The low rumbling of drums gave way to the rising cry of a trumpet. A high note was held long and hard until it suddenly stopped and was replaced with the rest of the band. A thick bass beat sounded throughout the song as other instruments joined in, each adding their own unique twist. It was a song that nopony knew, yet they were still able to follow along. It was the song of friends having fun.

Around the band, ponies began to dance. Some alone, some with a partner, some in a group. They stamped their hooves and twirled and spun. Those that weren’t dancing watched, but the music was infectious. Soon more and more ponies joined in. The elderly and the young. The professionals and those with four left hooves. Couples that had spent their whole lives together and those that had never met until this moment. The ponies danced and laughed with joy.

Elsewhere, but not too far away, a second band started and then a third. Music spread through the night as the songs blended and split, sometimes lingering in one spot before vanishing and being picked up again by another band.

A cheer went up from a group of friends as they toasted a stallion that had finally got the courage to get engaged. A group of fillies and colts screamed and laughed as they chased a piñata being flown by a pegasus. Ponies dunked their heads into a tank of water, most coming back up with apples with one pony wondering why he had gotten a tennis ball. Games were played. Stories were told. Memories were shared.

Thousands of activities were taking place but, in the end, this was all just one thing: a party.

“Pinkie Pie, you have outdone yourself once again, and I sincerely hope there never comes a day that I can’t say that about one of your parties,” Twilight said. She was sitting at a table with her friends on the Ponyville side of the party. They were having a brief rest to enjoy some punch before heading back into the thick of things.

Pinkie beamed. “Thank you!” she said. “I had the basic festivities ready for my ‘Congratulations Champion’ party, so I just multiplied it a hundredish times. I severely depleted my EPK reserve, but it was totally worth it! I need to go check on the rest of the guests. I’ll be right back!” Pinkie hopped away and soon vanished into the crowd.

Twilight giggled. It would take hours to check on every guest. That meant Pinkie would be back in about ten minutes.

There was the sound of a commotion as Rainbow Dash burst from the crowd and sped towards them. “Twilight!” Rainbow Dash said. “You need to hide me!”

Twilight stared at Rainbow Dash, who appeared to have several linen bandages haphazardly wrapped around her legs and torso. “Hide you?” Twilight asked.

Before Rainbow Dash could answer, she was tackled to the ground. Twilight looked over the table at Nurse Redheart, who was holding down Rainbow Dash while applying a roll of linen bandages. Rainbow Dash struggled before wrestling free and taking to the air.

Nurse Redheart glared up at Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow Dash! You get down here this instant!” she said.

“No way! You’ve gone crazy,” Rainbow Dash said while trying to take off the bandages.

“That explosion should have shattered every bone in your body. Since it hasn’t, that can only mean it’s a delayed reaction. I need to get you wrapped up before you turn into a pile of jelly.”

Rainbow Dash removed the last of the bandages and blew a raspberry at Nurse Redheart. Nurse Redheart raised a hoof to her mouth and whistled loudly. Rainbow Dash stared at her in confusion before being tackled from behind by two pegasus stallions with bands bearing a red cross around their forelegs.

“Hold her down, boys! This won’t take long,” Nurse Redheart said. She had a gleam in her eye as she grabbed her fallen roll of bandages and set to work.

“Muffins are ready!” Derpy called after she set down a tray containing her latest batch. Ponies quickly lined up in front of her. Derpy narrowed her eyes and pointed. “You, you, and you have already had some. Let everypony else get some before you take seconds.” The ponies pointed to reluctantly got out of the line as the rest began to take their turn collecting a muffin.

Derpy walked over to a table containing a plate full of crumbs and a sleepy looking Dinky. Dinky smiled when she saw her mother approaching and climbed onto her back when she crouched down. She was asleep within seconds.

Derpy stood up carefully and began to walk back to her home. She then noticed the ponies around her bowing. Derpy blushed. She knew her muffins were good, but this seemed a bit much.

“Hello, Derpy,” a voice said from behind her.

Derpy turned around and saw Princess Celestia and Princess Luna before her. She started to bow but then stopped when she felt Dinky shift in her sleep. Derpy began to panic until Luna raised a hoof.

