“Urgh, why can’t I just fly there!” Rainbow Dash complained, leaning out of the giant carriage. “I could make it to the island in like, 5 seconds if you let me fly.”

“Please, darling.” Rarity chimed in from across the carriage. “Can’t you appreciate some good down time? The wind in your hair, the relaxing view of the ocean… It’s calming, isn’t it?”

Twilight nodded, her muzzle in a guidebook about their destination. “Besides, even if we did let you fly there, you’d get exhausted pretty quickly. I don’t think you realize how far away this island is from Equestria, Rainbow.” She grinned, eyes lighting up at a particular set of pictures, depicting a beautiful waterfall against white cliffs. “It’s a shame we’re only going for a few days; there’s so much to explore and research!”

“Come on, what’s so interesting about some… Island Dolphin or whatever it’s called?” Rainbow Dash attempted to recall its name “Doesn’t it have anything cool? Like a Wonderbolts show? Or a 50 foot goblin to fight? Or anything other than boring beaches?”

“Well, duh!” Pinkie exclaimed, leaning over the back of Dash’s chair and staring down at her. “There’s Pinna Park! It’s a theme park with rollercoasters and cotton candy!” She licked her lips in sweet anticipation. “Fruit flavored cotton candy…”

“Also, it’s Delfino Island, not dolphin island… but they’re easy to get mixed up,” Fluttershy added.

“A rollercoaster!?” Dash squealed in delight. “Well why didn’t you guys say so?!”

“Didn’t you get the leaflets? Pinkie asked. “I sent, like, ten in your mailbox.”

“Eh, too many words. Too little time.” Dash groaned.

“Heheh,” Applejack chuckled in the back seat, her stetson covering her face. “Sounds just like ya Rainbow, never one for any readin’ that don’t involve that Daring Do character.”

“Well that’s the only stuff worth reading!” Rainbow Dash raised her voice. She nudged Spike in the seat next to her. “Right, Spike?”

“Hmm…?” The drake moaned, yawning as he woke up. “Oh. Yeah. Whatever.” He looked over to Twilight. “Are we there yet Twi?”

“Almost, Spike,” Twilight said gently, sitting on his other side. She smiled and took her eyes off the guidebook for a moment. “Have a good nap there?”

“Yeah, it was pretty good. In fact, I had this weird dream where Rarity and I--” Spike was cut off by a powerful lurch, the carriage rapidly descending. The pegasi drivers burst through the cloud cover, revealing a picture-esque island. Clear emerald waters surrounded a large landmass shaped like a dolphin, with small visible settlements dotting it. All eyes turned to the beautiful view, as the carriage made a careful descent towards a small strip of land below, away from the main isle.

Everypony was blown away at the sight of the island, even the normally calm and collected Rarity couldn’t help but let out a delighted squeal. Applejack gripped her stetson, trying to save her beloved hat from flying away in the blistering wind.

“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Rainbow Dash screamed, raising her hooves in the air. “Island Dolphin here I come!”

“Isle Delfino…” Fluttershy meekly corrected. She turned to Twilight. “Um, Twilight? Do the locals all know Equestrian?”

“Some variant of it, as far as I understand,” the princess answered. “A few words might be lost on us, but communication should be clear for the most part.”

“The locals in that handout sure did look interesting,” Spike mused, pulling out his leaflet. “I mean, where else in the world can you find people who have palm trees on their head instead of manes or hair?”

“Don’t forget the really cute shell people too!” Pinkie cried. “I just wanna hug and cuddle one then put it to my ear and see if it makes a weird sound!”

“I just wanna see one of those weird Dino things… The... Erm… What’s their name again, Twi? Yoh Shee?” Applejack continued to grip her hat, awaiting the touchdown of the carriage.

“A Yoshi, Applejack. I think there’s two acceptable pronunciations. The first is the one you just mentioned, and the second sounds more like—”

“Shush you guys, we’re going to land!” Rainbow interrupted, grinning ear to ear. “The coolest part of the ride!” She braced for the impact, and the four pegasi pilots quite literally hit the ground running. The seven passengers jumped in their seat, nearly sending Applejack’s hat flying off of her head. Pinkie Pie began to giggle, the carriage’s constant bumping augmenting her voice. Fluttershy closed her eyes and grabbed her seat, a stark contrast to the composed Twilight.

