it slipped off to be replaced with annoyance. Why did Celestia see fit to wake him in the middle of the night? He belched up the parchment and read it himself, not wanting to wake Twilight in case it was some sort of accident—it wouldn’t be the first time. As he read the single, hastily scrawled line, his heart sank and his pulse quickened.

“Twilight! Twilight, wake up!” he urged, prodding her side with a claw.

She stirred and looked at him, her eyes bleary. “Spike, what is it?” There was no anger in her voice for being woken up, only concern. He showed her the letter wordlessly.

“Twilight, I need you and your friends here immediately. Immediately. Celestia.”

She knit her brow, perplexed. “Did you get this just now?” Spike nodded as she reread it, her frown deepening. “Well… but…” She got out of bed and went downstairs, not quite running; her face was dazed.

“What do you think it is?”

“I don’t know, but it’s obviously important. Princess Celestia isn’t usually that brief in her letters, and she never sends them at night.” The front room light flicked on, and she stopped to think for a moment as Spike entered behind her. Her eyes were still murky from sleep. “Spike, get the balloon ready. As fast as you can.”

“Yes ma’am!” He made a smart salute, and she opened the front door.

“I’ll be back.” She ran outside without looking back, leaving Spike to stare after her uncertainly. What happened? Just three or four minutes ago, he was dreaming happily, and now he was alone in the lit library. Weighty dread was beginning to settle onto his mind, and he went down to the basement to start the laborious task of dragging the balloon up and out onto the yard.

Twilight jogged down the chilly street toward Sugarcube Corner. She was trying not to let panic get the best of her, but no matter what she thought, what set of rationalizations she came up with to explain the odd hour and brevity of the letter, she could only reach one nonspecific conclusion: something was very wrong in Canterlot.

She pounded on the bakery door, calling Pinkie’s name as loudly as she dared. She quickly heard hoofsteps inside, and the door swung unceremoniously open, revealing a perky, but clearly tired, Pinkie. Her expression was quizzical.

“Hey Twilight! What’s going on? It’s still nighttime.”

“Pinkie, I just got a letter from Princess Celestia. It says we need to be in Canterlot immediately.”

“Immediately?”

“She stressed that. Immediately.”

“But—”

“No time! Get whatever you need and follow me!” She turned and headed back down the street, and Pinkie, recognizing the urgency in her voice, followed, not bothering to lock the door. She caught up quickly, and Twilight didn’t even look at her as she spoke: “Pinkie, I need you to go wake up Rarity and bring her to Fluttershy’s cottage; that’s where I’ll be waiting for you. Okay?”

“Okey-dokey-lokey!” Pinkie split from her and dashed off towards the boutique, a spring still in her step. Twilight watched her for a moment, to be sure that she didn’t get distracted, and continued toward the edge of the town, where Fluttershy lived, just outside the Everfree Forest.

She knocked on the door, taking a moment to catch her breath, and then called out, not bothering to keep her voice down in the clearing. “Fluttershy! Fluttershy, come out!” The lights winked on inside, and soon, but more slowly than Pinkie, Fluttershy cracked the door open to peer outside.

“Oh, Twilight. What’s—”

“There’s no time. I just got a letter from Princess Celestia, saying she needs us in Canterlot right now.”

“W-what?”

“Celestia, Canterlot, right now.”

“Oh, um, right now?”

“Yes, right now!” Her eyes widened desperately, and she took a moment to calm down. She spoke clearly and deliberately. “I need you to go get Rainbow Dash and bring her here, okay? Rarity and Pinkie Pie should be here by the time you get back.”

“Right now?”

“Right now! Come on, Fluttershy, we can’t waste any time.”

“Oh, um, sorry, it’s just—”

“Go!”

“Oh,” Fluttershy winced, and then took off. Twilight watched her vanish into the dark, cloudless air, hoping that Rainbow’s cloud house hadn’t drifted too far from where it usually floated.

As she stood, her heart pounding, she tried to collect itself. Her mind, steeped in panic and unrest, babbled relentlessly at possible scenarios calling for her immediate arrival. Perhaps Luna was revolting again. Perhaps Celestia was injured and needed help. Perhaps, she told herself unbelievingly, it was a hyper-realistic dream, and she would wake up soon to her warm bed and fibrillating heart.

But no, this was too real even for one of those dreams; the cold, damper-than-it-looked grass on her hooves proved that. The stars, and their faded shine in the navy blue night proved that. The cutting, cool air in her panting lungs and throat proved that.

