Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

 

All six links above are the concept ideas for the EQG1 fixfic. If you haven't seen it, then what I write may confuse you.

 

Now it's time to lay out the ideas into chapter summaries, outlines, fanfic title (Equestria Girls, of course), and plot summary.

 

Fanfic title: Equestria Girls

 

Summary: A mirror tucked away in Canterlot Castle. A former student turned runaway by traveling through the mirror. Her Equestrian family wants her home, but what home will she choose: the alternate world or Equestria?

 

How I imagine the cover art: A front view of the mirror, with you looking up, creating some perspective. Wavy gold and crimson stripes paint the thick frame, and the walls surrounding it are dark to focus the eye. Over the mirror is a faded image of Sunset's yin-yang sun cutie mark, the image fading into the mirror's edges like a vignette.

 

Main characters: Sunset Shimmer, Pinkie Pie (human), Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia

 

Secondary characters: The Mane Six (excl. Twilight), Spike, the HuMane Five (excl. Pinkie), King Arion (OC, deceased), Shimmer family (OCs),

 

Tertiary characters: Princess Luna, Principal Celestia, VP Luna, Flash Sentry, the Pie family (human, excl. Pinkie), Old Iron (CHS security guard, OC)

 

Fanfic rating: E (FIMFiction), K/K+ (Fanfiction.net)

 

Story genres:

• FIMFiction: Slice of Life, Drama, Equestria Girls, Alternate Universe
• Fanfiction.net: Friendship/Family
  

Primary original characters:

• Shimmer family:
   
  
  Dawn Shimmer: Sunset's father. Stay-at-home, helping take care of the house. Reserved into wondering if Sunset was never going to return. Doesn't let it affect his relationship with his son and wife. Physical appearance is a bright gold fur with long off-white mane and tail (mane extends past his shoulders). Cutie mark is a half sun over a simple side image of a dark gray skillet; image mirrors.
   
  Sunrise Shimmer: Sunset's mother. Helps work as a lifeguard along the calm waters of Grazewood's coast during the summer hours. Even when she receives news that Sunset has seemed to thrive, she's apprehensive, and she's not afraid to tell Solstice the truth about the cause of his sister's decision to run away. Coat's bright gold, yet with a little less red in it. Mane/coat are alizarin crimson — a short tail with two ends that curl together — with ochre streaks (the back of her mane's short and tied in a bun). Cutie mark is rays of sunshine forming into a sun in the center from the flank's left; image doesn't mirror.
   
  Solstice Shimmer: Sunset's little brother. At the time of the story, only eight years old. Talks in simple language. Sunset didn’t know he got a little brother the entire time while in Equestria. Welcoming and becomes really close to his older sister later in the story. Coat color's a brighter, more saturated version of Sunset's amber. Mane and tail are short and a muted red. Cutie mark is a small sun with stylized rays pointing down towards his abdomen; image mirrors.
• Old Iron: The primary security guard in the fic. He keeps watch on CHS in case of any danger. Skin color's periwinkie with very short, light blueish steel hair. Speaks in short, snappy sentences, but is fair and will help.
• King Arion: An alicorn who lived long before Celestia and Luna were born. In the story, he's recognized as the first naturally-born alicorn. He ruled an arid country called Arion Stratus, which was unnamed until long after his death for unknown reasons. Traditionally, alicorns are capable of flying and performing magic. Unfortunately, he had pennaplegia, a condition that paralyzes the wings from birth, either by premature birth or injury of the wings inside the womb. He created the mirror by scavenging for bones of dead unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies, and he cremated them in secret to make sand. He used magic to make the glass unbreakable and then wrote a new spell to make the mirror act as a portal to negotiate with other countries for trades and diplomacy. Kept his mirror in secret throughout his life and well beyond his deathbed. Colors are a rustic brown coat with thick, slick streaks of white and bronze in his mane and tail. Magical aura's silver. Cutie mark is a white cloud in the simplified shape of a horse's side view; image mirrors with the muzzle facing the abdomen.
  

Now, the chapter concepts, starting with the prologue and first three.