The carriage skidded to a halt, and a large yellow bipedal figure in a grass skirt with a fat nose and beady eyes waddled up to the door. This… Thing had lobster-like hands and a palm tree growing out of its head, but it looked anything but threatening. It opened up the door, and with a hearty laugh it opened the door for the six ponies and drake.

“You ponies sure do know how to make an entrance!” he said merrily, stepping aside to let them get out and see the view of the island themselves. Meanwhile, ponies who had pulled the carriage were busy piling the luggage into a boat, ready to be taken to the hotel ahead of time.

“Wow…” Rarity looked into the distance, seeing a small seaside town. “That’s Isle Delfino? It looks so very quaint, and that architecture!” She fawned, but one certain object on the horizon caught her eye. A large tower, at least the size of the grand skyscrapers of Manehattan stood tall above the other buildings. The center was hollowed out, leading up to a large hollow center on top with the most glorious object she had ever laid eyes on.

It was an eight pointed star, the top three points ending in small circles. Peculiarly it had two big innocent eyes on the front. Everything around it seemed to radiate even more brightly, as if the structure was somehow empowering the island’s weather.

“That’s the Shine Gate!” Twilight explained, gazing at the structure. “It’s the gathering spot for the island’s guardians: the Shine Sprites. They help protect the island from darkness. So if I were to guess, there’s probably something similar to our magic at work there…” She faded into a quiet, calculating mumble to herself.

“Ah, there is no magic in that, miss!” The pianta laughed. “No, that’s just the work of the Shine Sprites. They’re going to be on parade tomorrow, if you’re really interested in seeing them in person.”

“Eh, not really interested in that kinda stuff,” Rainbow Dash began. “Other than rollercoasters, got anything interesting to do?”

“Didn’t you get the leaflet?” The Pianta questioned. “We sent you about ten in the mail.”

“Wow, me too!” Pinkie chimed in.

“Come on guys, throw me a bone here,” Rainbow Dash pleaded. There was a squeak as Pinkie tossed a rubber bone at Dash. It bounced off of her head, only slightly annoying the pegasus. “What cool things can we do here?”

“Depends what your interests are, we cater to all sorts! If you’re interested in culture, then Noki Bay has a rich and ancient history, full of hidden passages in the cliff faces. But if you want beaches, there’s several great choices for you. For something quieter, but stunning, you’ll want Sirena Beach. On the other hand, there’s Gelato Beach, where you can buy fresh cocktails then have a swim in the coral reefs offshore.” He smirked, chuckling to himself. “Just watch out for the Cataquacks.”

The group exchanged confused glances while he continued. “If you get tired of beaches, there’s always the peaceful Bianco Hills, where fresh bread is made from the windmills there. And, as you mentioned, there’s Pinna Park for all the coolest rides and treats. There’s also Pianta village, if you want a taste of how we live, away from the tourist-y side of things. Finally there’s Ricco Harbor, although that’s more of an industrial place.” He looked at Dash, flashing a smile. “I could see you blooper surfing, though.”

“Blooper… Surfing?” Rainbow Dash ‘s eyes lit up. “That sounds awesome!” She jumped in the air, causing Fluttershy to squeak in fear. “Surfing across the bloopers, being awesome, and… Wait, what’s a Blooper?”

“Some type of squid, apparently,” Twilight answered.

“Not just any type of squid, one of the most interesting breeds of squid on the planet. Ever seen a squid play tennis?” The group collectively shook their heads. “I didn’t think so.”

“Um, I don’t play tennis, but it’d be very interesting to see one do that… if that’s okay,” Fluttershy said.

“Dohohohoho,” The thing laughed. “Of course you can! Now, the Ferry to Delfino Plaza will be departing soon. If you would all be so kind to step onto this boat.” He motioned to a rather large boat on a nearby dock. “I will be taking you to the island.”

“Well sure thing,” Applejack eagerly replied, cautiously stepping on the boat. “Whew, I haven’t been on one of these in a long time.” She stumbled forwards, collapsing on a bench. “Jus’ give me a minute to get my Sea Hooves back, so to speak.”

“Ha!” Spike boasted, leaping onto the boat in stride. “That’s one of the advantages of having feet, you never need to adWOAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” He cried, losing his balance and nearly falling off the boat. He rubbed his head, returning to his feet as the other ponies boarded with an offhoof chuckle.

Pinkie skipped aboard, then leaned over and dipped her hoof in the water. She gasped, then splashed it around a little. “Wow, it’s so warm!”