“At least Pinkie is quick,” she thought. She looked northeast, where Canterlot, just forty miles away, perched on its mountainside like a sculpted, turreted clamshell. Her eyes had adjusted to the night, and she could see dark streams of smoke hazing around the mountain’s midpoint, shrouding the palace. Her first thought, immediately, like a heavy bolt through her stomach, was that there was a fire, but she saw no such sign.

Just then, a small, brilliant, beautiful flash of light bloomed up above the greater city walls: a firework. It was followed by a pair more, blue and red, and more smoke.

“What if it’s just a celebration?” she thought, but shook her head. That left no reason for the urgency in Celestia’s letter. But, then, why fireworks? “I suppose I’ll see what’s going on in a couple hours.”

She let herself be distracted, watching the smoke slowly drift. In time, she noticed something odd; it wasn’t dissipating. It flowed along the mountainside in waves, swirling together over the city edges, but never rising away and never clearing. Magic smoke, perhaps? But to what end?

“Twilight, what in Celestia’s name is going on?” Rarity’s insistent voice cut off Twilight’s thoughts, and she turned to her friends.

“I don’t know. Princess Celestia sent me a letter maybe twenty minutes ago, saying we need to be in Canterlot immediately.” She suspected Pinkie had already explained this, but didn’t begrudge Rarity for asking again.

“Where are the others?” Pinkie asked.

“Fluttershy is finding Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said, “and I’m going to have Rainbow round up Applejack and bring her over to us. It’s too far to walk, and Canterlot’s in the opposite direction anyway.”

“Oh, but surely we’re not walking to Canterlot, are we?” Rarity said, a whine creeping into her voice.

“No no no, we’re taking the balloon. Hopefully Spike will have it set up by the time we get back.”

“Is he coming with us?” Pinkie asked.

“I don’t think so. Whatever this is, it’s serious, and I don’t want him to be in any danger.” “Or get in the way,” she thought to herself.

Rarity nodded slowly, and Pinkie looked to Canterlot.

“Look, Twilight! They’re having a party! Maybe Celestia invited us for some late night boogie-woogie!” She hopped up and down excitedly.

“I don’t think so, Pinkie.”

“What kind of princess holds a party at this hour of the night? And for that matter, what kind of lady goes to one?” Rarity asked, flipping her hair back indignantly. “I should hope I’m not sacrificing my rest for something so trivial.”

“Maybe it’s Luna that’s holding it?” Pinkie said, still holding onto the idea.

“Maybe,” Twilight agreed slowly, not wanting to pursue the issue. Pinkie was, mercifully, quiet, either respectful of the time of night or still tired herself.

“Twilight, dear, there’s something strange about those fireworks,” Rarity said.

“Hm?” Twilight knew what she would say, but didn’t feel like speaking.

“The smoke they’re producing isn’t going away. It’s just… lingering.”

“That doesn’t sound like much of a party,” Pinkie said. “Who wants to go to a party if the whole town is smothered in smoke?”

“I noticed it too, Rarity,” Twilight said, ignoring Pinkie. She appreciated her friends’ poise in handling the situation, but what she needed most was a long time of quiet, to sort out her thoughts. “I get the feeling I’m not getting it any time soon,” she thought, looking into the sky, hoping for some distraction from the weight of her friends’ anxious stares. She thought she saw a dark figure in the distance, but it drew no closer.

“You know, now that I think about it,” she said, “it’s pointless for me to have you two here with me. We’re all going to meet up back at the library anyway, because that’s where the balloon is.”

“Balloon? Twilight, you didn’t say we were taking the balloon! I love balloons!” Pinkie cried, moved in to press her grinning face against Twilight’s serious one.

“It’s how we’re getting to Canterlot,” she said, moving away a little.

Rarity, catching on to Twilight’s discomfort, said, “Twilight, if you like, we can go back to the library and help Spike set it up.”

“Would you girls mind?” Her voice was graver than she had intended.

“But of course,” Rarity said.

“I love balloons! This one time—”

“Are you quite sure you’ll be okay by yourself?” Rarity asked, placing her hoof over Pinkie’s still-running mouth.

“I’ll be fine,” Twilight said, smiling warmly at Rarity’s concern. “I’m just going to wait for the others. We’ll meet you as quick as we can.”

“All right,” Rarity said simply, taking her hoof off Pinkie’s face.

“—and a whole basket of cashews! I mean, who needs that many cashews, anyway?”

“Come along, Pinkie,” Rarity said, trotting off. Pinkie followed, still talking, and they soon faded away. Twilight could hear occasional peals of Pinkie’s laughter behind buildings.

