—Present Day

Celestia smiled as she watched her ponies partake in their merriment from afar. The streets of Ponyville were alive with activity, ponies running to and fro, laughing happily as they celebrated. Balloons of various sizes floated through the air; some carried by foals, others carried by the wind. Pegasi zipped through the skies above the town, showering the ponies beneath them with confetti and streamers. Sugarcube Corner had opened its doors and was now giving away free treats to anypony willing to come inside. Various goodies, most based off of the sun, were displayed around the store. The Summer Sun Celebration was now in full swing, the sun having just recently taken its rightful place in the sky.

Strolling along the dirt path, Celestia moved at a steady pace towards the town, accompanied by six mares. Six special mares.

She had been nervous when Nightmare Moon had returned. Well, nervous had been putting it lightly. Trapped outside of Ponyville by the Mare of Darkness’s force field, she had only been able to watch as the Nightmare had terrified her little ponies. Celestia had had a lot riding on her faithful student’s shoulders, and, despite her initial reluctance, Twilight had performed beautiful alongside her new friends. They had managed to uncover the Elements of Harmony with the old castle, defeat Nightmare Moon, and send her back into the Abyssal Darkness of Tartarus.

With the Nightmare gone, her barrier had fallen and Celestia had managed to once again set hoof in Ponyville. She had immediately rushed to her student’s side, full of praise and relief.

Her smile growing, Celestia watched as Twilight now galloped along ahead of her, laughing and chatting with her friends. The sight warmed Celestia’s heart. An introvert by nature, Twilight had rarely socialized with anypony unless it had something to do with her lessons. But now, as she joked around with her friends, she looked happier than Celestia had ever seen her before. Like a missing piece had filled her heart.

As they headed down the path towards Ponyville, away from the Everfree Forest, Twilight glanced back at Celestia, a large smile on her face. Sunlight glinted off of the tiara perched on top of her head, the six-point gem glowing with warm light.

Upon seeing the Princess watching her, Twilight blushed and quickly returned to her conversation with Applejack.

Such innocence, Celestia thought, chuckling softly to herself. Never change, Twilight.

As the group entered the town, ponies began to cheer and stomp their hooves, tales of the mares’ heroics having already reached them. The sea of ponies parted, allowing Celestia and the Element bearers to pass through towards the town square. A familiar figure pushed its way through the crowd, and Spike, Twilight’s assistant, emerged from the throng of ponies. Running forward, the baby dragon threw himself at Twilight, wrapping his arms around her in a hug that she happily returned.

The group was swarmed by cheering ponies, flowers thrown from the crowd landing by their hooves. Two pegasi fillies emerged from the crowd, flying up to Celestia. She blinked in surprise, but smiled warmly at them when she saw the necklace of flowers held in their hooves. Lowering her head, she allowed them to slip the flower arrangement over her head and around her neck.

Raising her head back up, she gave both fillies a quick peck on the forehead, causing both of them to blush. She couldn’t help chuckling to herself as the foals gave her twin smiles before rushing back to their parents.

Adjusting the flowers so that they sat more comfortably around her neck, she glanced around at the sea of faces. Her gaze met joyful expressions, happy dispositions abound. The new Element Bearers were enjoying their well-deserved recognition, with the exception of the new Kindness bearer. She tried to hide beneath her mane, clearly uncomfortable with all the attention she was receiving.

They still had their Elements around their necks, the golden metal glinting in the sunlight. Celestia made a mental note to acquire them for safe keeping. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust the mares, but if a thief managed to steal just one of the necklaces, then the Elements would be useless. Besides, she didn’t know of any need for them within the foreseeable future. Why burden the girls with them if they were not needed?

Glancing over at Twilight, she paused upon seeing the dejected look on the young unicorn’s face. Confused at her sudden change in mood, Celestia trotted slowly over, concern in her eye.

“Why so glum, my faithful student?” she asked softly. Twilight glanced up, giving her a confused look. “Are you not happy that your quest is now complete, and you can return to your studies in Canterlot?”

“That’s just it,” Twilight sighed, lowering her head. Her eyes quickly flicked to the side before returning to her hooves.

Blinking, Celestia glanced over to see what Twilight had been looking at. A small smirk touched her lips when she saw Twilight’s new friends standing there, watching the pair curiously.

Celestia returned her attention back to Twilight as she continued speaking. “Just when I learned how wonderful it is to have friends, I have to leave them.”