“Yep, here in Isle Delfino we have some perfect temperatures! That’s why it makes it such a great spot for tourists, especially heroes such as yourselves.” The captain walked over to the rope keeping the Ferry tied to the dock, and easily untied it with his curiously small finger count. The boat started floating away, and the captain ran to his steering wheel and took control.

Fluttershy looked at the sea, smiling at the fish swimming about in the crystal clear waters. Twilight was stretching her wings and soaking up the rays, letting out a relaxed sigh. Spike ran over and sat down next to Rarity, who was absent-mindedly filing her hooves. Applejack and Rainbow Dash seemed to be having a friendly argument, as per usual behavior.

Pinkie was strangely absent on the boat. The group twisted and turned to try and find what nook or cranny she had gone into, only to find her lying on the beach of Delfino Plaza, soaking wet. She waved to them as they drifted by.

“Wait,” Spike squinted his eyes at the town’s nearby beach. “Is… Is that Pinkie!? Did she seriously swim across?”

“If it was anypony else, I’d share your shock and awe. But this is Pinkie and this is the sort of thing she does all the time,” Twilight replied nonchalantly.

The boat took a turn away from the beach and into a small canal, opening up the whole city. The Shine Gate stood above them, a pillar of gross incandescence. Rainbow Dash couldn’t wait any longer, leaping off the boat and soaring over to the nearby dock. Not shortly after, the boat pulled in and the Pianta roped it to the pier. The five remaining passengers got off the boat, soaking in what sounded like a local band playing some catchy tune.

“We better find Pinkie before doing a tour of the place, if that’s alright with you sir,” Twilight said, looking to the Pianta for confirmation. He nodded in return. “Excellent. Rainbow Dash, why don’t you go get her? I get the feeling you can’t wait to stretch your wings.”

“You got it Twi!” The pegasus saluted, shooting upwards like a rainbow-tinted bullet. In a matter of seconds, she was back at the landing with Pinkie Pie wrapped in her hooves. “Man,” Dashed grinned, giving her wings another flap. “This town looks pretty nice from way up there.” She motioned to the sky with her free hoof, letting Pinkie go.

“Well I think it’s time we explore the town and get a feel for it, Mr…?” Twilight trailed off, waiting for the pianta to answer her.

“Rocko, Rocko Pianta.” He extended his hand for a shake, before realizing that nopony in the crowd could actually shake his hand. “The boss Don’s off runnin’ Rogueport, I get to have a nice vacation. So this is how I make my coins in the downtime, if you get my drift.”

Fluttershy squeaked, hiding behind Applejack. “Y-You’re a gang member?”

“We ain’t like the other gangs you know of Miss.” He chuckled warmly. “We just keep the city afloat.” He suddenly turned serious. “But if you mess with the Don’s daughter, I’ll have to rough you up real good.” Fluttershy crouched lower, and Applejack and Rainbow Dash glared daggers at the pianta.

“Wait…” Rarity raised a hoof politely. “How will we know who the Don’s daughter is?”

Rocko offered a mere shrug. “I don’t know. But it’s not like anyone on the island will give you a reason to get angry at them, and you seem like swell folks, so you should be fine.”

“I assure you, we’ll act with respect around the locals,” Twilight stated. “Now, could we have the tour please?”

“Sure thing, lady,” Rocko replied, gesturing to the dock around them. “Probably doesn’t take a genius to figure out what this is.” He chuckled, continuing. “Boats run here pretty frequently, maybe once every quarter of an hour? They’ll take you to the various attractions on the island. Where you fine folks staying?”

“Er, someplace called Hotel Delfino?” Applejack responded. “On some fancy pants Sirena Beach?”

That made Rocko quirk a brow. “Hotel Delfino, huh? Sirena Beach is one of the best beaches on the isle, so you picked a great choice. You can take a boat from here to get to it. Anyway, let’s get going.”

The mobster turned tour guide leading them, the group walked past a few sprinklers lightly spraying water onto the path. Pinkie was eager to splash about, while the others were content to just cool down as they walked by. Turning a left, they went down a small alley and into a large open space. In the middle, a statue of a large pianta stood.

The Pianta was wearing a large cape and had a necklace with a Shine Sprite wrapped around his neck. “This is the statue of the Grand Pianta, a tribute to one of our most honored Piantas.” The ponies and the young drake circled the statue, in awe of the marble giant. “Looks neat, huh?”

