Though usually quiet and peaceful, on this day the sounds of chatter, games and laughter erupted from the Ponyville library. It wasn't the biggest party that Pinkie Pie had thrown that year (or month, or even week) but the Good-Luck-And-We'll-Miss-You-So-Much-But-We-Know-You'll-Do-Great party being held would certainly be remembered by everypony present for years to come.
Five young mares and about a dozen little colts and fillies were at the center of the party, playing a round of Pin The Tail On The Pony. Each one wore a cape marking them as Cutie Mark Crusaders, though the ones on the oldest five were well-worn and too small for them now. The capes and emblems of a caped pony over a blue shield were nevertheless sported with pride and infused with countless happy memories. There were the original three: Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. The one being spun around was the frizzy-haired Twist, and the one doing the spinning was the young black alicorn, Nyx.
Like her friends, Nyx was starting to grow into adulthood. But whereas for them, that meant they were still smaller than fully-grown adults, she stood taller than all but the largest ponies. Her eyes, no longer hidden by the enchanted lenses that made the dragon-like pupils look round like a normal ponies, now shone with laughter and joy where once they had looked down on all ponies with scorn when they belonged to the jealous and spiteful Nightmare Moon. Her horn gleamed with magic as--at her friends' insistence--she held Twist up off the ground with her mind, spinning and flipping her around in all directions before daintily setting the bespectacled pony back onto the floor. The extra third dimension of spin had made the candy-making pony even dizzier and more unsteady than usual, as demonstrated by the tails already attached. When Twist pinned her own tail and took off the blindfold, everyone including her giggled at how she had placed it on the pony's back hoof.
"Alright, who's next?" Nyx asked, and she was answered by several cries and hooves raised up into the air, including Pinkie Pie who bounced in, squealing, "Oooh! Ooh, me me me!".
From a short distance away, Twilight Sparkle watched her adopted daughter with love and pride while Rarity and Applejack did the same toward their little sisters. One of the little colts got blindfolded and levitated, giggling around the tail in his mouth as Nyx gave him a spin.
"Hard t' believe they're this big already, ain't it, Sugarcube?" Applejack turned to look at the other two as she mused, "Are y'all gonna be okay? Ah know it's easy fer me. Apple Bloom's just gonna be apprenticin' with Rusty Nail when she ain't lendin' a hoof around the orchard, and Twist'll still be in town workin' at the candy shop if she gets lonely, but with Sweetie Belle goin' to that fancypants consternarium--"
Applejack was suddenly interrupted by Rarity wailing, "CONSERVATORY!" She then started bawling, quickly dabbing at her wet eyes with a handkerchief.
Twilight put a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "It's okay, Rarity, I know this is hard, but Sweetie Belle's going to be just fine."
"I... I know," Rarity sniffled, her lip quivering as she looked to her little sister. "It's just that I offered and I begged, and I pleaded with her, but... but..." The fashion-conscious pony started weeping again. "Oh, Sweetie Belle, why oh WHY wouldn't you wear the new capes I made for you?! They would drape SO much more elegantly!"
Applejack rolled her eyes as Twilight struggled not to do so herself, giving Rarity a reassuring smile instead. "Yeah, uh... it's a tragedy, but it's just for a few hours."
Rarity continued to dry her eyes until she slowly eased out of her moment of drama. "*sniff* Yes, I know... I'll just miss my little sister so terribly while she's gone... What about you, Twilight? Did Nyx finally decide what she was going to do?"
Applejack asked, "Decide? Ah thought the princesses invited her up t' Canterlot so's they could teach her alicorn stuff."
"They did," Twilight replied, still gently patting Rarity's shoulder. "But Nyx said that she wanted to consider other options. She really wants to use her power to help everypony, but... well, even with the princesses vouching for her, there are still a lot of ponies who think she should have been banished."
Applejack nodded. "Yeah, takin' over Equestria and two weeks o' night ain't easy t' get over." When Twilight looked at her, she replied, "Hey, I think those ponies have rocks fer heads, but ah know her. An' just look at all them Cutie Mark Crusaders. Most o' them had t' join in secret just on account o' Nyx bein' in the group, but they did anyhow, an' now they're all friends. Things're bound t' be tough, but she's grown up right, so it'll work out one way or another." After a pause, she remembered the original question and asked, "So, what DID she decide, Sugarcube?"
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