Oh, Twilight, she thought with a smirk. You’ve learned far more than I thought you would, and I must say, I am very proud of you. Casting one last look at the other Element bearers, all of whom now had sad looks of their own, having just realized their new friend was going to leave them, Celestia smirk turned into a genuine smile.

“Spike,” she said, straightening up. “Take a note please.” As the baby dragon held up a piece of parchment and quill, Twilight gave the Princess a confused look. Ignoring her, Celestia continued. “I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree that the unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, shall take on a new mission for Equestria. She must continue to study the magic of friendship. She must report to me her findings from her new home in Ponyville.”

By the time she had finished speaking, Twilight had a large smile on her face, as did all of her friends. They quickly mobbed Twilight, pulling her into a group hug as they laughed. Celestia watched, her smile growing at the sight. They truly are destined to be friends, she noted. Not even together for a day, and already they’ve become so close with one another.

“Oh, thank you, Princess Celestia,” Twilight said from the middle of the pony pile. “I’ll study harder than ever before!”

“I’m sure you will, my faithful student,” Celestia said as the crowd around them cheered loudly. “Make me proud.” With that, she stepped back, allowing Twilight’s friends to have her full attention.

Making her way towards the town’s fountain, she stared up at the stone mare perched upon the pedestal. Water flowed gently from her mouth and eyes, splashing into the pool below.

As she watched the water, Celestia sighed softly

It’s finally over, Luna, she thought, her smile becoming melancholy. They have managed to do what I could not all those years ago. The Nightmare is gone, and you can rest in peace. Slowly, her gaze drifted from the fountain to the ponies around her. I wonder, Luna, would you be happy with all I’ve done? Would you smile at what Equestria has become?

Her musing was interrupted by the sound of a throat being cleared beside her. Glancing around, she hummed softly. “Well, hello, Black Spark. How are you doing today?”

“Splendidly,” the Archduke replied, his face expressionless. This earned a chuckle from her. “I’ve just come from the hospital. The guards that were struck by lightning have awoken, and should be released within an hour or so. Their wounds are minor, just a couple of burns and scrapes from their fall.”

“Were there any other injuries caused by Nightmare Moon?” Celestia asked, her face blank.

Black Spark shook his head. “A couple of scrapes and bruises from ponies running into each other, but other than that, no. We were extremely lucky.”

“Yes, we were,” Celestia agreed, rubbing at her scar. “It could have been worse.”

The Archduke opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a pink blur zipping up to him. Staggering backwards in alarm, he snorted as he stared at the pink pony in front of him. She had the biggest smile on her face, her mane and tail looking more like cotton candy than hair. Despite the fact she was an earth pony, she barely came up to his chin. She was bouncing in place—practically in his face—and it took him a second to realize she was speaking.

“...isn’t this exciting? I mean, all this fun stuff happening, Twilight gets to stay in town, and we all get a new friend! Are you excited, because I’m excited! I’ve never been so excited, well except for the time when I went—”

A red magical aura surrounded her muzzle, forcing it closed with an audible ‘click’. She stopped bouncing, cocking her head to the side as she looked at Black Spark with large, curious eyes.

“Stop talking,” he grunted, his eyes narrowing. A look of disgust crossed his face before it returned to normal. The mare began to mumble something, but he just increased his magic, causing her to become silent again with a wince, her nostrils flaring. “Stop,” he ordered, before releasing her muzzle from his magic.

As the mare rubbed at her jaw, another voice came from above, “Hey! What do you think you’re doing to Pinkie!?”

Glancing up, Black Spark blinked at the pegasus that was hovering above him; a cerulean mare with rainbow mane. She was glaring at him, an angry look on her face.

“Well?” she asked, nostrils flaring. “What do you think you’re doing!?”

“Asking her to be quiet,” he replied, his voice neutral. “Nicely,” he added.

Other ponies were beginning to gather around, their faces curious. An orange earth pony mare wearing a worn-out stetson on her head moved to stand beneath the pegasus, a small frown on her face.

Adjusting his chaperon hat, Black Spark cracked his neck before glancing at Celestia. “I’m going to check around town, make sure nothing is amiss.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Celestia said. “All this work is making you too tense. Relax a bit, Black Spark. It’s a celebration, after all.”

The pink mare suddenly gasped loudly, her eyes widening. In an instant, she was clinging to the Archduke’s leg, looking up at him with big, pleading eyes.

“Y-you… you’re not leaving the party, are you?” she asked, her eyes beginning to water. “Why would you want to do that?”