Twilight looked upon the statue with her usual intrigue. “Fascinating… I really must read up about him. And the history of the town. And that of the other places here. And the shine sprites.”

“Oooooh!” Rarity squealed, basking in the glory of the statue. “This is some fine craftsmanship! Look at those claws! And the cape! And the necklace! And the nose! And the eyes…” She stopped herself, a slight blush appearing on her face. “Am I rambling, dear?”

“Yeah, just a little,” Rainbow Dash deadpanned.

Rocko gestured the others to follow, taking them past a small town jail, to a street that was lined with pianta’s selling their market wares. It was mostly fruit, which looked very fresh. Pinkie licked her lips, beginning to drool in anticipation.

“This is where you can get your food for the holiday. It’s the best you’ll find around—at least where fruit is considered.” Rocko lowered his voice, speaking quietly to the group. “The seafood at Ricco Harbor is better there.”

Fluttershy blinked, gulping. “You eat… fishes?”

“Er! Well…” Rocko rubbed the back of his head, laughing awkwardly. “Just forget I said that, hahaha. Anyway, I suggest you stock up here for your vacation. Go on, I’ll wait.”

“They sell Apples?” Applejack questioned as the other six tourists walked over to the market, inspecting the alien appearing fruit.

Twilight peered across at all the stalls. “Er… I don’t think so, Applejack. Maybe they don’t grow here because of the pH of the soil.”

“The what of the soil?” Applejack removed her hat, rubbing her mane in confusion.

“I’ll tell you later. But you probably know it already, just in earth pony terms.” Twilight levitated out a coin purse and managed to fish out a few very large sized golden coins. “Good thing we exchanged bits for coin before we got here.” Doing a quick calculation in her head, she passed out equal amounts of coins to her friends. “That should be enough for us while we stay here, but I’ve still got a lot of extra coins just in case.”

“You got it, Twilight!” Pinkie chirped, before dashing off and chatting excitedly to a lady Pianta about fruity cocktails.

After a few minutes of shopping, the friends regrouped near Rocko to continue their tour. The group passed a beach, where Twilight could almost spot the great spires of Noki Bay in the horizon. Rocko brought them to a small gift shop home to some odd racoons and some other small sites of interest in the town, as well as answering any questions they had. They made a turn back to the dock, and crossed a newly constructed wooden bridge just by the Shine Gate. The tour guide led them to a cafe, and seated them at a table for seven.

“Well, this is where the tour ends, folks!” He clapped his hands together. “Once you’re done eating here, come see me at my boat and we’ll get you to your hotel!” The ponies waved goodbye to him, and the mafia member strolled away.

“You know, for a crook,” Rainbow Dash smiled as she sat in her chair, waiting for a waiter to take their order, “that guy wasn’t half bad.”

"I concur," Rarity agreed, telekinetically lifting up one of the nearby menus. "Not like the other ruffians down in Baltimare or Manehattan. He's a fellow of class."

"Urgggg," Spike groaned, looking through the menu with wide eyes. "Can't we just cut the chit chat and order something already? I'm starving."

“Let us choose our orders first, Spike,” Twilight chided, reading her menu. After a few minutes of light discussion, the group made their minds up and called over a waiter.

The waiter shuffled over to the table, giving them seven oddly shaped water bottles. The group ordered their foods, most of them having standard breakfast fare. Well, except for Pinkie, who ordered twenty Durian and Banana muffins.

The seven ate in peace, talking about their vacation plans. They only had three days on the island, so they had to make it count.

“If we get up early, we can maximize the amount of daylight hours we get to explore. I suggest everypony goes to whatever they want to see first, be it alone or with somepony else. We’ll meet up later at an allocated time and spend the rest of the day together, and share our experiences. Now we’ll need to make timeslots so everything is organized and nopony is late or gets lost or—”

Spike instinctively covered her mouth with a claw. "We get it, Twi." The Princess blushed, and her friends silently thanked Spike.

"You do that Twi," Applejack bit into a hay sandwich. "I'm interested in checking out Bianco Hills. I hear that's a nice countryside with some farms and windmills."

“Oh, that sounds nice and peaceful,” Fluttershy smiled at the farmer. “I’d love to go with you. There’s also the Pianta village I’d like to see, but I’d prefer it if somepony went with me… if none of you mind, of course. ”

"Well then, it's a deal." Applejack grinned. "Ya go with me today, and I'll go with ya to that mountain village tomorrow."