Twilight remained still, eyes trained on the sky for any sign of either pegasus. Rainbow should be fairly easy to spot, she figured; she would likely come speeding in. In the sudden stillness, her mind turned back to Canterlot. What could possibly be going on there? If there was an emergency, why were there fireworks? Perhaps, she thought, the party was a mere cover—a distraction to keep the other ponies from panicking.

She brushed a hoof impatiently against the soft grass outside Fluttershy’s cottage. None of it made sense, and in the dark of the small hours, worry was free to take any dreadful shape her traitorous mind conceived. A breeze blew, and she suddenly wished she had had the forethought to grab a scarf, like Rarity.

She was so distracted in her mix of thoughts, serious and banal, that she only noticed the streak of colors, muted by darkness, approaching with its usual alarming speed when it turned quickly and streaked towards her. She watched passively as Rainbow Dash got closer, slowed abruptly, and landed next to her, strangely careful.

“Twilight, what the hay is going on? What is this about Celestia and Canterlot and emergencies and being there immediately?”

“It’s this letter I got from Princess Celestia; it said to come to Canterlot immediately,” Twilight said shortly. She was getting tired of explaining it, and Rainbow’s sour mood didn’t help.

Rainbow groaned. “Fluttershy already said that!”

“Well, that’s all I can tell you. Princess Celestia wasn’t very detailed in her letter.”

“Ugh, why can’t it wait ‘til morning? I was really asleep when Fluttershy arrived.”

“Dash, this is an emergency,” Twilight said firmly. “We need to be there tonight.”

Rainbow groaned again and plopped down impatiently, and Twilight watched as Fluttershy alighted next to her.

“Don’t get comfortable, Rainbow. I need you to go get Applejack,” Twilight said, readying herself for her friend’s objection.

“Go get her? Like, wake her up and tell her to come here?”

“Well, um, mostly,” Twilight said. “I also need you to, eh, bring her here. Like, carry her.”

“What? What the hay, Twilight?” She sounded genuinely insulted. “Why can’t she just run?”

Twilight’s voice took on a pleading tone. “Because Sweet Apple Acres is really really far away, and Canterlot is in the opposite direction. We simply don’t have enough time!”

“Come on, Twilight!” Her eyes rolled as far back as she could get them, and she stomped a hoof petulantly.

“Rainbow, there is a crisis in Canterlot, and all you can think about is yourself?”

Rainbow let out an even more agonized, annoyed groan, and looked up at the sky for a moment, as if beseeching it. Twilight almost began pressing her again, but before she could: “Fine, I’ll go.” Then, perking up a bit, Rainbow said, “It’ll be a neat challenge.”

“I’m sure Applejack will enjoy the ride,” Fluttershy said, nervously looking away from the two arguing ponies.

“I’m sure Applejack will enjoy the ride,” Rainbow sneered. “If she can hold on.”

“Rainbow, we really don’t have time for this,” Twilight said, trying to soften her tone. “Tell her Celestia needs us all in Canterlot immediately. Emphasize that. Immediately. She’s flying with you because it’s faster.”

“Fine, fine,” Rainbow said dismissively, and then took off, her bad mood having no ill effect on her speed. Twilight and Fluttershy stood in her wake, the former nervously pawing at the ground and the latter slowly tightening her wings.

“It’s going to be a long night, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, and Fluttershy moaned in agreement.

Back at the library, Spike had managed to drag the balloon outside on his own, and had begun the lengthy process of filling it with hot air. With the sandbags already down, he had nothing to do but watch as the torch burn, endless, monotonous. It was a fun ride, but all the preparation almost made it not worth it, especially with no unicorn magic to help.

When Rarity and Pinkie showed up, asking if they could help, he only shook his head. The only part that required more than one set of hands—or hooves—was done, and now it was just the long wait for it to fill up. Rarity and Pinkie went inside, and Spike remained on the cool doorstep, watching dutifully should anything happen to halt the balloon’s progress. “Number One Assistant by day, Premier Balloon Guardian by night,” he thought to himself, puffing up a bit.

He could hear the mares’ voices through the crack under the door. Pinkie’s was loud and clear, as always, but Rarity’s was just a muffled ghost. He had hoped that she would stay outside and keep him company, but he knew better, and was too afraid to ask for it himself. If it were daytime, perhaps, but at night, and under the current, urgent circumstances, his bravado had left him.

Rainbow Dash returned with Applejack clinging to her back, forelegs clasped around her neck in a vice grip and a sour look on her face. As soon as they were on the ground, Twilight started trotting back towards the library, Fluttershy and Rainbow hovering overhead, and Applejack beside her.

