Princess Celestia looked at the saloon and her mind traced back to a long time ago, when her sister was missing, locked away in the moon as a shadowy silhouette, trapped in the form of Nightmare Moon.

Those were troublesome times, filled with regret and discord, Celestia had to spend decades trying to fill the void her sister left behind. One of those ideas was the creation of holidays, celebrations made to encourage the population and ease the dark memories of the many invasions and infestations that plagued the nascent kingdom. That was the origin of the Grand Galloping Gala, to celebrate the Princess now residing in Canterlot´s castle, the origin of the Summer Sun Celebration, the beginning of the new year for ponies but a painful reminder to Celestia of what she had to do; and, to a lesser scale, the birth of the Summer Star Sighting Show, a ceremony Celestia created to make ponies appreciate the night more, a gift for her lost sister, to show her when she returned that her kind have not forgotten her.

That was the original intention but, like most other celebrations, with time it had changed into a more traditional party, where rich ponies tried to pull as many levels to get their children into the most prestigious schools in Equestria, the Flight Academy in Cloudsdale, the School of Gifted Unicorns founded by the Princess herself and finally, the Earth School of Fillies Future Talents. Celestia looked at all the teachers and principals, all with different levels of boredom an annoyance, dealing with pestering fathers. Celestia knew that was a gross exaggeration and there was genuine talent to be found and teachers with a keen eye to a diamond on the rough, but to the casual pony it must surely look like a rather boring event.

“This party gets worse every year,” Gingersnap said.

Case in point, Gingersnap.

“Oh but look at the decorations! Everything is start theme, there´s constellations in the banners and balloons shaped like star animals! Look, looK!” Giddilee said, showing her less enthusiastic partner balloons shaped like Ursa Minor and Star Spiders.

“Every year is star theme, it´s a celebration about stars,” Gingersnap replied with her usual cynicism, causing her friend´s balloons to deflate. “Not that these ponies care at all. To them the stars are their spoiled children and not the ones in the sky. Princess Luna must be disappointed.”

“In a sense you´re right, Gingersnap. To these parents, their children are the only stars that matter because they´re filled with pride and confidence in that they will shine in the future,” Princess Celestia said in her common solemn tone.

Gingersnap blushed, thinking she had offended her.

“And as for my sister, I think she is quite pleased with the attention the event has gathered.”

They looked to one corner of the room where Princess Luna was being practically harassed by parents wanting to get on her good will. The night guards had to bark at them to keep them at bay.

“Poor Princess…” Gingersnap said.

“Should we help her?” Giddilee asked.

“I´m sure my sister can handle a little bit of pressure. Besides, she insisted to me to let her handle the ceremony this year. She says she has something planned for the occasion. In the meantime, why don't we go get a few sweets?” Celestia asked and Giddilee´s mood improved, her balloons inflating accordingly.

They moved to the desserts table, Giddilee bouncing not unlike Pinkie Pie but she soon got frantic. She wanted to take a sample of all the desserts but her hooves were busy so she shifted from taste to taste, not knowing how to get them. Gingersnap rolled her eyes and took the Ursa balloon from her hoof, frering one of her arms.

“You do remember you have a horn, do you?” Gingersnap said but her partner was too busy stuffing her mouth with cupcakes too notice and Gingersnap couldn't help but smile at her.

Celestia giggled at the scene and decided to leave them alone.

“Princess?” Gingersnap asked.

“I´m going to take a look around. You two...enjoy.”

“We will!” Giddilee said, grabbing one of Gingersnap´s arms, making her blush even harder.

Celestia laguhed to herself. She may noy be the Princess of Love but this past week, she had been playing matchmaker a lot. That reminded her of a certain young dragon and a young filly who were supposed to be in the party but they were nowhere to be seen. Celestia saw the filly parents talking to the ESFFT´s principal, who actually seemed quite pleased to have Babs Seed around. Celestia knew he was a stallion that put talent above status and had already accepted her. That made Celestia think about another filly, one who forever lost her opportunity to apply to the school but she was paying for a serious offense and, knowing the principal, he would have rejected her unless she showed signs of determination to improve. Celestia thought that the kid had determination but a misguided one.

With those thoughts in mind, Celestia walked across the room, greeting everypony she ran too while looking around for the elusive couple. Her attention shifted to a tablecloth that was shaking. Curious, she thought. The top of the table was filled with crumbs and Celestia smirked, lifting the cloth with her magic to expose the culprits.

“Uh uh…” Babs said.

“Busted,” Celestia finished while Spike gulped a whole cinnamon bun.

“Spike, you´re getting crumbs all over your tuxedo. Twilight will surely not approve.”

“Sorry Princess…”

“And you, young lady. That beautiful dress was a gift from Rarity. I know you´re not risking getting it covered with chocolate and sprinklers, are you?”

Babs said nothing and tried to hide her dirty hooves.

“There´s a perfectly nice party around. Why are you two hiding under a table?” Celestia asked.

“Well, all these geezer ponies have been pestering me all night for favours,” Spike explained, cleaning Babs hooves. “We only wanted to have a little privacy.”

Spike realized what he said and blushed along with Babs.

Celestia was amused and said, “I´m quite happy to see you two have such good chemistry together.”

“Please, don't say that word, your Majesty. If I have to recite the Equestrian Table of Elements once more…” Babs said.

“I thought you liked studying,” Spike said, a bit confused.