“Please don’t bow, Derpy,” Luna said. “I wouldn’t want to wake up Dinky.”

Luna felt good being out of her disguise, though, everypony suddenly bowing before her again was going to take some getting used to. Derpy returned from her house and walked towards Luna.

“Did I pass?” Derpy asked.

Luna blinked in confusion. “Pass what?” she said.

“The sidekick test! Do I get to be your sidekick, or do you melt my brain?” Derpy looked at her with worry.

Luna held back a laugh. “Don’t worry, Derpy. You passed.”

Derpy closed her eyes and started trotting in place. “Oh! This is so exciting! But... will I have to move to Canterlot? Dinky has friends in school, and she’d be so sad to leave them. But, if I’m to be your sidekick...”

“Hold on, Derpy. You aren’t my sidekick anymore.”

“What? B-but I thought I passed.” Derpy was suddenly breathing rapidly.

Luna quickly continued before Derpy could start crying. “You did. It’s just that I’m giving up being a super hero. No more disguises, from now on I’m just normal Luna. Though, if you still want to hang out... we could always be friends?”

“But we already are friends.” Derpy said, matter-of-factly.

“Yes. I suppose we are.” Luna smiled.

“I still wanted to be a sidekick.”

“But this is better. Don’t you know what happens to sidekicks once their super hero retires?”

Derpy’s eyes widen. “You mean...”

“Congratulations on your promotion, Super Derpy. Just promise me you won’t do anything crazy...” Luna suddenly realized Derpy was no longer in front of her. She looked around but couldn’t find the pegasus anywhere. There was a loud thud from a table nearby.

Standing on top of the table was a pegasus in a black outfit. She had a mask, utility belt, long flowing cape, and a blond mane. “Evil doers beware,” she shouted. Everypony nearby looked at her. “The Muffin Mare stalks the night!”

Derpy bit onto an object from her utility belt and brought it out. She pointed it out in front of her and squeezed. A grappling hook shot out and attached itself to a nearby roof. Derpy leapt into the air and swung off into the crowd, cape billowing out behind her.

Luna was aware of her sister walking up beside her. They looked at each other for a bit, then in the direction the Muffin Mare had gone. Luna cleared her throat. “I’m... going to pretend I didn’t just cause that to happen.”

Twilight watched as the fully bandaged Rainbow Dash was propped up on the table’s seat. Rainbow Dash was completely covered in white linen bandages except for her eyes and muzzle. An exaggerated frown was on her lips.

“Now then, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Nurse Redheart said pleasantly. “You’ll thank me once your bones start to burst. Actually, that pain will be so great that you won’t be able to say anything at all. I’ll be nearby. If you need me, just scream.”

“Don’t. Say. Anything,” Rainbow Dash growled.

“I wasn’t going to,” Twilight said.

“My lips are sealed,” Applejack said.

“Perish the thought,” Rarity said.

“I’ll, um... try to be quieter,” Fluttershy said.

Everypony except Rainbow Dash turned to look at the baby dragon desperately trying not to laugh.

“I’ll uh... go get some more punch,” Spike said as he got up and left.

“Now how in Equestria did that tunnel lead here?” a voice asked.

Twilight turned around. She recognized that voice. “Trixie!” she called. “Over here!”

Trixie stood in an open doorway to one of the houses. She noticed Twilight, then made her way over and sat down at the table.

“You guys remember Trixie, right?” Twilight said to her friend.

Trixie looked around. “I’m, ah... sorry if I left a bad impression during my last visit.”

Applejack stared at Trixie for a bit then shrugged. “Eh, water under the bridge.”

“I suppose it wouldn’t be very generous of me not to at least give you a second chance,” Rarity said, then narrowed her eyes. “Just so long as you stay away from my mane.”

“You have a lot of nerve showing up here after the stunt you pulled!” Rainbow Dash said, trying to look as menacing as possible.

“Now hold on there, Rainbow,” Applejack said. “We’re all being polite so the least you can do—”

“Not now, Applejack. Can’t you see I’m talking to my rival?”