Black Spark stood stock still, his face impassive. Slowly, he turned his head, glancing down at the mare.

“Let go of my hoof, gypsy,” he growled, his eyes flashing dangerously. The mare’s ears splayed backwards, and she swallowed loudly before releasing her grip on his hoof and slinking back.

Lifting his hoof, Black Spark flexed it once before placing it back on the ground. With an angry snort, he turned and stalked off, disappearing into the crowd.

Rainbow watched him go, a scowl on her face.

“What’s his problem?” she huffed, crossing her forelegs over her chest. “Where does he get off talking to Pinkie like that? I ought to find him, and teach him a lesson!”

“Whoa, there, sugarcube,” Applejack said, grabbing ahold of Rainbow’s tail and pulling her to earth. “Let’s not do anythin’ we might regret.”

“You’ll have to forgive Black Spark,” Celestia sighed. “He can be rather stuck-up at times.” Twilight nodded silently in agreement.

“Brutish is more like it,” Rarity tsked, shaking her head. “Calling Pinkie something as crass as that. Pinkie, dear, are you alright?”

Celestia glanced down at Pinkie, who was staring after the Archduke, a bemused look on her face. Cocking her head to the side, she asked, “How did he know?”

“Pardon?” Rarity asked, blinking in confusion.

“How did he know that my Granny Pie was a gypsy?”

“He almost has a sixth sense when it comes to it,” Twilight replied, her face scrunching up. “It’s rather creepy, actually.”

“He has his quirks,” Celestia admitted. She was silent for several seconds before glancing down at Pinkie.

“Come, Ms. Pie,” she said, giving her a warm smile. “I do believe we still have more of this wonderful party to experience.”

Selena grimaced, her ears pressing tight against her head. The loud cheering of ponies was beginning to hurt her sensitive ears. Not only was this annoying, it greatly reduced her ability to navigate around town. Now she’d have to rely on her memory, as well as her sense of touch. Not undoable, but not her favorite means of getting around.

Her stomach growled, causing her to sigh. She wasn’t exactly sure what time it was—the morning seemed to have been delayed for some reason or another—but her stomach was telling her it was about lunch time. Time to go scavenging for something to eat.

Pushing herself up off of the unfolded cardboard box she was using as a resting place, she moved towards the entrance of the alley she was staying in. She brushed her tail against the wall as she walked, using it to guide herself along. Sunlight streamed into the opening between buildings, and she blinked at the sudden increase in light. Warmth spread across her face as she slipped out into the sun.

Perking her ears, she concentrated, trying to hear through the sea of noise. Most of the cheering appeared to be coming from near the town square. Making a mental note to avoid that area for the time being, she turned and angled herself towards the marketplace instead. Whatever was going on in town seemed to be big, so hopefully enough ponies were distracted that she could get a decent meal without being spotted. Again.

Lighting up her horn, she created a small, magical field in front of her, moving it back and forth as she walked. It was a technique she had picked up that allowed her to avoid bumping into things that may be in front of her. If the magical field came in contact with anything, she would sense it, and would be able to adjust her path accordingly. It was very useful in helping her to avoid tripping on rocks and twigs. It was also one of the only things she could do with her horn.

It took her a little longer to reach the marketplace than it normally would, as there appeared to be more ponies out than usual. As she walked, she tried to pick up on what was going on, but she couldn’t understand anything with the amount of voices talking at once. Even to her expert hearing, it sounded like gibberish.

Entering the marketplace, she was pleased to find that the cheering had died down to the point where she didn’t have to hold her ears against her head. From the sounds around her, she picked up that there was quite a few ponies in the marketplace, but the usual sounds of business and purchasing was absent. Instead, excited conversation filled the air.

Excellent, Selena thought, tuning out the lively chatter. Hopefully they’ll all be too distracted talking to one another to notice me. Walking as nonchalantly as possible, she made her way slowly around the marketplace, counting out the steps in her head. 1, 2, 3, bench, 1, 2, 3, light post, 1, 2, 3…

Skirting around the edge of the library, she headed towards one of her favorite stalls: the apple stand. It was rare that she would get an opportunity to swipe an apple or two, as there was usually a large crowd around the stall. They were such a rare treat for her that she had taken to eating the entire thing, seeds and all, just to savor as much of it as possible.

