Sharp as Attack Junior Speedster’s flight camp and Rainbow Dash’s loyalty/gym students plan to hold an event to raise funds for both, part of which will be a short exhibition wrestling tournament. Smolder wants to try out for the team, but Rainbow says she can’t because her claws might hurt someone. Smolder sees this as discrimination based on her not being a pony. Rainbow wants to prove that’s not it, especially after Neigh Say says it was the right decision (for the wrong reasons), but she also isn’t willing to risk one of the campers getting hurt. The equipment needed to keep dragon claws from being a problem either give Smolder a different advantage (an iron glove) or are way too expensive. On the day of the event, Smolder holds a very vocal protest calling Rainbow prejudiced, forcing her to allow her on the team. But when one of the campers has to drop out of the tournament, Rainbow calls in a camp alum to replace them and wrestle Smolder: Gilda, whose griffon upbringing has taught her to expect claws in a fight and work through it. Still, Smolder promises not to use hers. After the match (Gilda wins), Rainbow points out how scratched up they both are, to the dragon’s surprise. She’d really tried to keep her promise, but it just sort of…happened. Gilda doesn’t hold it against her and calls her a tough kid, while Rainbow hopes she realizes that not all unfavorable rules or decisions are made maliciously.
Yesterday’s Blues The Pillars reunite to see how they’re all adjusting to life in modern times. Somnambula, Mistmane, Rockhoof and Flash Magnus all say they’re doing well and everyone around treats them like…well, like legendary heroes. Meadowbrook, however, says that when she returned to the swamp, Cattail told her about when Twilight and Fluttershy visited to treat Zecora. Since the cure was way harder to find than the spores that caused it, Cattail sold Meadowbrook’s research to a publisher for wide distribution. Now, everything she learned during her pre-exile days is common knowledge among medical students and professionals. Some professors have even improved on some of her formulas, leaving Meadowbrook feeling irrelevant, forgotten and just no longer worth thinking about. Walking through Ponyville, a pony with a disease she hasn’t heard of asks for help she can’t give and is saved by a doctor (or Nurse Redheart). The Pillars minus Starswirl assure her that while traits like theirs are more or less timeless, medicine evolves and that’s a good thing. She ends up agreeing, but also enrolling in medical school. Just because the times have left her behind doesn’t mean she can’t catch up.
Starry, Starry Night (Equestria Girls short) A meteor shower is taking place over Canterlot. While a new, fairly long for EqG song plays (think a blend of Don McLean’s “Vincent” and Blue Oyster Cult’s “Astronomy”, but with a full orchestra and with Kazumi Evans singing), we spend a few moments with various characters.
We begin at an outdoor amphitheater. Octavia takes the stage, tunes her cello and waits. On cue from the first shooting star, the musicians play while Octavia sings. There is no audible dialogue from anyone else from here on.
Twilight observes the shooting stars through a telescope and takes notes while behind her, her parents hold hands and Velvet leans on Night Light’s shoulder. Shining Armor and Cadance do the same. When Twilight turns around, they let go and try to act innocent. Spike gives knowing smiles.
Rarity tries to design a dress using the meteor shower as inspiration. Sweetie Belle is letting an ice cream cone melt as she watches both in awe.
The Apples are watching from the roof of a barn. Two shooting stars pass seemingly in sync with one another. The Apples smile, but look like they’re about to cry, and raise cups of cider to cheer them.
Sunset remembers creating a smaller, crude imitation of a meteor shower with her magic as a filly and princess Celestia being very proud of her for it.
Pinkie throws a meteor shower party with her family. Which consists of cutting power to a few blocks. The neighbors are upset, until they realize that without the lights, they see so many more stars than before. Vinyl hooks a bare-bones turntable and speakers to her car and plays what looks like a chill beat to enhance things.
Rainbow and Scootaloo watch together with cider. Scootaloo yawns and starts to fall asleep, but keeps herself from leaning on Dash, who notices and brings her into a side-hug.
Flash Sentry sits under a tree in a park, strumming his guitar. He seems to have something on his mind… (if you know your guitar, you can tell that he’s playing “Vincent”)
Diamond Tiara is trying to get Filthy Rich and Spoiled to come watch with her, but Filthy can’t leave a phone call and Spoiled isn’t interested.
Juniper is stuck at work and can only see a little bit of the shower through a window. She is not thrilled about this.
The Shadowbolts have lawn chairs set up on the roof of the dorm building. Noticing how visibly happy and content Sugarcoat is distracts them for a moment, then they have a laugh and look up again.
Daring Do seems to be freaking out and taking this event to mean that it’s too late for…something.
Alizarin Bubblegum and Celery Stalk (the two book-readers from “Coinky-Dink World”) hold hands and share a kiss so adorkable, it could only be their first.
Photo Finish and her assistants are taking picture after picture while Photo yells at them.
In a three-way split-screen, the sirens watch from different places and unconsciously hold their shirts where their gems used to be.
Canter Zoom frantically sets up a scene in what looks like an artsy film. He’s clearly trying to get it started while the shower is going on. The scene is set and he’s just about to call “action”. …and then, the shower ends. The short ends as he throws his megaphone on the ground in frustration.