 

---

 

Prologue: Dream

 

Twilight and Spike finish their meeting with diplomats for the night. Twilight feels very cross about having to slog through so much bickering amongst the leaders and translators from other countries. She wants to be a princess, not an interrogator, but Spike warns him that being a princess means she must take in pitfalls, too. She tries to go to sleep, but her wings kept erecting, making her crosser. To solve the problem, she uses a magic spell to temporarily bind her wings to her side. When she goes to sleep, a tingle descends into her brain through her horn. Nerves activated, and she felt the moon vibrate when it touched the zenith. Awoken, she tiptoes down Canterlot Castle's halls to a very enclosed area just outside of the tower leading to Celestia's study. She feels the long, high draped walls, but finds nothing. She silently walks up the stairs, but the tingling slowly dissipates, so she walks back. She goes back to feeling the walls and notices a small scratch. Using a silence spell, she slowly lifts the curtain to detect a sun symbol. Magic caresses it and fills it, and the wall becomes a door. She opens it.

 

---

 

Ch. 1: The Mirror

 

Inside is an enormous room mostly confined in shadows. Using magic to illuminate it, the entire room feels like a memorial. Crimson and gold waves paint the walls. The door behind her has a sketched image of a female unicorn's silhouette. To her right, a closed journal with the sun symbol rests on top of an antique presentation desk, a glass cover protecting it like a bell jar for the enchanted rose. But the biggest thing in the room is a mirror bolted on the far wall. About twenty feet feet high by ten feet wide, waves of red and gold paint cover the frame. Above it is the same sun mark. The mirror doesn't so anything, but Twilight feels herself wanting to walk closer. Reaching out, she slowly approaches it and finally touches the mirror. The tip of her hoof goes through. She yanks it back. No mirror has ever done this before. But there's some kind of magic there. Magic throbs in her conscience, and that energy flows to the same hoof that penetrated the mirror. In respects, magic is contacting her. With a gulp, she moves her hoof, and it slides into the mirror. Then she takes another hoof, and she climbs in. Soon, she dives in, the mirror taking her.

 

When she arrives, it 's a cool, brisk summer night. Everything's asleep. Nobody's there. But then she sees a car, confusing her. There are no cars in Equestria. She reaches to scratch her head, but she doesn't feel fur anymore. She feels something dry. She tries to find a mirror, but can't. Luckily, a puddle is nearby. She walks, but then she falls. She isn't feeling hooves anymore. These are whatchamacallits, and her feet are covered and constricted by them. Twilight calls for help! Suddenly, a gentle voice calling her by her name. A woman stands in front of a statue, part of her right arm within a colt statue's base. Twilight asks, "Princess Celestia?" Human Celestia says yes, calms her down, and they travel back to Equestria through the portal, where Luna and Spike wait.

 

Rather than head back out, the quartet converse in the Reflection Room. Twilight frantically asks Celly several questions, but Spike calms her down. Magic unbound, Celestia brings the book to show them all. Prior to Twilight was a unicorn named Sunset Shimmer. Her father Dawn and mother Sunrise noticed extreme potential in her magical powers. It was capable of unleashing different types of magic depending on the time of day. Unfortunately, she was still green during dawn and the day, so they sent her off to Canterlot so she can be trained to be a great unicorn throughout the day. As she flips the pages, she shows Twilight images of a filly Sunset doing wonders with her magic, including shearing off the top of Celestia's mane.

 

Right from the beginning, Sunset's teachings had problems. With all the weight on her, her magic spluttered, and she spent days without sleep just to complete her homework. Celestia fought with a decision to transfer her studies and study something else with better ease so she doesn't have to struggle, but Sunset pleaded to remain in the program. Eventually, Sunset (or Sunny, as she likes to be called) completes through her first year of magical training.

 

But in year two, it worsened. She struggled with the weight more, and then other students and teachers started bullying her for being Celestia's failed pupil. The students were punished, but their hurtful words didn't go away. It reached the climax during the summer of her second year. After constant verbal and then physical abuse by a teacher, she let her magic erupt without any control, and students had to flee because Sunset's magic was out of control. Celestia had to intervene, calm her down, and suppress her magic. Celestia elected that evening to take her out of the program and travel with her to psychology visits. Sunset was, however, able to get away from Celestia's magic-cuffing spell. Believing she was a failure to Celestia and her family, she decided to run away.

