THE LINE TO GET POSTCRUSH’S AUTOGRAPHS WRAPS AROUND THE FESTIVAL.
“But it’s gonna be so totally worth it!” Sunset Shimmer is brimming with excitement, clutching a limited-edition PostCrush tee for them to sign. She takes a slurp of her extra-large frozen lemonade. The rest of the Mane Seven wait with her, a little less eager.
Fluttershy cranes her neck. “We sure could use a bird’s-eye view. I can’t even see the front of the line!”
Rainbow Dash cracks her knuckles. “No way to make it move faster, but I can move fast to figure out how close we are!” With that, she zooms down the line and out of sight.
Rarity chimes in. “Not to worry, darlings, we can simply pass the time by helping me choose accessories for my festival season lookbook!” She tries on different sunglasses. “What do you think of these, Sunset?”
Sunset starts to speak, but before she can, Rarity answers, “Too square. Too round. Too dark. Not dark enough.” Rarity builds to full panic, trying them on at lightning speed. “Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong!” She gulps. “I’m going to need more sunglasses. Sorry, Sunset—got to run to the vintage market.”
“That’s o—”
“Thanks for understanding. Byeee!” Rarity’s already gone.
“—kay,” finishes Sunset. She takes a slurp of lemonade.
Rainbow Dash zips up, out of breath. “Listen, I’m not saying this line is long, I’m saying this line is super, super, extra bonkers long. I’d normally be totally down to wait patiently with you guys, but… I’m gonna catch a show instead!” With a quick wave, Rainbow Dash jets off again.
Fluttershy looks down shyly. “A little birdie told me that she doesn’t actually want to wait in line.” Suddenly, a little birdie really does fly by, tweeting a song. Fluttershy’s eyes go wide. “In fact, that little birdie told me it needs help gathering materials for its nest! I’ll see you later, Sunset!” Fluttershy hurries after the bird.
Applejack gives Sunset a quick hug. “And I gotta run and wrangle some rope for the rodeo contest.”
Sunset takes a sip of her lemonade and looks to Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie. “Well, at least the three of us are seizing the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet PostCrush.”
Twilight checks her watch. “Actually, if my calculations are correct, I have to leave now if I’m going to see the lecture on space-time.”
“There’s a lecture on space-time at Starswirl Music Festival?”
“No, it’s online!”
Sunset sighs as Twilight Sparkle runs off, too. She turns to Pinkie, who gives her a thumbs-up. “Looks as if it’s just you and me!” Sunset slurps the lemonade dry but then realizes she has to use the bathroom! She asks Pinkie to hold their place in line.
But when Sunset returns, Pinkie is gone! She turns around to see Pinkie walking up with two berry-swirled churros.
“Pinkie! I thought you were waiting in line for us!”
“I was! Except it was the food-truck line!”
Sunset is furious—now they’ll never get to the front of the line to meet PostCrush! The meet and greet is ending! But Pinkie thinks on her feet.
“Excuse me, mister?” Pinkie Pie taps on the shoulder of a guy working at Puffed Pastry’s famous dessert food truck. “Can we borrow your delivery cart? It’s a pastry emergency!” He nods, and soon Sunset and Pinkie are speeding in the delivery golf cart, chasing down PostCrush’s VIP golf cart! Sunset can see K-Lo and Su-Z just a few feet ahead! Pinkie pumps the gas.
“Almost… there!”
“Pinkie, watch out!”
The golf cart speeds right into the Star Swirl the Bearded parade balloon. They bounce off and into a jumble. PostCrush’s VIP cart slows down just long enough for Sunset to see K-Lo shoot her some major side-eye. Then it whizzes off!
Sunset’s distraught. “Could this day get any worse?!”
Just then, the security guard grabs them by their collars. “Destruction of property, fabrication of a pastry emergency… You two are hereby banned from Starswirl.”
Back at the glamping RV, Sunset is not a happy glamper. She sulks by the fire while Pinkie roasts marshmallows. “If it weren’t for you, we would’ve met PostCrush, and we’d be front row at their concert right now.”
Pinkie tries to cheer her up, throwing a marshmallow. It explodes into confetti. “Look, a shooting star! Make a wish!”
Sunset turns away. “If I made a wish, it would be to do this day over again. Without you.”
Sunset takes one look at Pinkie’s hurt face and walks away from the RV and into the woods and looks up at the sky. Not a shooting star in sight. She sighs, closing her eyes, and doesn’t notice the wisps of purple magic that ripple past her.