“So, you wanna tell me just what’s goin’ on here, Twilight? All Rainbow said was somthin’ ‘bout an ‘emergency in Canterlot’.”

“I got a letter about forty minutes ago from Princess Celestia saying that we need to get to Canterlot immediately,” Twilight said, trying not to show her annoyance at having to repeat herself so much. “There wasn’t an explanation.”

“Sounds like the princess was in quite a hurry if that’s all she wrote ya,” Applejack said, her annoyance immediately replaced with concern.

“Yeah, and that’s what worries me the most.” She continued moving in silence for a second, and said, “Sorry I had to have Rainbow carry you like that; it’s just that we don’t have a whole lot of time, and for you to travel on hoof would have been too slow.”

“Aw, don’t worry ‘bout it, sugarcube. It ain’t the first time Ah’ve ridden on Rainbow’s back before.” She thought for a moment. “Though it is the first time Ah’ve done it so… suddenly.”

“I told her to explain; did she?”

“I explained myself perfectly fine, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash groused from overhead.

“You didn’t say nothin’ ‘bout nothin’,” Applejack said. “You just rambled somethin’ ‘bout Canterlot an’ needin’ to be there right away an’ not bein’ able to run fast enough.”

“I was half asleep!”

“Ah was completely asleep!”

“Girls! Now is not the time! We have a crisis on our hooves.”

“Ah know, Ah know. Ah just wish Rainbow here would slow down fer the rest of us sometimes.”

“Slow down? I’m the fastest pony in Equestria! You can’t ask me to just slow down; that’s like asking me to stop having wings.”

“Anyway,” Twilight said loudly, diverting their attention, “we’re almost there.”

“We know where the library is, Twilight,” Rainbow said quietly; Twilight ignored her.

When they reached the gnarled tree, Twilight’s face fell. The balloon lay on the ground outside, still half deflated, the torch blasting hot air into it steadily. Spike sat on the curb outside, watching with drooping eyes.

“Ugh, I’d forgotten how long it takes to get this thing off the ground,” Twilight said. “Have we gotten any more letters from the princess?” Spike shook his head. “Where are Rarity and Pinkie Pie?” Spike cocked a thumb and pointed inside.

Twilight stepped through the door, hoping Pinkie hadn’t destroyed anything. She tended to do that when Twilight wasn’t there to supervise. They were both there, Rarity lying on the couch, looking bored, and Pinkie bouncing around on the carpet, still talking in her usual, mile-a-minute way.

“Oh, Twilight, darling, there you are. How is everypony?”

“Fine, Rarity. How are things here?”

“Slow. Spike said the balloon should be ready in about an hour.”

“Oh.” She looked around awkwardly. “Okay.” She moved toward the stairs.

“Where ya going Twilight?” Pinkie said, still bouncing.

“I need to do some research. I want to see if there really is a celebration tonight. If there isn’t, I’d bet those fireworks we saw have something to do with the problem.”

“It could be Trixie getting up to no good,” Rarity suggested.

“I guess. She doesn’t strike me as the type to do anything as… outrageous as this, though.”

Rarity shrugged and yawned. “What ever happened to her, anyway?”

“I don't know,” Twilight said.

“I heard that she’s somewhere up north,” Fluttershy said from overhead.

“Who told you that?”

“Oh, um, a friend.”

“The north?” Applejack questioned. “Why not stay in Canterlot?”

“Maybe she wanted to be somewhere bigger,” Twilight said.

“Wait a minute," Pinkie said. "I always thought Canterlot was the biggest city in Equestria.”

Twilight chuckled, and Pinkie smiled. “Sorry, Pinkie. Canterlot is the capital, but it’s not all that big. The biggest cities are actually in the southern half of Equestria.”

Pinkie thought for a minute before breaking into a giggle. "I didn’t even know there were cities down there!”

“Have you never looked at a map?” Twilight said; her mind was still on the mysterious letter, but she was grateful for the momentary diversion.

“Nope!" Twilight looked at her incredulously. “I’ve never needed to know anything outside Ponyville,” she said with a small grin. “Why would I? I’ve never left!"

Twilight eyed her for a second. “Well, if you had, you’d see that there are plenty of cities out there. Equestria is a pretty big place.”

“I thought a lot of it was wilderness,” Rarity said.

“Yeah, me too,” Applejack said.

“What did you think was out there, Pinks?” Rainbow asked, floating to the ground.

“Oh, you know, I thought it was just kind of empty beyond the Everfree Forest,” Pinkie said.