“I´m good at studying, doesn't meant I like it.”

“Heh, if Twilight was here she would give you such a lecture.”

“Hey, I´m smart but I don't want to spend my whole life with my nose under a book. I have other things I want to do! Once I´m in Manehattan, I´m going to a game of the Saddlers!”

“That sounds awesome! Spike said and Babs beamed. “Although I´m more of a Seaddle SonicBlasters fan myself.”

“You did not say that;” Babs said, looking pretty intimidating.

Spike however, wasn´t fazed. “What if I say so?”

They both locked sight and seemed like anytime now they will start a fight or making out.

Celestia coughed to get their attention back and said, “I see you two are getting along.” This caused the couple to blush together. “Glad to see you´re having fun.”

“Better than be in this boring party. I´ve been doing nothing all night but answer questions from the teachers. Ugh, so boring,” Babs said, grabbing her head.

“But you answer them all correctly! You should've seen her Princess! If this was fair game, she would have won like a dozen plushies by now!”

Babs had a permanent blush by now and Spike praising her wasn't going to make it go away anytime soon.

“Are you having a good time then. Spike?” Celestia asked.

“Yeah! I mean the party is pretty dull but I´m having a lot of fun with Babs!”

Babs gave him a gentle smile and took his claw. Celestia looked at them and smiled before saying, “Well, the party can be quite a dull before the sight event but the food is always delicious.”

Babs and Spike looked at each other and then offered her a cupcaked.

Celestia took it with her magic and said, “I think I´ll take another look around. I was looking for somebody but still haven't found them.” And with a wink she left them.  

Once the Princess left, Basb dropped her smile and asked Spike, “Are you really having fun?”

“Of course I am! Why do you ask?”

Babs gave him a sad smile. “With all that happened these past weeks…”

“Hey, I´m fine. Serious. Beside, this is a lot better than giving the weather report to the bees…”

“That Dragon Code has a lot of weird rules.”

“Tell me about it. Good thing I´m no longer following it,” Spike said.

“Are you sure about that? Think you made the right decision?”

“I´m fine, Babs. I´m not ditching the entire Code, there´s still plenty of good rules, about how being a good dragon, a good citizen and…” he said, taking her hoof. “A good husband.”

Babs recovered her smile and took his claw too.

“It´s goign to be hard to keep this long distance relationship thing,” Spike sighed.

“Hey, I have vacations. And if you ever come visit the Big Apple, you could stop by the school. Unless I´m in classes or in a field trip, or lab duty or library shift or…”

“I get it…”

Babs laughed but then said something that had been bothering her from a while. “Spike, you think you made the right choice? I mean, the whole mark thing is almost a coincidence. I didn´t even knew you back then…”

“Hey, I fell in love with Rarity the second I saw her. I´m not one to blame.”

“But still…”

“Babs, I already said it. I´m not letting a dumb Code decide which pony I love,” Spike said and smile at her. “You know, for all the troubles this Code gave me, it also gave me the best summer of my life.”

“Yeah,” she said, leaning her head towards him. “I had the best summer too..”

Spike and babs were about to kiss when they were interrupted by the loud, bombastic voice of Princess Luna

“Dear citizens, please follow me to the balcony where we should begin the main event!”

Spike and Babs shrugged and followed the mass of scholars, parents and the children they dragged along. The balcony soon became too cramped and they barely had room to breathe.

“This is awful..” Babs said, not really wanting to be there.

“Hey, wanna sneak out?” Spike asked her. “I know a way to a second balcony. Wanna come with me?”

“Do you even need to ask? You know that I'm a bad seed,” Babs said, smirking.

Spike took her by the hoof and took her to a hallway and a set of stairs that led them to a smaller but empty balcony.

“Nice” babs said, taking on the view.

“I know. Twilight used to come to this place to look at the stars. We always sneaked during parties to come up here.”

“Should I get jealous?” Babs asked, with an obvious playful tone.

“Hey, she´s like my sister! Although for a second I was worried I may end up engaged to her…”

“Let's not go there.”

“Yeah, let´s.”

Spike and Bab sat at the edge of the balcony and looked down at the partygoers. They were all chatting and trying to keep their children straight, flattening their hairs and adjusting their bowties. Princess Celestia was happily munching on her sweets, happy that Luna was dealing with the traditional boring speech. She actually seemed quite into it, reciting with ease the speech she herself had written.

“...and with those wishes, we sent our little fillies and colts, our children, for all the ponies of Equestria are one family, bound together by love and friendship.”

Spike and babs both shared a “yuck” gesture.

“And now, my gift to you, childrens of Equestria..”

Princess Luna raised to the air and made her horn glow. She made the moon slowly rise from its position in the sky until it reached a zenith, touching a set of stars in the sky and then making the entire field glow like fireworks. The Princess dispelled all the clouds with a thought and the entire sky shone like diamonds right before a rain of shooting stars began.

All the ponies gasped and took on the sight of the night lights. Parents hugged each other and their children, who snickered a bit when they saw them drop the act and start acting all lovey. A few colleagues exchanged awkward stares, trying to keep protocol but also holding hooves. Celestia saw Gingersnap put an arm around Giddilee who leaned over her. She then smiled to her sister who smiled back.

In the upper balconey, Babs Seed and Spike looked at the spectacle with awe, then looked at each other and finally, sealed the night and the summer with a kiss.