 

That night, she packed up her bags, a journal — the same as Celestia's, but Sunset's own copy — and the magical quill to write it, and wandered around Canterlot's halls. She couldn't find anywhere to go because all of the windows and doors were blocked. She thought about finding a way to actually find peace, when a cold feeling suddenly tingled her horn, and she went over to find it. Nearby Celestia's tower entrance, she noticed a door. She walked right through and found herself into a room where a mirror hung on the wall. She caressed her hoof on the mirror and sucked herself in. Celestia felt her presence go away along with the same cerebral tingling. A gasp. She realized what had happened and teleported to her tower entrance. The door had been opened. She told the nearest guard that Sunset has run away and contact her parents immediately and went in to find her. She searched for several days in the alternate world, but couldn't find her. Over three dozen times, she wrote in the journal, hoping Sunset would respond. Nothing. She still searched. Before the portal was about to close, Celestia had to bail. Sunset was lost in a whole new world with no way to contact her. Needless to say, Dawn and Sunrise were devastated.

 

Every week, Celestia would walk back to the Reflection Room and write in the journal to hope she was okay. No answers until eight years later when images of Sunset began to appear inside of her journal. She looked like a human, and she apparently looked really happy being around other people, especially human versions of the Pies. But she also shared images of herself having fun with people that looked like Applejack, Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy. Sunset's friends embodied the same qualities as the pony versions from Ponyville. The same qualities that embody the Elements of Harmony. That's why on the 1,000th anniversary of Luna's sealing in the moon, she assigned the Summer Sun Celebration in Ponyville and requested Twilight to be there. They communicated, and Sunset sounded happy to be there. But her parents (and baby brother Solstice, who she doesn't know at the Shimmers' request) didn't believe her.

 

When Spike asked about how all of this has anything to do with the mirror, Celestia explained that Star Swirl used to own this mirror. It used to belong to King Arion, an alicorn dating back to before the Royal Sisters were born. Star Swirl found it when facing an evil, but couldn't seal it. In his will, he assigned her to protect it in case anybody wound up going in. He used this same mirror himself and found himself to be in very vile, violent worlds, even though the world Sunset went in wasn't violent at all. But even eleven years, the portal would open up every two weeks. Sunset ran away eleven years ago, and tonight is the first time since then that it opened.

 

As a result, Celestia asks Twilight a favor: to stay in the castle with Luna while she tries to find Sunset and bring her back home before the fortnight-long portal closes. Celestia teleports to her room, but Twilight follows. She won't let Celestia do this mission alone and wants to help. It'll make finding and rescuing her much easier. She knows she feels guilty over this, but she can't let that force her to not offer help. Reluctantly, Celestia agrees. Then asks Spike to write urgent letters to the ReMane Five and carbon-copy them. Spike agrees and takes out parchment and a quill, and then Celestia uses magic to change one side and a little of the inner trim to a bright red. After writing the letter, Celestia uses magic to copy the message into five scrolls. With one breath, they vanished. Afterwards, it was time for Twilight, Celestia, and Spike to pack.

 

---

 

Ch. 2: Into Pedestria

 

Celestia, Spike, and Twilight spent about two hours packing, and Celestia created three diaries, each of them with Twilight's and Celestia's cutie marks on both covers. One for Twilight and Celestia apiece in case they separate. One for Luna and the remaining five. Before the clock struck three AM, the trio say goodbye to Luna, and they depart.

 

In Pedestria, now it's Spike's turn to scream. He ain't no dragon no more. He's a dog now. He jumps around in fright and accidentally claws Twilight's wrist, drawing blood. Luckily, they pack some bandages, so Celly used iodine and gauze to keep the cut clean. Spike feels guilty for hurting Twilight, but the Bearer of Magic understood. They look around; everywhere is quiet. No cars anywhere. They have to find a spot to rest. Twilight tries to walk, but her legs wobble, and she falls. So she gets Spike to climb on her back, and Twilight gallops on all fours. Meanwhile, Celestia watches and follows with a chuckle, but says nothing. She tells Celestia to come over, but stops when she realizes Celestia's standing, while Twilight isn't. Twilight blushes and tries to get up, but uses her arms and elbows to pull her up. Twilight acts like she's about to use magic, but stops when Celestia tells her she has no horn. Twilight almost screams, but Celly calms her down. They try pulling and pushing, but the door to the school is locked. So they have to find another place to go.