“If I remember correctly, about eighty percent of Equestria is wilderness,” Twilight said. “But there are some huge cities south of here. They make Canterlot look like Ponyville. It’s quite fascinating.”

“Now, I thought Canterlot was labeled as the biggest city in Equestria,” Rarity said.

“It is on the older maps; that’s when mapmakers showed the town’s importance by its size. On those same maps, Ponyville is barely a speck, if it’s there at all.”

“What about the newer maps?”

“What about them?”

“Have they changed to be more accurate?” Rarity asked.

“Oh, absolutely. Size is pretty downplayed, though. All the cities are just dots on those.”

“What’re those big, fancy cities like, Twilight?” Pinkie asked.

“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been to any of them. I don’t think any of us have.”

“What ‘bout Rarity?” Applejack asked.

“Oh, no, I’m afraid I’ve only ever been to Manehattan,” she said. “And even then, it was only for a couple days. That was before I settled in Ponyville.”

“Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy looked away with a blush. “Oh, I’ve been a few places,” she said timidly.

“Really?” Twilight asked, knitting her brows.

“Are you surprised?”

“Well, yeah, Fluttershy. You don’t seem like the type to travel much.”

“Oh yes,” Fluttershy said, “I traveled a lot when I was younger.”

“Where’d ya go?” Applejack asked.

“Well, when I left Cloudsdale, I stayed here for a little while, and then I flew north.”

“Why?” Twilight asked.

“Unfortunately, there weren’t any towns there that felt right for me,” Fluttershy continued quietly. “So I went south and tracked down an old, um… friend, and lived with him for a little while.”

“A stallion?” Rainbow blurted, a mischievous smile on her face. “Fluttershy, I didn’t know you had a coltfriend.”

Fluttershy blushed and shook her head rapidly, trying to shrink into herself. “Oh, no no. Um, he’s not my coltfriend. He’s just a… friend.”

“How come we’ve never heard of him?” Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m sorry.”

“We’re not mad, Fluttershy. We’re just curious,” Twilight said.

“Oh, well, um, you never really asked. And, um, he’s not all that important. At least, not in Ponyville.”

“That makes it sound like he is important elsewhere,” Rarity said, her eyes alight with curiosity.

Fluttershy’s body tightened further, her wings wrapped at her sides like arms of a straitjacket. “Oh, um… no. I mean, he owns a small business somewhere, but he’s not famous or anything.”

“What kind of business does he own?” Twilight asked.

“Oh, it’s a, um, plumbing company. Yes, he owns a small plumbing business. It’s family-run.”

“Interesting,” Twilight said, placated.

“Fluttershy, how come you never told us? We should go meet him!” Pinkie cried, jumping up.

“Wait, what town is he in?” Rainbow asked.

“Yeah, Fluttershy, where is he?” Twilight asked. “I’d love to get to know him.” She gasped. “Oh, maybe we can be pen pals!”

“Ah thought Celestia was yer pen pal,” Applejack said.

“You can have more than one pen pal, Applejack. Besides, she’s my teacher. You can’t be ‘pals’ with your teacher.”

“Never pals with the princess? Twilight, that’s awful!” Pinkie said.

Twilight chuckled. “No Pinkie, I mean we’ve never been familiar like that. She’s one of my best friends, but we’re not, you know, buddies, or anything.”

“Oh, okay! You had me worried there!” She thought for a second. “I guess it’s hard for a princess to be buddies with anypony ‘cause she’s always so busy. She should really take a break once in a while.” She gasped, and Twilight braced herself for what she knew came next. “I should throw her a party! Not a royal party like the Grand Galloping Gala, but a regular party so she can kick back and have some regular fun like a regular pony!”

“Yeah, Pinkie, I’m sure the Royal Guard would really be into that,” Rainbow said sarcastically.

“You’re right, Dashie! I should invite them too! Oh, so many invitations to make, and so little time! I have to get to work right away!”

“Pinkie, Ah don’t think this is the time fer celebratin’,” Applejack said, her stern tone arresting Pinkie’s dash to the door.

Pinkie sat down bashfully. “Oh, right. Emergency and all that. Sorry.” She fell silent, and everyone waited a moment to see whether she would erupt again.

“Fluttershy, you simply must tell us what the big city is like,” Rarity said, and Fluttershy flinched; with the attention suddenly back on her, what little composure she had gained from Pinkie’s interlude was gone.

“Oh, it’s… nice. There are a lot more ponies there, but everyone seems to be in a hurry all the time.”