It looked like today wasn’t going to be one of those days, either. When she finally managed to get to the stall, it was closed. Making sure to keep her ears perked for any approaching hoofsteps, she quickly ran her hoof over the wooden stall, searching for any leftover apples. She huffed, her ears splaying backwards when she found nothing.

As she chewed on the inside of her cheek, trying to figure out her next plan, her nose twitched, picking up a faint scent. Nostrils flaring, she lifted her head, sniffing tentatively. It was food alright, she just couldn’t identify what it was yet. It didn’t matter though; food was food, and her stomach took that moment to remind her that she hadn’t eaten in a while. Allowing her nose to guide her, she picked her way carefully through the stalls of the marketplace.

She paused several times when a group of ponies would draw near, waiting until they had passed by before moving again. With the wind and other scents in the air, she was almost led astray several times, only years of practice keeping her on track.

Soon enough, she came across the stall that smelled strongly of the scent she had been tracking. Her ears twitched, picking up the surrounding noises. From the sounds of it, there was a pony—a stallion—tending to the stall. He appeared to be talking to a group of ponies, probably his friends.

Good, hopefully they keep him distracted, she thought to herself. Slinking around behind the stall, she pressed herself up against the wooden planks. There was no change in the conversation, so she knew she hadn’t been spotted. Tentatively reaching a hoof up, she felt around the top of the stand, searching for what was located there. It bumped into something hard and she grabbed it, quickly ducking back behind the stall.

Rolling the object around in her hooves, Selena studied it closely with the frog of her hoof. A frown touched her face as she realized what it was: a pear. She was at the pear stand.

“Great,” she grumbled under her breath, glaring blindly at the fruit in her hooves. Sighing, she hung her head before reaching back up for another pear. She might not like them, but she didn’t want to be out during the day for very long, so she’d just grab a couple now, and go scavenging again when night fell. Hopefully all the activity around town meant a party was going on. There was always a ton of leftovers after the town’s random parties.

She was reaching up for a third one when there came an angry cry from behind her. Before she could react, somepony grabbed her tail firmly. With a startled yelp, she was pulled out from behind the stand, the pears she had already grabbed falling to the ground and wobbling away.

Scrabbling to get away, she froze when an angry voice spoke up from above her.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Her ears splayed backwards in alarm at the voice. It was the stallion whose stall she was stealing from. This was bad. It wasn’t that nopony had ever caught her stealing before, but it was usually when she was running away. However, this stallion had her firmly by the tail.

“I said, what do you think you’re doing?” he repeated, yanking hard on her tail. She yelped in pain as she was dragged back.

The conversation around the marketplace had tapered off, and Selena had the sneaking suspicion that they were all looking to see what the commotion was. Her heart rate increased as she began to panic. She did not like being the center of attention. She needed to get away right now!

She felt her tail being yanked on again, and bit back a cry. Digging her hooves into the ground, she struggled to get away, but the stallion’s grip was too strong.

“Oh, no,” he growled. “You aren’t going anywhere, you little thief.” Her ears picked up a sudden whistling noise seconds before pain flared across her flank. She toppled over with a squeal, her rump remaining in the air due to her tail. Kicking her back legs, she tried to hit the stallion in order to get him to release her. She met only air, and her panic grew. If there was nopony within kicking distance, that could only mean one thing: her tail was being held by magic. No, not a unicorn! What’s a unicorn doing tending to a fruit stand!?

“You think you can just steal and get away with it?” the stallion said loudly, anger in his voice. “I’ll teach you!” A hoof suddenly connected to Selena’s muzzle with a loud crack. Almost immediately, she felt blood beginning to flow, dribbling from her nostrils. Desperately, she lit up her horn, trying to create a barrier to protect herself. However, she couldn’t concentrate enough to form it, her fear causing the spell to flicker and die.

The stallion’s hoof came down again, this time on her chest. The air left her lungs in a ‘whoosh’, leaving her gasping for breath. Around her, she could hear the other ponies muttering and whispering together, yet nopony seemed willing to step in to help her. They just watched as the stallion kicked her again, this time in the side.

She whimpered, trying her best to roll into a ball with her trapped tail keeping her flank in place. Another kick, this time to the gut, left her wheezing for breath. The blood from her nose was now slowly beginning to ooze into her mouth, and she coughed as it tickled the back of her throat.

She was bracing herself for the next blow when a shout suddenly rang out through the marketplace.

“Rare Find, stop! It’s Black Spark!”