 

They look around and find a skyline with skyscrapers to the left of the school. With the street heading the opposite direction, maybe they'll find some transportation. So they walk. A half-mile. Nothing. A mile. Nothing. About a mile-and-a-half later, they see some light in a bar, and they walk in. The bartender asks what he can get for her on a fine evening. Celestia (who doesn't say her name) says she and her friend are trying to find a hotel to stay for the night. Immediately, he flips open a cellphone and uses whatchamacallits to call for a cab. Spike peaks out from the sack and gets excited. A waitress screamed and spilled a glass of wine onto the floor, shattering it. Everything shuts up. Everyone stares at them.

 

Twilight whispers, "Why is everypony staring at us?"

 

"Everypony?" a young female adult exclaims. "We're not ponies! We're humans!"

 

"And who's that kid in the dog costume?" a young man questions.

 

"Dog costume?" Spike growls. "Dog costume?!" He jumps down. "Where I live, I'm a fire-breathing dragon!"

 

"Spike, NO!"

 

Before he could exhale, Twilight grabs onto his muzzle and brings him up. "Spike, calm down. They're trying to egg you."

 

Spike exhales. "Sorry, Twilight." He notices everyone glaring. "I screwed up, didn't I?"

 

Suddenly, a car blares a horn. Immediately, they slide backwards out of the bar, in the cab, and depart. Twilight says if there's a hotel. The driver questions if they're tourists. Celly and Twilight looked at each other quizzically before Celly splutters they are. He knows a few hotels, but he'll drive them to the best one at the heart of the neighborhood of Midtown. Twenty minutes later, they arrive at the place. He tells them the charge: $31.85. Celestia takes out a piece of gold, hoping it'll suffice. He bites into it.

 

"Tastes like gold."

 

Twi, Celly, and Spike (from the bag) look at each other nervously.

 

"This means a lot to me. Thank you so much."

 

Twi: "You're welcome. Please, keep the change."

 

After an exchange of gratitude, they enter the motel, which is a twenty-story-high tower called Grump Tower. A young, moody female desk clerk asks what they want. Celestia explains they're hoping no rooms are booked. The grump swayed their complaints aside and tells her, "You worry too much, ma'am. We have several." She looks at options. "What room would you like?"

 

Celestia: "Uh, maybe one near the ground."

 

Clerk: "Two-bedroom? Yes, that lo—" She looks up. "What's with the tiara?"

 

Celestia looks up. Her Canterlot Princess crown was still donned on her forehead. Immediately, she takes it off and puts it behind her back.

 

"You're majesty, I presume?"

 

Celestia tries to stumble a reply, but the clerk stops her. "Don't be so modest. If you want to say it, that's fine. If not, that's fine, too. So, where did you all come from, anyway?"

 

Twilight interrupted by saying they came from an area very far away. How far, the clerk asked. Well, an area where it's difficult to reach. The clerk looked on suspiciously, but played on and saw Spike the dog peaking out. "Relax, young puppy. Grump Tower likes pets." Spike growled, but Twilight quietly shushed him.

 

"So, he doesn't like to be called one. Don't blame him. Most animals I know hate being called pets. Ah, here we go! Room 405! You can pay tomorrow afternoon."

 

"Maybe now." Twilight hands her a couple of pieces of gold.

 

The clerk's suspicions return, but she puts them away and has the trio escorted upstairs. Then she makes another call.

 

They arrive, and the hotel room is very clean. Two clean beds are nicely presented with the traditional chocolate on the pillow. Two unisex, unisize bathrobes hang in the bathroom wardrobe. Packaged toothbrushes sit in front of the sink next to washcloths, shampoo, and soap. As they changed into their robes, they wonder about this world, the standards of living in it, and especially where Sunset Shimmer is. Meanwhile, Spike sets up the wake-up call for 7 AM. One thing's for sure, the magic from Equestria won't work. In order to find Sunset, they must look for her their way.