“Sounds just like Manehattan,” Rarity said. “It was like everypony was running late, all the time. Rush rush, no time to stop and smell the flowers, as it were. That’s partly why I ended up moving here.”

“Why did you pick Ponyville, anyway? I mean, I’m sure there were other towns closer to Manehattan where you could live,” Twilight said.

“The closest town then was Fillydelphia, but it was much too large for me. I wanted somewhere where I could live a nice, quiet life.”

“What about Hoofington? That’s only a few thousand miles from here, and much smaller.”

“I thought about that, but it was rather too exclusive for me. It lacks the warmth and friendliness of Ponyville. Plus, have you read about its past? Absolutely dreadful!”

“I don’t think I have read about it, actually,” Twilight said.

“Well you definitely should sometime. Preferably not right before you go to bed. I would save you the trouble and tell you some of it myself, but just thinking about it gives me the shivers.” As if to prove her point, she shivered then.

“Oh please,” Rainbow interjected. “You don’t actually believe any of it, do you? They’re just campfire stories.”

“They’re much more than just stories, Rainbow dear.”

Rainbow laughed. “Come on, Rarity. Seriously? ‘The gray mare of the mansion’? ‘The undead butterflies’?” Pinkie burst into laughter at the title. “They’re all phony.”

“Even if they are, there must be some frightful things there for ponies to make up those stories.”

“I guess,” Rainbow conceded. “But I’m not afraid. Nopony can beat Rainbow Dash!” Rarity scoffed.

“Here we go,” thought Twilight. Deciding to save herself the inevitable argument between Rainbow and Rarity, she stepped outside to check the balloon; Applejack followed her, apparently having the same idea. The balloon was still filling steadily, its fabric an amorphous spread of lumps and dips over the front lawn. Spike had dozed off on the curb, but Twilight didn’t wake him.

“Say, Twi,” Applejack began. “Where d’ya get all the fuel fer that there torch, anyway?”

Twilight shrugged. “I took a couple canisters with me when I moved here.”

“How d’ya pay for it?”

“Princess Celestia pays for it.”

“You got the princess payin’ yer fuel bill?” Applejack looked at her with a quirked eyebrow.

“It’s her balloon still, technically. She doesn’t ever need it, though, so she lets me take care of it.”

Applejack nodded. “You think Fluttershy seemed a little too uncomfortable talkin’ ‘bout herself back there? Like, more than usual?”

“She did seem awfully reluctant to talk.”

“She said she’d traveled in the past. Maybe that’s got somethin’ to do with it.”

Twilight nodded absentmindedly; her eyes strayed back to the balloon, her mind back to Canterlot. An occasional firework still popped over the mountain’s shoulder.

“Ah wonder what she’s seen. Where she’s been.” Applejack sat down. “Ah get the feelin’ that ‘friend’ of hers is a little more’n just a friend.”

“She’s probably just embarrassed to talk about it,” Twilight said. “After all, it was a period of uncertainty in her life. She probably doesn’t like reliving it, especially in front of other ponies.”

“Maybe.”

Twilight waited a few seconds, then turned back inside. “Well, I should probably get to studying.”

She made for the stairs, stopping only long enough to survey her friends. Rarity had fallen asleep on the couch, and Rainbow was lying on a bookcase, making no effort to conceal her boredom. Pinkie was curled up on the carpet, reading, and Fluttershy stared into the fireplace. Only Pinkie looked up briefly as Twilight entered, but said nothing as she ascended the stairs to her study.

As she closed the door, her horn lit up and grabbed a few books from a nearby shelf.

“Compendium of Equestrian Holidays,” she said quietly to herself, setting the book on her desk and opening it. Soon, she heard Pinkie and Rainbow Dash talking and laughing below, with Applejack’s voice sometimes mixing in. She tried to ignore them as she focused on her reading. After several minutes, she stopped, suddenly aware of a more rationed, less raucous tone.

“Ah don’t think that’s a very good idea, Rainbow,” Applejack said, her eyes narrowed pensively.

“Aw, what’s the worst that can happen? It’s not like I’ll get lost or anything, and I can be back here in five minutes.” Applejack looked at her incredulously.

“Um, Twilight said we should all stick together,” Fluttershy said.

“No she didn’t,” Rainbow retorted.

“It’s still a good idea,” Applejack said.

“No it isn’t! What if this whole thing is a false alarm? We’ll have gone through all this trouble for nothing.”

“Oh, but what if it isn’t a false alarm? What if there’s actually something bad happening?” Fluttershy asked. “You could get hurt.”