Black Spark stood at the entrance of the marketplace, staring at the growing crowd of ponies around one of the stalls. His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of a stallion kicking something on the ground, obscured by the hooves of the watching ponies.

A pained yelp suddenly reached his ears, and his eyes widened. A brawl? Here? For what reason? Ponyville was one of the friendlier towns in Equestria.

Moving quickly, Black Spark stalked forward, making his way towards the crowd, his lip pulled back in a snarl. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw several of the local guards approaching as well, their armor glinting in the sunlight.

As he neared, a mare in the back of the group perked up, her ears swiveling around at his hoofsteps. She glanced over her shoulder curiously, only for her pupils to shrink when she caught sight of him approaching. Turning, she shouted in a panicked voice, “Rare Find, stop! It’s Black Spark!”

Immediately, the sound of fighting stopped, and ponies began to scramble to allow him through, trying to look as innocent as possible in the process. Several even bowed their heads as he neared, trying to look contrite. This just caused him to snort, his temper growing. Thus, the rats scatter, fleeing their sinking ship.

As he reached the middle of the crowd, Black Spark spied two ponies: a unicorn stallion with a brown coat and white mane, and a unicorn mare, dark blue coat and mane. The stallion was standing up straight, trying his hardest to look braver than he was. He had a determined look on his face that was countered by his trembling knees. Adjusting the straining saddlebags on his back, he gave Black Spark a weak smile.

Ignoring him, the Archduke turned his attention to the mare instead. She looked horrible, her mane and tail a horrid mass of knots and tangles. Her coat was covered in dirt and grime, her hooves chipped. A ragged, holey cloak covered her back and flank, hiding her cutie mark from view. She was hunched over, her mane hanging in front of her face. Drops of blood fell from her hidden muzzle, falling to the ground below in slow, even drips.

He studied the mare carefully, his brow furrowing. She looked strangely familiar, but he couldn’t place where he had seen her before. Maybe during his last visit to this backwater town?

Eyeing the scene before him, Black Spark snorted, his brow furrowing.

“Is there a witness to this?” he growled, looking around at the crowd. Nopony moved for several seconds before a mare stepped forward, trembling slightly. Motioning the mare forward, he pointed to one of the local guards. “Give them your testimony.”

As the mare moved to do so, the Archduke turned his attention back towards the pair around whom this whole incident revolved.

“Well, look at this fine collection that crawled from underneath the stones,” he said, his voice cold. The stallion’s smile faded, his ears splaying back. The mare said nothing, just kept her head lowered, ears pressed against her head. She trembled slightly, her body tense beneath the cloak. More blood dripped from her nose, pooling on the ground below.

The stallion licked his lips, swallowing thickly.

“It’s… it’s good that you’re here, s-sir,” he stammered out. He seemed to grow more confident as he spoke, pointing a hoof at the cowering mare. “I caught this filth stealing from one of the stalls!” The mare’s ear twitched, and her head lifted slightly, just enough so that Black Spark was able to see a frown upon her face. He dimly noted that she appeared to have a split lip.

“I demand that you arrest her immediately!” the stallion continued, stomping a hoof. All of his bravado fled and he shrunk back when the Archduke glared at him, his ice blue eyes narrowed.

“I won’t be doing anything until we’ve settled what has happened here,” he growled.

“B-but, I just told you,” the stallion said, in a whining tone, Black Spark noted with disdain. “She was trying to steal some pears, and I stopped her!”

“Did you need to use excessive force to do so? From where I’m standing, she looks far worse off than you,” the Archduke responded, his eyes narrowing, “and it’s funny. I don’t hear her saying anything.” Turning to look at the mare, he asked, his tone soft, “Ma’am, do you have anything to say about this?”

The mare was still for a few seconds before gingerly shaking her head, not looking up. The stallion snorted, a triumphant smile on his face.

“You see?” he sneered gleefully, pointing a hoof at the mare. “Nothing to say! She’s clearly guilty!” As he lifted his hoof, his saddlebags shifted to the side. A loud ripping noise filled the air before the bottom of the bags split wide open, dumping the contents everywhere. A small, metal box fell to the ground with a clattering, drawing everypony’s attention to it. Silence fell over the marketplace as everypony stared at the box, before a mare stepped forward.

She glared at the stallion, her nostrils flaring. “Hey, that’s my lockbox!”

The stallion froze, halfway between bending down to pick up the box. His eyes widened, ears splaying back as he gave the mare a weak smile.

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, his voice rising in pitch slightly. “This is mine.”