 

They set off next morning (after an embarrassing accident by Twilight in front of a serviceman), and they split up with journals, quills, ink, and fresh clothes (courtesy of the clerk from last night) in tow. Celestia went into the quieter areas north (including Norachre at the tip of town and then the bustling shopping district to the east). She couldn't find any whereabouts for Sunset Shimmer. Meanwhile, Twilight went into the Public Library (and had to be shh'd for talking too loud).

 

"Memo: keep mouth shut in library," she reminded herself. She asked a librarian if there was any address book to find, and he gave her a big phone book with thin white pages. She looked for Sunset's name. No luck. So she searched for any of the other five. With luck, she found the Pie's number (including Pinkie's cell), Dash's, and the others. Then she decided to return to the Pie category a little more carefully.

 

A gasp.

 

Pie Shimmer, Sunset

 

Twilight's mind swims. What do the Pies have anything to do with Sunset? Did they brainwash her into believing she was from here? Did Sunset block off some of her memories from outside influences so she doesn't want to return? Is Sunset actually a part of the Pie family here in this world?

 

As her thoughts continued, she spotted her number. With a free hand, she jots them all down in the journal along with their names and a strange thing called emails. Now to find a phone. Fortunately, a pay phone was in a booth across the hall. Unfortunately, wrong currency: She had gold, not dimes, nickels, quarters, half-dollars, or dollars. (Each call is a dime.) She tried using gold, anyway, but the machine rejected it. She asked someone in the library if she has some change; she must make an urgent call. He gave her nine dimes for courtesy. She decided to call Sunset's, but her voicemail was full. One more time, but no answer. So she called Pinkie. Then AJ, Fluttershy, Dash, and Rarity. Not one answer. And Twilight was too flustered to use the voicemail and didn't want to sound like a stalker. Spike whispered in her ear to be more convincing and act like she knows what she's doing. So she decides to call Pinkie again. She gets an answer.

 

"Hey-lo! Pinkie Pie here!"

 

"Hi, Pinkie Pie! I'm Tw—."

 

Pinkie spits into the receptor, and Twilight had to pull away.

 

"Ow…" Twi rubs water off her ear.

 

"How'd you know my name? Wait! Don't tell me! You're went into the Canterlot City Public Library to try to find some names. You got mine, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Sunny. Wrote it down on scrap paper. Then decided to call us, but you figured we weren't gonna answer the call because we don't have any idea what your number is!, so y'tried again, wondering if there was some party!"

 

Twilight tried to stammer an answer.

 

"Well, missy, you come to the right party planner! Meet up with me and the others at 6:30 this evening!"

 

"Wait!"

 

"You don't want to come to our party? Aw, so sad."

 

"No, Pinkie, it's…I don't know where you'll be, and you don't have my name!"

 

"No worries, my little stranger. Everything's completely under control. Now, what's your name?"

 

"Twilight Sparkle."

 

"Twii-liiight Sparr-kllle. Got it!"

 

"And where's the party?

 

"Well, at Sugarcube Corner, silly! Outer Canterlot, Avenue A and 15th Avenue. You'll see a bright pink sign on the light pole! Now, once you arrive, walk to the back of the store and then head down the stairs. There, sign in to Fluttershy. In the meantime, Rainbow Dash should be playing some basketball with Applejack a block from Canterlot High. Meet with 'em there so you can all join the party together!"

 

Twilight chuckled. "Okie-dokie-lokie!"

 

"That's my catchphrase!" laughed Pinkie with a playful whine. "See ya 'night, Twilight!"

 

They hang up, and Twilight wrote down everything Pinkie said in the journal. Princess Celestia replied that she'll meet up with them there tonight.