"Really Applejack?" Rainbow Dash leaned on the table, nibbling on a carrot burger. "You're going to miss out on a chance to go Blooper surfing?"

"Hey." Applejack raised a hoof. "A deal's a deal."

“Ugh,” Rainbow Dash moaned. “Come on, does anybody want to do something cool with me?” She dramatically shot up her hooves.

Pinkie grabbed one of Rainbow’s hooves and slammed it onto the table, staring at the pegasus straight in the eye. “You. Me. Pinna Park. Candy, coasters and cruisin’.”

Rainbow Dash grinned. “You’re on, Pinks!”

“Really, darlings,” Rarity chuckled, sipping her Watermelon Smoothie. “Do we really have to go out and do so much today? I mean, we have a five star resort hotel here! Don’t you want to relax in the sauna, or sit down and enjoy the view?”

“Well we’ll have to go to the hotel anyway to get our rooms and sort out our luggage. But after that, the rest of the day is ours,” Twilight said. “You’re welcome to stay there though, Rarity. You always have tomorrow to explore. But if you change your mind, Spike and I will be at Noki bay. It’s really beautiful there, you’d like it.”

The friends finished their food in peace, and then paid for their tab. In a matter of minutes, they found themselves back on Rocko’s boat. He got the boat going at a steady pace, then turned to them. “ Did you enjoy what we had to offer back there?”

“Yeah! You had their hay fries before? Haven’t had fries like that in ages!” Spike exclaimed, earning a nod of agreement from Rainbow Dash.

“Hay fries?” Rocko asked, scratching his head. “What the heck is—nevermind. Probably a cultural difference or something.”

“So, is our hotel ready?” Rarity inquired.

“By now? Definitely. You’ll just have to sign in at reception and the staff will take care of the rest,” Rocko answered.

“So then what are you waiting for? Full speed ahead!” Rainbow Dash grinned, as Rocko unhooked the boat from the dock and began steering.

“Geez Rainbow, always the same with you,” Applejack poked her friend. “Can’t just enjoy a nice wait?”

“Well excuse me if I hate being bored!” Rainbow Dash retorted, causing her friend to snicker. Spike looked into the crystal clear waters, watching the native fish swim among the coral reefs.

The boat moved along at a leisurely pace, much to Rainbow’s chagrin. She came to the conclusion that the sun was probably moving across the sky faster than they were. The others, however, were content to simply enjoy the slow paced life the island offered.  

It wasn’t until twenty agonizing minutes (at least in Rainbow Dash’s opinion) until they reached their destination, a picturesque beach with a magnificent building just a stone’s throw away from the smooth sandy beach. The boat pulled up onto the beach, allowing the ponies to hop off and go onto the sand.

Almost immediately Pinkie was sitting down and preparing to build a sandcastle. “Isn’t this great?!”

“It sure is, Pinkie.” Twilight smiled at her friend, before turning to Rocko. “I suppose this is where we part?”

“Afraid so,” Rocko said, dusting off a bit of sand that Pinkie had kicked up. “Just head to the hotel, sign in, and the rest will be taken care of.”

Twilight nodded. “I see. Well, thank you for the help and the tour. We really do appreciate it.”

Rocko laughed one of his many heart chuckles. “Not a problem, ponies, not a problem.” He started pushing the boat back into the ocean, showing a surprising amount of strength for a creature that looked so friendly. “And maybe we’ll cross paths again soon? I’d sure hope so.”

“Hopefully we do, Rocko. Enjoy the rest of your day!” Twilight said, waving at the Pianta along with her friends, as he sailed off back towards Delfino Square. Farewells settled, she turned back to her friends. “Right, let’s sign in and figure out how this day is going to work.”

Staring up, she winced at the harsh light of the sun, still right above them high in the sky. “I’d say we have a lot of time left. Let’s go.”

The alicorn led them towards the hotel, following a path that went up right to it. They went past vibrant flowers and small bars, a few piantas enjoying some fruity cocktails and sitting on lounge chairs.

As they entered the building, there were a lot to take in for just a hotel lobby. In the center was a totem pole of sorts, extending all the way up to the higher floors. It stood on a platform surrounded by small currents of running water, tiny fish swimming on them. The room was lit up by braziers, even the wavering flames seemed relaxed.