“Then why does it have my cutie mark on it?” the mare growled, taking a step forward. Sure enough, when Black Spark looked, the lockbox had the mare’s cutie mark on the sides: a trio of carrots grouped together.

By now the stallion was sweating profusely, his eyes darting across the crowd around him. His gaze was met by angry faces, ponies muttering amongst themselves as they glared at him. Tail tucked between his legs, he chuckled weakly before suddenly bolting towards a gap in the crowd. He only managed to make it about halfway before his body was surrounded by a red aura, and he was lifted bodily into the air.

As he struggled uselessly, Black Spark stalked closer, a snarl on his face.

“So,” he growled, his voice so cold you could practically see his breath, “that’s you game, is it? Loot while other ponies are celebrating, then accuse an innocent mare in order to get the blame placed on her instead? I’ve got to say, that’s a new one for me.”

“N-no, you don’t understand!” the stallion yelped. “She really did—”

The Archduke’s magic surrounded his muzzle and forced it shut, cutting off his cries.

“That’s enough out of you,” he growled. “I know what you are. A liar, and a thief. I know your kind and your trade.” He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing in a calmer voice. “You have the right to remain silent. I suggest you take it.” Relaxing his expression, Black Spark turned to the mare, that faintest of smiles touching his lips. “By your witness, ma’am, I’ll see this stallion is made to pay—” He blinked in surprise, his mouth clicking shut. The mare was gone, the spot she had been sitting now empty. The only indication that she had ever been there was a small pool of drying blood.

Lifting his gaze, the Archduke looked around at the surrounding ponies. “Where did she go?”

Everypony else seemed to be thinking the same thing, the crowd glancing around in confusion. Several pegasi took flight, glancing around to see if they could spot her from the air. A voice called out from the back of the crowd, “Good luck catching her. Nopony’s been able to for years!” A murmur of agreement ran through the gathered ponies, several nodding their heads in agreement.

Glancing around the market one last time, Black Spark turned to one of the guards.

“Head to the hospital,” he ordered. “Hopefully she was smart enough to go there to get her injuries treated. If you find her, allow her to finish getting looked at, then escort her to the guard station to get her information. Got it?” The guard saluted before hurrying off.

Turning to another guard—a unicorn—he motioned towards the stallion still struggling mutely in his magic. “Take this filth back to the station and put him in holding. Process him as you see fit. This will remain local.” The guard nodded before lighting up her horn, her blue magic overriding his red.

As the guard escorted the thief to the station, Black Spark glanced down at the patch of blood one last time. He eyed the crimson liquid with a look of distaste. Innocent blood has been spilt, and he couldn’t help her because she had fled. Why had she run, though? he mused. She was innocent, she why would she feel the need to flee?

And why was she so familiar? He could have sworn that he had seen her before, but just couldn’t remember where. The memory was fuzzy, just out of reach. Like a long forgotten dream, slowly slipping away.

Snorting, the Archduke shook his head to clear his mind. It didn’t matter. The guard he had sent to check the hospital would surely find her. Only an insane pony wouldn’t get their injuries looked at. The guard would find her and justice would be served.

Lifting his head, Black Spark glanced around at the surrounding ponies. They were just milling about, trying to look disinterested, but he knew better. They were occasionally glancing at him out of the corner of their eyes, waiting for the next exciting event to happen.

Bunch of pests, he growled, glaring at them.

“Everypony about your business,” he barked, causing them all to jump. “Clear this garbage off the streets!” The crowd dispersed quickly, not wanting to risk the Archduke’s ire.

Watching them leave, Black Spark stood there for a few seconds, just listening to the sounds around him, before turning with a sigh and heading back towards town hall.

Selena pressed herself against the wall of the building, her heart pounding in her ears. Her chest hurt, her face hurt, and she could still feel blood slowly dripping from her muzzle. Several of her teeth were loose, and she was pretty sure that several more were chipped.

She had snuck away from the crowd when the stranger that had stopped the beatings had been yelling at Rare Find. How she had managed to get through the sea of ponies without anypony noticing her, she didn’t know, but she didn’t care. She had somehow managed to get away, and that was all that mattered to her.

Lifting a trembling hoof, she touched her muzzle gingerly, wincing when pain flared up. It hurt badly, and she wasn’t sure if it was broken or not.

She whimpered softly as she lowered her hoof, her ears pressing against the back of her head. She was in pain, bleeding, and bruised, and to make matters worse, she had lost her stolen food when the stallion had attacked her. She was injured, and had nothing to show for her efforts.