 

But before they took off, Twilight looked for a place for currency exchange. One towards the river east of the Library's main entrance. Twilight walked forward and exchanged two quarter-ounce gold coins with CC change (about $662 dollars in total; she needed to break two twenties into dollar coins for transport). Then she got a transportation map to head back to CHS. And she found it: the OC3 Express, and it makes a stop right there. But she has to take the first one: It only runs one per half-hour, and travel can take an hour. So she went to the stop, picked it up, and wrote in the diary informing Celestia about the currency exchange. Apparently, these whatchamacallits have some form of magic that can show the map of the city.

 

As she's on the bus, she gets messages from the ReMane Five. All are in the Throne Room and will be greeting her once she returns. But Twilight requests a favor: during the day, they keep an eye on the Reflection Room. Each of the five take turns every six hours. Then she explained that a pony named Sunset Shimmer is living in this world (in the country called Pedestria), and it's their job to reunite her with the rest of her family before the portal closes in two weeks. It's possible she may come back on her own, so look out for a gold unicorn with gold and red hair. They promise.

 

---

 

Ch. 3: Old, Yet New, Friends

 

Canterlot High. Back where the quest began. She heads to the school and sees the base. Nothing to disturb it. She reaches inside and feels her hand transforming into a hoof. Then she looks back; there's a security guard (Old Iron). She asks him where this thing called a basketball court is. He points to the entrance's right: "One block." She heads over and piers through wired mesh from above. Below, AJ and Dash were playing a game on the basketball court.

 

Twilight smiled evilly.

 

Rainbow Dash was attempting a free-throw—

 

"Hi, Rainbow Dash!"

 

Rainbow flinches and shoots an air ball.

 

"Rainbow Dash, that attempt's as bad as your wardrobe."

 

"Don't blame me, AJ. I haven't found anything comfy to wear and play sports. This is the best I can find." (Dash is wearing a neon yellow tank top, thigh-length neon green shorts, and white sneakers.)

 

"Only 'cause y'haven't washed yer best clothes in a fortnight and three days."

 

Twilight grimaced.

 

"Says an awesome cowgirl who likes to take mudbaths in her free time."

 

Twilight chuckled, walking down the stairs. "Rainbow Dash, Applejack, you two fight like an old married couple."

 

Both of them look up, wondering how the hay she knew their names. She explained about the phone book and Pinkie told her to meet you. Then they introduced to each other properly, and Spike acted like a dog. Twilight lied that he's an ultra-rare breed. Meanwhile, Dash said they were playing a game of basketball until she was rudely interrupted.

 

"What kind of game?"

 

"HORSE."

 

Twi stared at them, her expression blank.

 

"Don't tell me you never heard of it!" exclaimed Dash.

 

"I don't know what basketball is."

 

Applejack and Dash's eyes nearly left their sockets, and they turned to each other. Then they looked at Twilight.

 

"You missed out a ton," said Dash.

 

They explained the rules to her and invited Twilight to come and play, which she accepted. Twilight was instructed on how to shoot the ball and gave her the first crack. She did (6" from the hoop) and made it. The others did, too. Then the game played on. Twilight began to get the hang of it (even though she double-dribbled) and began to jump as she shot. She missed on some, and she was the first to be eliminated. Applejack got the win. Then Twi asked about the line Dash shot from. It's the free-throw line, Dash replied. During the game, some players will shoot from the line, ranging from one to three free-throw attempts. Each basket's one point.

 

"And her free-throw percentage is worst on the team," quipped Dash, pointing at Applejack.

 

AJ rolled her eyes. "Dash, I can make them during practice."

 

"You're focusing so much on your aim, you're not focused here." Dash pointed at her own head.

 

"Easier said than done."

 

"Mind if I see?" interrupted Twilight.

 

AJ did. Good form, but clanked iron each time except once (a make on her seventh try). Twilight decided to give it a try. But rather than push overhand, she threw underhand. A basket. She tried again. Same form. Another basket. Ten free-throws, ten made. Twi suggested AJ to try it; reluctantly, she did and threw it. Made it. Tried again. Made it again. Third time. Another make. Fourth. A miss. Twi suggested to keep trying.

 

"Why didn't nobody ever teach me that bfore?"

 

Rainbow Dash shrugged.