Trixie looked at Rainbow Dash with wide eyes. “Rainbow Dash?” she questioned then started laughing. “What happened to you? You look like a mummy from those ridiculous ponytales.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “I don’t want to talk about it. Anyway, grab a pen and paper and start writing down everything you’re good at. I’ll do the same, and we’ll compare lists. Then we’re going to compete to see who is better at what.”

Trixie laughed. “Well, I can tell you one thing I’ll do better than you, and that’s actually make a list. Can you even move?”

“I’ll figure something out!”

Twilight laughed a little then turned to Trixie. “I’m so glad we finally get a chance to talk. I wanted to ask you how you pulled off that huge illusion.”

“What? That little thing?” Trixie said and gave a weak laugh. “Actually, I couldn’t do it on my own. I knew that there was a spell matrix in place from the unicorns doing the visual display, and—”

“Oh no you don’t!” Rainbow Dash yelled. “Twilight, don’t you dare start talking to my rival about egghead magic stuff! I don’t want to hear it.”

Twilight stared down Rainbow Dash. “Well then, you’re free to sit somewhere else.”

“I. Can’t. Move.”

“Oh dear,” Nurse Redheart said. “Has your spine shattered? Are you paralyzed?”

“My bones are not going to explode! I can’t move because you have me wrapped up in these stupid bandages!”

The ponies sitting at the table began to giggle. Rainbow Dash did her best to glare at all of them. “Stop laughing at me!” she said.

“All done!” Pinkie announced as she got up and dropped a marker.

“What? Pinkie Pie? What did you do? What did you draw on me?”

“Now we have the same cutie mark!”

Everypony laughed. Rainbow Dash sighed and chuckled a little.

“Hey, Twilight!” Spike said, approaching. “I noticed Trixie was here, so I went and found the two you-know-who’s.”

Spike stepped aside revealing two unicorn colts. A short one wearing a starry hat and a tall one wearing a starry cape.

“You two!” Trixie yelled.

“Oh, G-Great and P-P-Powerful Trixie,” Snips said. “We’re... we’re sorry!”

“Please don’t smite us,” Snails said as he cringed.

“You are wearing my outfit,” Trixie snapped.

Snips and Snails quickly took the clothes off and presented them to Trixie. Trixie levitated her cloak and hat away from the colts and replaced the ones she was wearing. She smiled as she straightened out her outfit. She then looked at the two colts that were doing their best to hide behind a pebble. She threw her worn-out replacement outfit before the colts.

“Here,” Trixie said. “Just be grateful Trixie spared you her wrath. I hope you two have learned your lesson.”

“Oh, we have, Great and Powerful one,” Snips said as he bowed.

“Yeah,” Snails said. “Mustaches are itchy.”

Trixie raised an eyebrow. Twilight laughed nervously, then said, “Just a little joke I played on them. We did make them clean up the mess in town.”

Applejack yawned. “Oh, pardon me,” she said. “It’s been fun girls, but I better go find Apple Bloom and get myself to bed.”

“I hope you can stay for just a few more minutes,” a regal-sounding voice said.

Applejack turned and gasped. “Princess Celestia!” she said, then started to get up. “So sorry, where are my manners.”

“Please, remain seated,” Princess Celestia said. “We only want a moment of your time before we leave.”

“We?” Twilight asked then noticed Princess Luna walking around her sister.

“Hello again, Twilight. Everypony,” Luna said. She took a deep breath and held it for a moment. “Thank you all for freeing me. I just wanted to say it again while you’re all here. I’m sorry if I haven’t been around much.”

“Shucks, Princess. It’s alright. We know you must be busy getting yourself reacquainted after being gone so long,” Applejack said. The others agreed.

“Oh no! This is terrible!” Pinkie said. Everypony looked at her. “If I had known Princess Luna was going to visit Ponyville today, I would have thrown her a party.”

Twilight stared at her pink friend. “Pinkie...” she said calmly. “You just threw a party for everypony within a hundred-mile radius of us. I’m pretty sure that included both princesses.”

Pinkie thought about that. “Oh yeah. I guess it did. Surprise, Princess Luna!”

Luna laughed. “Thank you, Pinkie. It has been a wonderful party. We’ll have to do this again soon.”