“I’m the fastest flier in Equestria, Fluttershy. Nopony’s going to catch me.”

“I’ve caught you!” Pinkie chirped, jumping over and bowling her over. She giggled. “I just caught you again Dashie!”

“Pinkie, get off me,” Rainbow growled, pushing Pinkie away unceremoniously.

“She’s got a point, Rainbow,” Applejack said. “Even Fluttershy caught you once. Remember?”

“That was different.”

“Why? ‘Cause Discord enchanted you?”

“Well, yeah.”

“You were just as fast then as you are now,” Fluttershy murmured.

“Are you calling me slow?”

“Oh, no, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say it that way, Rainbow Dash, really, I—”

“Ah still say it’s a bad idea,” Applejack interrupted.

“Ugh, you ponies are killing me,” she groaned, flying back up to her bookcase.

“Dashie, come down from there, you silly filly!” Pinkie said, looking up at her hungrily. Rainbow tried to wave her off. “We shouldn’t be fighting tonight! Celestia’s gonna need a lot of teamwork from us!”

“Wait, what? Nopony said anything about any of that,” Rainbow said, looking down on Pinkie with concern-narrowed eyes.

“Um, hello? Pinkie sense!”

The whole room went quiet for a moment of consideration; above, Twilight was bracing herself for an explosion of sound, thinking Pinkie had crossed some sort of line.

“Pinkie, just how precise is this sense of yours?” Rarity asked from the couch.

“Oh, Rarity, you’re awake!” Pinkie said with renewed cheer.

“I have been for a while.” She looked at Pinkie, who returned her expression of calm inquisition with a vacuous stare of her own. “Aren’t you going to answer my question?”

“Oh, my Pinkie Sense question? Well, there’s not a lot to say about it.”

“Come on, Pinkie,” Rainbow said.

“How accurately can you predict the future?” Rarity asked.

“Pretty accurately.”

Rarity looked at her expectantly, twirling a hoof. “And?”

“Aaaaaaand consistently? Why are you guys are acting so weird all of a sudden?”

“Why must you be so obtuse?” Rarity mumbled to herself.

“Ah think Rarity’s tryin’ to ask if you can tell us anythin’ ‘bout tonight,” Applejack said. “Like why you said Celestia’s gonna need our teamwork.”

“I dunno!”

“Come on, Pinkie, you didn’t even try to think about that answer. This is important,” Rainbow said.

“Sorry, Dashie.”

“Could you try to focus a little more, dear?” Rarity asked.

“I guess I could try,” Pinkie said. “But I don’t know if I’m gonna get much. My Pinkie Sense can’t be controlled; it just comes whenever it wants!”

“Please, darling.”

Pinkie shrugged loosely, and everypony quieted down. She closed her eyes, and her face grew serious; it was a sight that they had seldom seen. Her lips moved soundlessly, and she appeared to zone out. She sat, in apparent meditation, for only a couple minutes, and when she opened her eyes, her usual smile stretched across her face.

“Nope! Notta! Nothing!” Everypony sighed, and Pinkie giggled. “Aw, don’t be sad! There’s a party in Canterlot! Nopony should ever be sad when there’s a party going on!”

“Yer still on about that?” Applejack said.

“Fireworks in Canterlot! Woo!” She started hopping up and down, her moment of seriousness absolutely forgotten.

“I must say, I really don’t like this,” Rarity said.

“Me neither, sugarcube,” Applejack said. “But what else can we do?”

“Oh, um, sorry for interrupting, but aren’t there spells that let someone see what’s going on somewhere else?” Fluttershy asked. “Maybe we can use one of those.”

Rarity thought. “There are,” she said slowly. “But I don’t think we should cast one here.”

“Why not?” Rainbow asked.

“Do you know how to, Rarity?” Fluttershy asked.

“Not off the top of my head, I’m afraid. But I’ve learned enough magic theory from Twilight to know that a spell like that would be quite difficult to cast, at least for me.”

“Well, we are in a library,” Rainbow said.

“Yes, I suppose so. But I’m not sure. It’s rather unsafe.”

“How unsafe?”

“Didn’t you hear her, Dashie? ‘Rather’ unsafe! That doesn’t sound so bad!”

“Pinkie, darling, I’d be casting the spell on you,” Rarity said.

“Okey-dokey-lokey!”

Rarity stared at her. “You’re not even remotely worried, are you?”

“Nope! I think we should do it!” The whole group was quiet again, while Rarity thought. It was difficult for her under Pinkie’s insistent smile.

“Shouldn’t we tell Twilight first?” Applejack asked.