Her stomach took that exact moment to growl loudly, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten in a while. Sighing, she pushed herself off of the wall of the building, wincing as she put pressure on her bruised leg. She limped along the alleyway, bumping into trash bins and dumpsters as she tried to make her way through.

She paused as she reached the end of the alley. Perking her ears, she listened for any indication of where she was. The chatter of ponies filled the air, as did the soft sound of splashing water. Her ears flicked as she picked up the faintest sound of a clock ticking far above her. Closing her useless eyes and hanging her head, she groaned. Somehow, she had managed to make her escape right into the town square, the one place that she had been trying to avoid.

“Okay,” she sighed, taking a deep breath. She winced as her nostrils flared, bringing a fresh wave of pain. “Okay, this is fine. I’m at the clock tower. The bakery is on the other side. If I can just get over there, I can see if I can scavenge some food.” The local bakery, Sugarcube Corner if she remembered correctly from her eavesdropping, was always a good source of food. There always seemed to be random treats lying around unattended. Sometimes, if she was sleeping in the alley beside it, she would wake to find a box of cupcakes sitting on top of the box she was hiding in. Why they would throw out a whole bunch of perfectly good cupcakes, she didn’t know, but it didn’t really matter; their loss was her gain. The cupcakes would usually last her a good three days, if she could control herself.

Lighting up her horn, she recreated the small, magical field in front of her. She waited until it sounded like nopony was around her before she crept out of alley. Keeping herself low to the ground, she slunk along, trying to make herself as small as possible. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, bench, 1, 2, 3, 4...

Keeping track of her steps, she tried to keep up her mental map. If she was right, then the fountain should be right about—

thunk

Her hoof struck the side of the fountain as she nearly ran face first into the stone. Pausing just long enough to reorient herself, she crept around the fountain, her shoulder pressed against the cool stone. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3—

“Nuh-uh, there is no way that Applejack can eat more cupcakes than me!”

Selena froze, her body stiffening as a loud, raspy voice spoke up from close by. Probably from about fifteen feet away, and from the sound of wingbeats, she’d say the pony was airborne. She silently cursed, her ears pressing against her head. How had she not heard the pegasus before she had gotten this close? Her injuries must have been affecting her worse than she thought.

Holding her breath, she sunk lower to the ground, silently praying that she would remain unseen.

“Is that a challenge, sugarcube?” another, accented voice spoke up, causing Selena to wince. They were too close. There was no way they wouldn’t spot her!

“You bet it is!” came the reply, accompanied by a rush of air as the pegasus flew off. The sound of hoofsteps followed as the other pony left as well.

Selena waited a few seconds before moving again. Swallowing thickly, she began to inch along, trying to reconstruct her mental map.

“Come on, girls. Is this really necessary?” a third voice suddenly spoke up.

“Oh, lighten up, Twilight! It’s a party!” a hyperactive fourth cheered. Selena attempted to ignore them, trying to remember where the bakery was in relation to the fountain. Did she have three more steps to take, or did she need to turn to the right? Swiveling her ears around, she attempted to detect any sounds that would help her determine the building’s location.

“Indeed, my faithful student,” a fifth voice said. This one caused Selena to freeze completely, her eyes widening in shock. Her heart rate quickened, and she began to hyperventilate. It sounded like the speaker was right on top of her, practically standing on her. She had to get out of there and find a place to hide. She needed to escape.

However, something about the voice caused her to remain frozen in place. It was soft, yet regal, with a hint of power and warmth behind it. The kind of voice she imagined a mother would use.

Selena frowned, her brow furrowing. The voice sounded oddly familiar, even though she knew that she had never heard it before. The name of the speaker was there, just out of reach, like a dream upon awakening. She tried to reach for it, but it just faded faster the harder she pushed.

...Tia?

She was snapped out of her daze by the sound of the voice speaking up again. “Ah, Black Spark, there you are. Did you find anything on your walk?”

Eyes widening in alarm, Selena suddenly regained control over her body. Throwing caution to the wind, she bolted, angling herself in the direction she believed, and hoped, the bakery was in. She could hear the stallion from before—the one that had saved her—say something, but she didn’t catch the words.

Several times she almost tripped over something in the road, only to be saved at the last minute by her magic. The scent of baked goods filled her nose, and, flaring her nostrils, she adjusted her path towards the smell. She nearly crashed into another pony, wincing as they yelped loudly in her ear as she ran past. “What in tarnation!?”

