June 30th, 1000 Domina Solaria

“You all ready for the big night?” Doug asks the three squirming fillies as he loads their plates with tall stacks of pancakes. “Wait,” he commands as they jump up, waggling his finger back and forth. “We’re waiting for everypony to get here.”

“Aww,” Apple Bloom whines, lustily staring at the butter and whipped cream delicacies in front of her. It’s rare that Lemon runs the Apple kitchen - she’s almost as bad as Pinkie Pie when it comes to creating entire courses of candy and sweets - but it looks like Doug kept her dam’s influence to a minimum this time. Which is too bad; she loves the confections her sister concocts. “But Applebaum always sleeps in!”

“That’s because she’s a growing young mare,” Doug says with a quick pat of the red maned head.

“Maybe we can help her?” Sweetie Belle adds. Her horn lights a pale green, shifting her fork closer to her plate, but that's all she attempts to do.

“I don’t think she liked it the last time we helped,” Scootaloo says dryly. She grimaces as she stretches her small wing forward to grab her own fork, knowing her dam is probably watching to make sure she gets in the practice. “Where did she even get the tripwire and all that tree sap?”

“Ah told you we shouldn’t be keepin’ it in the treehouse,” Apple Bloom counters.

“No,” Sweetie Belle looks crossly at Apple Bloom as Scootaloo nervously wipes at her forelegs, the pegasus imagining cleaning herself again, “I told you that!”

Doug rolls his eyes as he returns to the stove. The bickering fades into the dull roar of a dozen ponies cramming themselves into the Apple farmhouse. Hedge trots through the back door, stopping next to her sire. Her small wings strain to lift her and the basket of eggs in her mouth to Doug. He takes them with an appreciate nod and starts his own breakfast as she drops back down and goes to the table. His hand slips under Applejack’s Stetson to rub at her ears despite greeting his lead mare like that three times already.

She spares him a smile and nuzzle before returning to her cooking, but not for breakfast. Dozens of extended Apple family are camping outside or in barns, and the ovens haven’t been able to cool for the last two days. Helping keep track of everything is Pomarbo, her youngest and the only colt in the herd. It’s only made worse with Princess Celestia headlining tomorrow’s Summer Sun Celebration. Many family members that might not have been able to attend their eight year reunions found the bits to make it this time. And, if that wasn’t enough, she’s in charge of making sure all the food and refreshments are in order. If they have any left!

“Hey, everypony!” Rainbow Dash greets as she enters the kitchen. She makes a beeline for Doug for her customary morning nuzzle before scanning the room for any open seats. She spots one crammed in the back next to Fluttershy and little Hedge, likely picked because they are the only ones able to fly to them. “Did you all hear the news?”

“About the new appointee?” Rarity says from the front, torn between potential gossip and making sure the fillies’ bickering doesn’t turn too violent. “It seemed very last minute.”

“Maybe she has some new ideas!” Pinkie Pie exclaims from next to Meringue, the two Pies whipping up another plates piled high with pancakes. She slings one over to Rainbow Dash as the pegasus sits down. “Like more streamers! And balloons! Or balloons shaped like the sun! It’ll make this celebration even more amazing! If that’s even possible!”

“Or,” Applejack says, somewhat disgruntled, “maybe she’s just gonna make sure we start on time.” She chuckles to herself, “You know me, Ah’m a stickler for tradition, and it’s practically been Ponyville’s tradition to not finish anythin’ on time. But maybe this is one Ah don’t mind changin’. Could you imagine if we were late, and the sun didn’t rise when it was supposed to?”

“Pfft, Ponyvile would never disappoint Princess Celestia like that!” Rainbow Dash shakes her head just before she devours her entire stack of pancakes. The rest of the mares and fillies take that as their cue to start. “I heard,” Rainbow Dash says through her full mouth, “Mayor Mare didn’t ask for this pony. She was assigned.”

“Can you blame them?” Rarity says after she finishes her bite. “Her track record for Summer Wrap Up is spotty, to say nothing about Winter.”

Rainbow Dash dismissively blows her mane back as she takes to the air. “Yeah, well, if this-” she makes air quotes with her hooves “-‘Summer Sun Celebration Organizer’ thinks she can do better, good luck to her. I bet she doesn’t even know who does what around here!” She lands next to Doug as Lemon refills her plate. You got the weather worked out like normal?”

“Yup,” Doug says as he grabs some jam, his plate of eggs well clear of everypony else's. “Somepony in Canterlot, probably her, asked for a copy. But it’s hard to mess up clear skies.”

“Yeah, but that’s only for the last six hours of today. We gotta keep partially cloudy until then or it’ll get too hot.” Rainbow Dash turns to Pinkie Pie, her voice dropping to a whisper. “You got the paint ready?”

“Yuppers!” Pinkie Pie exclaims. “I’ve got light green, white and gray for Lyra, and yellow, blue and pink for Bon Bon!”

“Excellent,” Rainbow Dash purrs to herself, rubbing her hooves together ominously. Her eyes shine as she stares off into the distance. “Can you see it? Princess Celestia will step up to raise the sun, and-”

“-There’ll be a dozen Lyras and Bon Bons in the audience! Her reaction is gonna be priceless!” Pinkie Pie laughs in eerie synchronization with Rainbow Dash, a tad more maniacal with her hoof rubbing.

“It ain’t that funny,” Applejack says, rolling her eyes.

Rainbow Dash sticks her tongue out at Applejack.

Sensing an opening, Scootaloo steps forward. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle flank her, smiling like little angels. “Hey, dam?”

“Yeah, Scoots?” Rainbow Dash says, glancing down at her filly. Applejack turns as well, a guarded look on her face, while Rarity smiles politely.

“I was hoping, what with this being a pretty important celebration and all...” Scootaloo gulps at the attention.

Apple Bloom jumps in, “That maybe... we could stay up for the festivities? You know, like all the older ponies?”

“Pleeease?” Sweetie Belle begs, her widest smile on full display. Her sisters quickly join her in beaming at their respective dams.

“Of course you can!” Rainbow Dash exclaims. “We’ll be able to stay up all night celebrating the sun and Princess Celestia’s totally awesome rule!”

“Well,” Rarity cuts in, “I don’t know about that. What if they get tired?” She shakes her head even as the fillies pout. “You would be far better off going to bed and getting up early for the raising.” She relents slightly at their downcast expressions, “Perhaps you might stay up an hour later. But that’s all! You need your sleep!”

“Aww,” the three fillies moan. They turn to Applejack, knowing any further begging would be lost on the unicorn.

“Applebaum gets to go to bed whenever she wants,” Apple Bloom spits out, scuffing at the floor.

“That’s because Applebaum is a young mare,” Applejack says sternly. She’s used to being the tiebreaker between the two extremes, and not just between the fillies but also the mares.

Apple Bloom frowns but stops kicking, drawing herself back up to look forlornly at her dam.

“But,” Applejack continues, her stony demeanor fading, “this night is a right special occasion. Ah know Ah’d do somethin’ foalish like sneak out in the middle of the night if Ma tried to make me go to bed.” She gives each filly a hard stare. “But if Ah, or anypony, catch you noddin’ off? Then that’s it. You’ll be spendin’ the night here with Daddy and the rest of your siblings.”

A chorus of, “Thanks, Mama!” rings out from the three excited fillies. They scamper off to their clubhouse, no doubt to formulate their plans for the day and night. The rest of the mares follow suit with their own preparations for tonight and tomorrow’s celebration.