Sunlight and Flurry Heart's farewell was an extended affair, filled with many tears. The two fillies apologized to each other profusely for their part in the deception. Twilight and Flash walked into the room in the middle of all this, and immediately ran to try and console the two. They explained that all had been forgiven and, even though they had both been punished severely, their love still surrounded them. This idea warmed the hearts of the fillies and they knew they would be together again soon.

Flash, Twilight, and Sunlight accompanied Flurry out of the castle and to the train station. When they got there, they saw that the train wouldn't be arriving for a few more minutes. Sunlight and Flurry were ecstatic, because that meant they got to spend some more time together. They quickly moved away from Sunlight's parents and began speaking in low tones.

"I love you, you know that, right, Flurry?" Sunlight asked. Flurry nodded eagerly. "Of course I know that, Sunlight! I love you, too. We're cousins…"

"You mean sisters," Sunlight said.

Flurry chuckled, amused at her cousin's eagerness to have a sibling. "Well, almost. You can consider me an older sister, but no matter how much we tell each other that, we're still just cousins. But that doesn't mean that we can't love each other like sisters." They both laughed and embraced, happy to be with each other for a short time more.

But that time quickly drew to a close as the train whistle signaled the end of Flurry's time in Ponyville. "I guess that's my ride," Flurry said as she used her magic to pick up her luggage. The two fillies walked back over and Flurry bade her aunt and uncle farewell. They hugged her in turn and told her how much they loved her before she boarded the Friendship Express, bound for The Crystal Empire.

It was difficult for Sunlight the rest of that day. She wanted so much to have somepony else to play with and do things with, but that was not the case. She sat in her room, bored to absolute tears. It seemed as if her parents had thrown up a brick wall between her and Flurry Heart. Her small mind tried to process why her parents had sent her cousin back home, but she couldn't come up with an answer. She loved her parents so much, and she understood why they had punished her. But shouldn't Flurry's punishment have been left to her own parents?

No! She suddenly told herself, it was that kind of thinking that put Midnight on the path to treachery and evil. I won't walk that same path. I am a Princess of Equestria, the daughter of royalty, and I will conduct myself becomingly. With those thoughts, she set herself on a path that would unknowingly lead to the biggest collision Equestria had ever seen.

The next day was the Summer Sun Celebration, and ponies everywhere were absolutely giddy for it. It was to be held in the great metropolis of Manehattan, and Sunlight and her friends and family awoke early that morning to be on the train there. She had already asked if Flurry and her family would be there, but received a negative response. Her father told her that Cadance and Shining Armor were punishing their daughter by having her stay home during the celebration. "They can see the sun rise just as easily from there as you can in Manehattan," Flash had told a disappointed Sunlight.

On the train ride to Manehattan, Sunlight had the chance to do a lot of thinking. She realized just how terrible it was of her to lie to her parents like that, even though she and Flurry meant no harm by it. She determined in her heart that she would never lie and disrespect her parents and her title like that again. I am a princess, she told herself, not a lying, deceiving pony. That was Midnight…and I will NOT be Midnight!

She looked out the window as the trees and farms of middle Equestria whizzed by them at top speed. She wondered what her cousin was doing, and she hoped that her aunt and uncle had taken it easy on her after banning her from Manehattan for the celebration. She wished so much to be able to return to the past and undo all the damage she and Flurry had done by lying. But the strain was present on their relationships with both sets of parents, and it would take a lot to regain that trust.

But within her thoughts about Flurry lay an excitement unmatched by any other. Fillies and colts always look forward to the Summer Sun Celebration, and Sunlight was no exception. It was the only night of the year when the young ones were allowed to stay up all night. They took full advantage of the allowance, sometimes to unfortunate extremes. Sunlight remembered hearing about a group of foals who ran off into Applejack's orchard. Their parents were absolutely frantic, and it took the Ponyville Police two weeks to finally locate them. Unfortunately, three small ponies had been killed by Timberwolves. The others were badly injured and were taken to the hospital for three months and multiple surgeries.

Whatever happens, I'm sticking close to Mommy and Daddy, she told herself as the train whistled and slowed into the Manehattan station. The ponies all excitedly went out the doors of their car and walked through one of the oldest train depots in Equestria. This was Mare Central Station, and it had always been on Sunlight's bucket list.

"You wanna see the big clock in the middle, Sunlight?" Flash asked. Sunlight beamed. Of course she wanted to see it! It was an Equestrian landmark! So Flash, seeing his daughter's excitement, scooped her up and she took a look at it. It was magnificent. A white face and black numbers spoke the time to everypony who looked that way. Ticket booths surrounded it, and ponies raced by there in their thousands, in a rush to get to their various destinations.

Flash, Twilight, Starlight, Sunlight and their friends made their way through the station and out into the blinding sunlight. Even though they were surrounded by tall skyscrapers, there was still plenty of sunshine to be had. It seemed as though Celestia had caused the sun to shine brighter that day.

The group made its way up the street, surrounded by bodyguards. With the arrival of the mysterious note and the sudden disappearance of Midnight's body, Twilight and Flash didn't want to take any chances with their daughter there. So they had ordered a full protective detail to surround them.