Putting on an extra burst of speed, she ran until she almost smashed into the side of the bakery, saved only by the magic in front of her alerting her at the last second. Using the wall to guide her, she quickly ducked into the side alley. It was only when she was safely within the shadow of the bakery that she relaxed.

Trying to catch her breath, she searched around for the alleyway with her hooves. When she stumbled across a decent-sized box, she breathed a sigh of relief. It was just big enough to for her to hide inside. The faint scent coming from within told her that it was probably used to ship cooking supplies to the bakery, the faintest hint of strawberries and cream reaching her nose.

Pulling the box over to a nearby dumpster, she placed the opening towards the metal siding before squeezing inside. Now, the only way somepony would see her was if they looked through the crack between the dumpster and the box. It was a surefire way for her to get some sleep during the day without somepony stumbling across her.

Curling into a tight ball, Selena rested her chin upon her hind leg, using her ragged tail as a blanket. Her nose was still throbbing slightly, and she still hurt all over. The aroma of strawberries wasn’t doing anything for her hunger, her stomach growling softly.

Hunkering down, she tried to get comfortable. She would sleep now, and try to find something to eat come evening time. Hopefully all the activity would have died down by then, and she would be able to scavenge in peace. She prayed that there was a party in town right now, because that meant that there was a higher chance of her getting something to eat. Otherwise, it might just be grass for dinner. Again. For the twelfth time this month. She hated grass; it tasted horrible and always sat like a rock in her stomach. But you had to do what you had to do to survive.

Pushing her pain aside, Selena snuggled down inside of the box. She could still hear the activity going on in the square, although she had long since grown used to the noise, so it didn’t bother her. Yawning softly, she closed her eyes and slipped slowly into an uneasy sleep.

As evening slowly descended upon Ponyville, the day’s festivities gradually came to an end. The town looked thoroughly used; the streets covered in ribbons and confetti. Trash bins were overflowing with garbage and half-eaten food.

Ponies chatted softly with one another as they slowly made their way back to their homes, several staying behind to help pick up. Foals, tuckered out from a long day of playing, rested upon the backs of their parents. Smiles could be found on most faces, the majority of the town having enjoyed the celebration immensely. Even though Princess Celestia had had to return to Canterlot around mid-afternoon, the party had continued without her.

And what a party it had been. Twilight could safely say that she had never experienced a Summer Sun Celebration like this one back in Canterlot. Trotting down the road with an asleep Spike on her back, she smiled as she chatted with her new friends.

“Ugh... I think I ate too much,” Rainbow complained, hovering so low that her hooves were scraping along the ground.

“I told you it wasn’t a good idea,” Rarity huffed. “I mean, really. Twenty-three cupcakes? It’s a wonder you weren’t sick.” Both Rainbow and Applejack groaned loudly. Their stomachs were distended, each having tried to out eat the other. The end result was a tie, and a twin case of stomach aches.

“That wasn’t very smart,” Twilight said, glancing over her shoulder. “You probably just consumed a whole week’s worth of calories. Even though you both have rigorous jobs, you still need to watch what you eat. If you eat too much, your metabolism won’t be able to handle it all.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rainbow asked, her eyes narrowing.

“I think she just called you fat!” Pinkie giggled, hopping along.

Rainbow glared at Twilight, whose eyes widened in alarm.

“Did you just call me—” she began, only to pause and glance over at Pinkie, a confused look crossing her face. “Pinkie, why do you have three cupcakes on your back?” The others paused as well, glancing at the party mare. Rainbow was right, Pinkie had three cupcakes perched upon her back. Somehow, they remained stationary even as she was bouncing along.

“I’m actually curious about that myself, darling,” Rarity said. “You’ve been holding onto those cupcakes for a while now. Are you saving them for later?”

“Nope!” Pinkie chirped happily. “They aren’t for me!”

“Who are they for?” Twilight asked, giving the cupcakes a curious look. They had dark blue frosting around the outside with white frosting in the middle. Light blue sprinkles covered the top. “Pinkie, did you custom make these? I don’t remember seeing them on the buffet table.”

“Yepperoni!” Pinkie said, bouncing in place. “I made them special!”

“Really?” Twilight said, blinking in surprise. “Who are they for, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Pinkie stopped bouncing, her smile diminishing slightly.

“Somepony special who could use a pick-me-up.”