Looking around, there was a front desk to their left and a waiting area to their right. Twilight headed up to the desk and, upon seeing there was no staff present, rung the bell. It went off with a high-pitched ‘ping’!

A pink pianta with a poofy grey mustache hobbled out, and welcomed the seven guests with a merry cheer. “Hello, and welcome to Hotel Delfino!” He motioned around the parlor. “You must be the equestrians! I’d like to give you a formal welcome to our island!”

“Oh thank you,” Fluttershy answered softly with a smile. “We’re really enjoying it so far and appreciate all the hard work you’ve put it in to make the island look and feel so nice.”

“Oh, but of course!” The managed grinned, then turned to the other ponies. “Your rooms are ready, five normal rooms and… Miss Rarity, it appears you have been upgraded to a suite!”

“A suite? Me?” Rarity asked, barely controlling her excitement. “Why’s that, dear?”

“Ah.” The manager nervously rubbed his hands together. “Just feeling generous today, I guess.” He stifled another nervous chuckle.

“Well thank you sir,” Rarity beamed, unaware of what her room contained. “Where shall we pick up our luggage?”

“It’ll be waiting for you in your rooms, you can go get them right now!” He beamed, handing the group their room keys.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Rainbow Dash already took off for the stairs. “Lets unpack and hit the road!”

Twilight looked at her key, a number that she presumed was her room’s engraved onto it. “Thank you, sir,” she spoke to the manager, before heading upstairs along with the others.

Everypony got their own room next to each other, save for Twilight and Spike who shared, and Rarity who had her suite on another floor. When each of them unlocked the doors and entered, they found their luggage awaiting them already. However it was still packed, so Twilight suggested that they unpack it so it was out of the way.

Once everypony was done with that, they all started to congregate in Twilight’s room. The princess herself was sitting on the bed with Spike.

“Ooo, Twilight!” Pinkie cried as she hopped in. “You should try bouncing on the beds. They’re super springy!”

Twilight smirked. “Maybe later, Pinkie. We just arrived and I don’t want to start a commotion already.” She looked at Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who had entered at roughly the same time. “How about you two? Enjoying your rooms?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty nice. Got a sick view of that ‘Pinna Park’ thing,” Rainbow Dash seemed to smile at the very thought of the amusement park. “Why don’t we have a place like that back in Equestria?”

“Maybe I should build one in Ponyville…” Pinkie mused, then suddenly gasped and slung a foreleg around Applejack. “I got it! Apple Family Fairgrounds! It’ll be perfect!”

“If a bit loud…” Fluttershy added.

“Er, I’m not sure if that’d be a good idea Pinkie,” Applejack chimed in. “I don’t think Granny Smith would appreciate that very much.”

“Oo, good point.” Pinkie winced briefly. “And I wouldn’t wanna get on her bad side.”

“Well, I’m ready to get going,” Twilight said, gesturing for Spike to follow as she walked past her friends. “You girls have fun out there. Do what you want—it’s everypony’s holiday. But if we could all meet back in Delfino Square tonight, that’d be great.” She smiled, looking upon all the ponies (plus whelp) in her presence. “I do really want to spend at least some time with you all.”

“Of course, Darling,” Rarity warmly smiled. “I think it wouldn’t be too difficult for us to meet up in the evening, would it girls?” The group nodded their heads. “Well then, a deal’s a deal! I’ll see you all later this afternoon.”

“Great,” Rainbow Dash grinned, grabbing Pinkie and opening the sliding door to the balcony. “If you need us, you know where to look!” The duo shot into the air, leaving behind a rainbow streak.

“Whee!” Pinkie giggled, flailing her legs in the air. “I guess you got pretty bored of boats, huh?”

“You have no idea.” Rainbow Dash groaned.

Fluttershy smirked at them, then turned to Applejack. “Are you ready to go?”

“‘Course, Sugarcube!” Applejack adjusted her stetson. “See ya’ll later tonight!” She enthusiastically waved at her three friends before leaving the room with Fluttershy.

“Well Spike,” Twilight said, letting the dragon hop on her back. “For one of the rare moments in my life, I don’t see what could go wrong with this at all.”

“That’s going to come back and bite us later, Twilight.” Spike sighed. “Mark my words.”

Rarity left the room with the duo, going her separate ways back to her suite. As she trotted down the halls, she could have sworn she heard a ghastly cackle...