 

Afterwards, they went for some lunch (one of them a steak for Dash, which Twilight declined; she felt very uncomfortable seeing Dash eat meat, but kept it to herself). But she went about lunch with some vegetarian huevos rancheros. Then it was back to playing some sports, this time a little racquetball with Flash Sentry in New Redfort Park. They had a nice chat, of course. Twi had never heard of racquetball before, but they explained it was pretty easy. Just go hitting the ball with the racquet. When it hits the ball, chase it and hit it back. All four went about it, and Twi once hit the ball so hard, it bounced back and AJ had to dive away to not get beaned.

 

From the other side of the mesh, Rarity clapped at Twilight's aggression. Then she screeched when she saw Dash's wardrobe and dragged a clothesline from outta nowhere, requesting her to change. Dash attempted to push it away, but it wouldn't budge.

 

"Didja put brakes on this thing?!"

 

"MMMMaybe."

 

"Nuh-uh. I ain't wastin' my time changing."

 

"Don't care." Eyes closed, she eloquently pointed away from the court and to the locker room.

 

Rainbow Dash sighed disgruntledly and took prepared clothes off the line. "Stay here, guys. I'll be back in a flash."

 

She hurried off, and Flash chuckled.

 

"Flash, Applejack, Rarity, Does everyp— uh, everybody quarrel like this?"

 

"Don't worry, ma'am. It's all in good fun. Hey, how do you know my name?"

 

"Found you in a phonebook in the Library."

 

"So you're the one who called my cell this morning," said Rarity.

 

"And mine," said AJ.

 

"Not me," finished Flash, who showed an empty phone history.

 

"Back, guys!" Dash called as she ran back to the court. "What's the commotion now?"

 

"Rainbow, did you get a phone call from this number at around ten o'clock this morning?" Rarity asked, showing her the number.

 

"Yeah, I did. Thought it was a telemarketer."

 

"This lady here—" said Rarity, pointing at Twilight, "—called us. What's your name?"

 

"I'm Twilight Sparkle," she said nervously.

 

"So why did you call us?" asked AJ.

 

"Well, I… I'm just feeling a little nervous. I'm new here."

 

Flash: Where did you come from?

 

Twilight Sparkle: I'd rather not say.

 

Dash: A little too personal? Ya don't have t'tell us.

 

Applejack: And we're sorry for acting tense 'round ya. *flashes racquet, flips ball like a coin* So, play 'nother round?

 

Twilight looks at Spike and back. "Don't mind if I do."

 

Flash: Wanna play, Rarity?

 

Rarity: Oh, ka-pft. Flash, please. A lady playing in a sport that can ruin her mascara, break into a gallon of sweat, and cause this beautiful pearl white outfit to feel heavy and drenched! Really?! *hits racquetball hard to her left, ball bounces off the wall and lands sharply into her empty hand* Why not?

 

They played for about ninety minutes and received attention from others in the neighborhood. Then, they all went via public bus transport to the Carousel Boutique (a three-story shop/home) in Hammingdon Square, where they all washed and changed into cleaner clothes (all free of charge). At about 5 PM, Rarity called to prepare in style for the 5:15 arrival. Then she called Fluttershy to remind her, but she didn't have to worry: She's preparing the party and meals and will welcome the guests. Twilight hoped Celestia was on the invitation.

 

Upon arrival in the old neighborhood, everywhere was either a brownstone or standalone house. But Sugarcube Corner was a bit of a larger place with the cafe covering half of a short street and a third of the longer. They enter the back, walk past the kitchen, and into a hallway with a fifteen-foot-high ceiling. All five walk through to an entrance, down a wide staircase (which included an incline to help the elderly and disabled), and to a wide entrance where they sign in. Sure enough, "Celestia" was there. Inside, Fluttershy was pumping helium into the balloon. Twilight Sparkle greets and introduces herself to her, and then 'Shy said Pinkie and Rarity told her a lot about you and wanted you to feel acquainted. Traditionally, she's too shy to come, but too often she wants to come and have fun.

 

"Anybody say 'fun'?!"