Unfortunately, protecting them wasn't exactly easy. They were mobbed by fans, hoping to get a glimpse of the young filly princess and her family. Sunlight shrank away from them. She didn't like these crowds. They were all yelling at her and shoving papers in her face, looking for an autograph. Come on, guys! I'm just a pony! I'm just like you! She yelled internally. She wanted to tell them all to back off, but she didn't want to be rude.

Their security detail did what they could, but it was nearly impossible. The small group was simply outnumbered. They fought their way through the horde of ponies and finally reached their hotel. They were quickly escorted inside by the friendly staff members and shown to their suite for the evening.

"UGH!" Twilight finally said when they were alone, "did you ever see so many ponies in your life?!"

Flash shook his head. "I guess we're just used to the small town life," he said, "but we'll have to adjust. After all, we're here for a week after the celebration."

"Why did Celestia have to put the annual Friendship Summit right after the celebration? I don't think I'll make it!"

Flash grabbed her in a surprise hug and gave her a prolonged kiss. Sunlight looked at her parents oddly. As most fillies do, she had always wondered about kissing. Did her mother and father really enjoy that simple gesture? It seemed weird to her. Why did the mutual exchange of affections and love have to involve their lips touching?

Flash stopped and gave his daughter a goofy look. Sunlight laughed right out loud. Her Daddy could be so funny sometimes! "Daddy, that's silly!" She said as she giggled. "Oh, no, it's not," he said, "it's the reaction your mother gives me."

"Do I give you that reaction?"

"Well, whenever you do something I can't explain, sometimes I'll get this way. But mostly, you make me wanna do this!"

He picked her up with his wing and began swinging her around. She laughed and squealed with delight. She loved it when her father did fun things with her, and she let him know it. "Faster, Daddy!" She said as he continued spinning. He obliged and went a little bit quicker. Her mother gave him a worried look. "Be careful, Flash!"

"Alright, alright, Twily," he told her, "I'll put her down." So he stopped and set his daughter back on the floor. "Now, you need to get some rest," he told her, "remember, we have to stay up all night tonight. We're supposed to meet Celestia and Luna at midnight."

Sunlight nodded and trotted off to her room. The suite had rooms for everypony, and Sunlight got one of the biggest. She quickly climbed onto the bed and magically pulled the covers up over her. She snuggled into her pillow and soon was sound asleep. But her sleep was plagued by horrifying dreams of her deceased sister. She saw Midnight harming adult ponies and ruthlessly slaughtering foals. A force seemed to hold her back from doing anything to help. Then she looked up at the sky and saw this written in the clouds: "The Summer Sun Celebration shall be Equestria's final hour."

She tossed and turned and tried to get rid of the terrible dream, until she finally awoke. She sat straight up in bed, drenched in sweat. She looked out the window and realized that Luna had hung the moon for the night. She got up and quickly ran into the other room. She found her parents and her friends there, busily making preparations to leave.

"There you are, Sunlight," her mother said, "come on, sweetie. We have to get ready to go. It's 11:15, and we've got to go meet Celestia and Luna." Her mother quickly helped her get dressed and they returned looking very regal. Rarity beamed at the small one's wardrobe, partially because she had created it, and raced over. "Darling, you look fabulous!" She said in her usual way, "I knew gold would look good on you, but I never realized you could pull it off in such a glamorous way!"

"Rarity," Twilight said, "my filly is not a fashion model." "Oh, come now, Twilight," Rarity said a bit, "can't I marvel for a moment?" Twilight rolled her eyes and nodded. Rarity continued gushing over the way Sunlight looked as the detail walked to the door and headed towards their party.

When they arrived, Sunlight ran up to Celestia. "Aunt Celestia!" She said, using the term of endearment she had for one of her frequent foal sitters. "My little Sunlight!" Celestia said as she smiled at the filly, "how are you?"

"I'm good. I can't wait to watch you raise the sun!"

"It's not long now," Celestia said, "now, where are your parents?"

"We're right here, Celestia," Twilight said as they walked up. They bowed in respect and Celestia bowed back. Twilight gave her former teacher a hug and she and Flash spent most of the rest of the night talking with her. Sunlight ran around the party, making friends with some of the fillies that she met. What she didn't see were two foals wearing the same type of cloak that Sharpshooter had been wearing.

Soon enough, the time arrived and Celestia called for the party to be silent. Then, she and Luna went through the annual ritual. Luna gingerly brought the moon to the end of its nightly duties, and Celestia flew through the sky, raising the sun to its proper height. The ponies all cheered. Summer was finally there! The foals loved this time, especially, because it meant the end of a lot of hard work and the beginning of a lot of freedom and play.

But then, the sun was suddenly seized from Celestia's control. She tried to regain it, but whatever was controlling it had it completely in its grasp. Celestia was thrown down beside Twilight, and two new ponies appeared on the royal dais. They were cloaked foals, but they quickly threw aside their coverings. Everypony gasped as they recognized them. "BOW BEFORE YOUR NEW KING AND QUEEN!" The filly screamed in hatred. Twilight couldn't believe her eyes. The colt was Iron Wing, the foal that they had been searching for. The filly…was Midnight herself.