“She’ll just tell us not to,” Rainbow said. “Or offer to cast it herself.”

“Yeah, but who knows how long she’ll be up there?” Pinkie said. “Come on, Rarity! You can be quick, I know it!”

“It just seems silly with Twilight right there,” Rarity said.

“Yeah, but she’ll insist on doing a whole lot of research and stuff first,” Rainbow said. “Or she’ll say we don’t have time, and have us fly up there blind.”

Rarity thought for a few seconds, then got up from the couch. “I’ll need to look up how to do it first.”

“So we’re not tellin’ Twi?” Applejack asked.

“I guess not,” Fluttershy said.

Applejack appeared to wrestle with her thoughts for a second, then said, “fine. Whatever. What’s the worst that can happen?”

“Everypony look for a book of spells that can help me with this,” Rarity said, scanning a bookshelf. “It should be about… oh, Celestia, what is it called? Clairvoyance, I think.”

“Here Rarity!” A book flew across the room and smacked into Rarity’s flank. “Page eighty-four!”

“Pinkie, how did you do that?”

“It was on the bookshelf.”

“Yes, but how did you find it so fast?”

“I dunno! Lucky guess?”

“I’m sure it was,” Rarity mumbled as she studied the page. The spell looked intimidating, and she had to read the instructions twice before looking up at her audience. “Okay, Pinkie, go ahead and stand in the middle of the room.”

“Okey-dokey-lokey!”

“Now, darling, it’s imperative you stay still for this. I’m going to draw a sigil around you, but it’ll only work if you stay where you are.”

“What’s a sigil?” Fluttershy asked.

“A sigil is a magical symbol that’s meant to take the place of a spell,” Rarity said. “Twilight never uses them because she’s already so powerful, but I need one.”

“How big is this gonna be?” Applejack asked.

“Not that big.” Rarity propped the book up on the couch and grabbed a quill and inkwell from a nearby desk. “Pinkie, stop moving.”

“Awwww, really? I thought you were joking.”

“No, I wasn’t. Now hold still.” Pinkie obediently stopped moving. “I would appreciate it if everyone else was quiet while I draw this. I need to concentrate.”

The whole room fell quiet once more, and everyone watched Rarity telekinetically pick up the quill and dip it lightly into the ink; no one saw Fluttershy creep up to watch from the stairs’ midpoint.

Rarity took a breath to still her thoughts and focus them on the spell’s objective, then touched the quill’s tip to the wooden floor. The book had said that the sigil would do the majority of the work for her, but she still needed to pour her own force of will into it to activate it; otherwise, it was just an inert design.

Rarity glided the quill across the floor, first forming a nearly perfect circle around Pinkie, then swishing and swaying around within it, surrounding Pinkie with a series of loops, swirls, knots and streaks. No one noticed as Twilight stepped down next to Fluttershy and watched, her expression a mixture of dismay and respect.

Putting the quill back in its place, Rarity’s horn glowed as she closed her eyes, blotting out the library and leaving just herself and her sigil. At first, the ink remained an unresponsive black, but with a breathy gasp from its caster, suddenly shimmered into a lively forest green, and was again still.

Pinkie’s eyes rolled up and her lids drooped down, and she wobbled in place. No one spoke and no one rushed to her side; the only sound was Pinkie’s breathing and the steady shhhhhh of the torch outside, comforting in the strange moment. No one noticed as the sigil sloughed away, leaving the floor stainless.

One minute passed, then two; Applejack started to inch forward, but was stilled by a yellow hoof on her back. She looked back at Fluttershy, who wordlessly shook her head. They waited, and Pinkie remained standing, her knee bent inward. The room’s eyes flicked between Pinkie and Rarity, the latter visibly tense with uncertainty.

After three minutes, sweat was moistening Rarity’s brow; she dared not wipe it away, for fear that any sudden movement might ruin Pinkie’s trance. Pinkie wobbled once more, and, again, Fluttershy held Applejack back. Rarity could see Pinkie’s eyes moving frantically beneath her lids, as if caught in a dream, but the rest of her face was passive.

Anxious, Rarity turned and looked back at the book, just to make sure she didn’t have to wake Pinkie up—she didn’t. Another minute passed, and finally Pinkie opened her eyes; the whole room breathed a collective sigh of relief. She looked around the room blearily before shifting her weight uncertainly.

“Well Pinkie? What did you see?” Rarity asked nervously. “Did it work?”

Pinkie’s face was unhappy, and it worried Rarity. Her relief, though transient, was great, when all Pinkie said was, “nothing.”