 

Pinkie appears outta nowhere and gets extra excited seeing Twilight Sparkle and gets extra-extra-excited seeing Spike the dog, picking him up and giving him a kiss on the forehead. Then goes back to introducing herself to Twilight and feeling happy to see new friends. Then the oven rings, and she hurries back to take out then-prebaked desserts and meals that the Apples made for this party. Twilight asks for help, and Pinkie's glad. Twi tries to get the hang of the potholders, but using memories of Spike using them to bake cookies and other scrumptious desserts, she figured it out and is able to help Pinkie swimmingly.

 

Suddenly, noise from the background, and Twilight peaks out. A tan-skinned girl with gold and red hair was saying hello to all of the guests and giving each other hugs and a nuzzle on the head. Twilight Sparkle says hello to Sunset and introduces her by extending her hand. Sunset introduces herself and shakes her hand back. Then she says hi to Pinkie and they exchange their own unique handshake: clapping alternate hands, playing peekaboo with their eyes, leaning forward with a slide and grabbing hands as they trade places, and finally having Sunset turn in a twirl before greeting with a really tight hug and kisses on the nose.

 

The song during their handshake sounds like this:

 

1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Eyes open wide.
Down a slide.
Then twirl a Pie!

 

From the side behind the drink table, Twilight aws from their affection and starts to feel a little jealous. Where she comes from, nobody is this affectionate to one another. Maybe I should practice that same lesson with Celestia. Oh, shoot!

 

But before she could think of a good hiding spot to write her message to Celestia, a purple-haired, mint-green-skinned girl named Starflower Wisteria* joins her and pops open a bottle of apple cider. Twilight tries to stop her by stuffing a finger in the bottle, but Starflower tells her to relax: There's no alcohol in them. Twilight apologizes and tells her where she comes from, all apple cider is alcoholic. A brief convo later, they were drinking cider together and sharing stories, and then people started dancing, including Pinkie and Sunset exchanging fast rotations together.

 

A jealous Twilight confides to Starflower that she saw her greet everyone affectionately, but not this affectionate to one specific person. She explains that Pinkie and Sunset grew up together and have been inseparable since the Pies adopted her eleven years ago. Pinkie may be a couple of months younger than Sunset, but to Sunset, Pinkie is like a mom to her. Then she caught Spike the dog, nuzzled his forehead, and says they can't just sit here. Twilight admits she can't dance well. Starflower decided to show one style: a beginner version of salsa, but it goes off track a little when Twilight forgot to hold onto Starflower as Star leaned back, and she landed on her back. Thankfully, she wasn't hurt, but she commended Twi for trying. They tried again, and they started to get the hang of it, including that lean back (with Starflower instructing her) without problems.

 

Then they split up, and Flash and Twilight start to dance. Then they split, and Flash shows off some excellent ballet skills, including fast spinning. Twilight tries it, but loses her balance and nearly falls, but is caught by Sunset. Then they start dancing, but in a calmer, smoother style so she can be more comfortable again. Sunset and Twilight greet better, and Sunset even calls Twilight cute, making her blush.

 

As they chat, Fluttershy tells everyone that she's here. Immediately, they split into rows and bow. A pink-skinned woman with rainbow hair enters the roman wearing a cape with a black helmet to her side. She chuckles at the sight and tells them they don't have to bow to the Canterlot High principal.

 

Twilight's eyes nearly pop out.

 

"Principal Celestia?" she mouths.

 

Celestia sees it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am. What is your name?"

 

She stands up and introduces herself, but stops short when Celestia asks her if how come she sounds like she knows her. Twilight excuses herself and temporarily leaves to SCC's front. Immediately, she finds a bench and starts writing in her journal to Princess Celestia, questioning why she didn't know her. But Princess Celestia says she's not here. Twilight gasps. If that truly is Principal Celestia, then where is Princess Celestia?

 

East of Canterlot City, an express bus is blocked by miles of slow traffic. Princess Celestia sits crossly in the back as she watches traffic from the opposite direction fly by.

 

---

 

More to come in later entries.

 

*The MLP Wiki and Reddit associated with it gave her the name of "Starlight." But now it's taken by Starlight Glimmer, so I gave her a new name.

 

Here's EQG!Starlight: