The sun rose over the horizon and Twilight Sparkle stretched in the morning sun that came through her window.
“Alright everypony. Are we ready to go to Canterlot?” Twilight Sparkle asked.
“Uh, I was thinking. Shouldn’t we figure out someplace for Cloud Dream to stay once he’s out of the hospital?” Apple Jack asked.
“He can stay at my cottage, I have all sorts of medicine and things that he might need while he’s recovering.” Fluttershy suggested. Twilight smiled.
“Perfect! What do you two think?” She asked looked at Pinkie Pie and Apple Jack. They both nodded happily.
“Then it’s settled.” Twilight said and started packing her saddle bags for the trip.
“Apple Jack, can you help me pull Cloud Dream’s cart to the back of my cottage? It’ll be safer there and out of the way.” Fluttershy asked.
“Why of course Fluttershy. We’ll see y’all when you get back from Canterlot, okay Twilight?” Apple Jack said. Twilight nodded and turned to Pinkie Pie.
“Come on Pinkie Pie. If you can’t find the book we need, no pony can.” Twilight said and walked out of the door while Apple Jack and Fluttershy headed back to Fluttershy’s cottage.
Once there, Apple Jack slide into the harness and started pulling. She dragged the cart towards the back of the cottage and found the task becoming difficult as she hit the grass and soft dirt. The wheels dug into the ground making it hard for her to pull. Apple Jack took a deep breath and pushed harder against the harness pulling the cart alongside Fluttershy’s cottage. As she came up to the corner of the property she began turning. As she turned, one of the wooden wheels of the cart wobbled and finally snapped, breaking off the cart causing it t tip over taking Apple Jack with it. She whinnied in panic as Apple Jack and the cart fell on their side, scattering the cart’s contents all over the yard.
“Oh no.” Fluttershy said in her soft voice. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Apple Jack grunted as she wrangled herself out of the cart’s harness. “Come’on. Let’s get this stuff back in the cart.” Apple Jack said as she put the cart right side up.
Fluttershy started to pick up the cart’s contents when she sees something odd – something that wouldn’t belong in a cart carrying a dirty blanket, food, and dusty books.
“Oh my. Apple Jack, come look at this.” Fluttershy said softly, holding the pendant her hoof. The pendant was a golden sun with a diamond in the middle of it. Apple Jack walked over and studied the pendant closely.
“I swear I’ve seen that pendent before.” Apple Jack said as she studied the necklace.
“Maybe Twilight would know what it is.” Fluttershy said.
“Yeah, let’s go get her. I hope the train hasn’t come yet.” Apple Jack said and they both ran off towards the train station.
Meanwhile, Rarity had put on her most lavish and newest hat and was making her way towards the hospital with a package on her back. It was a gift for Cloud Dream, a dark gray scarf with a lightning bolt etched perfectly on the ends. She stepped in to the hospital and asked for Cloud Dream’s room. She was taken to his room and then left to go inside on her own. She opened the door and saw that Cloud Dream was still asleep and Rainbow Dash was sleeping on the floor beside his bed.
Rarity sets her gift down and nudged Rainbow Dash awake. “Rainbow Dash? Have you been here all night?” Rarity asked in shock. Rainbow Dash groaned and woke up to see Rarity above her.
“Rarity? What are you doing here?” Rainbow Dash asked. She stood up and groaned from the aches of sleeping on the cold tile floor all night.
“I’ve come to see Cloud Dream.” She replied. Rarity sat her friend down in a chair and looked at Cloud Dream. “How is he?” She asked softly.
“He was pretty quiet all night. I think he had a bad dream at one point though.” Rainbow Dash said and stretched.
“I think you need to go home Rainbow Dash.” Rarity said sternly.
“No, I need to stay here and do what I can for Cloud Dream.” Rainbow Dash said, stomping a hoof onto the chair. The loud thump woke up Cloud Dream with a shock.
“Wha-? Who’s there?” He asked, sitting up quickly in bed and spreading his wings. The broken wing cracked a bit and he winced in pain, slowly folding it back in to his body.
“Sorry Cloud Dream. It’s just me, Rainbow Dash.” She said laying Cloud Dream back on the bed. “Rarity is here too.” She added pulling his blankets back over him.
Rarity walked back over to her package and set it on Cloud Dream’s bed, using her magic to unravel it and wrapping the scarf around his neck.
“I made you a scarf last night Cloud Dream. I was worried it wouldn’t be the right colors, but it matches your mane perfectly if I say so myself!” Rarity said proudly.
“Oh… Thank you Miss Rarity, It’s so soft.” Cloud Dream said with a gentle smile. Rarity beamed and then took a couple steps back.
“Oh Cloud Dream you’re so polite. Where on earth did you get your manners?” Rarity said, giggling softly.
“Well, I um-” Cloud Dream stuttered. “I guess I was just born with them..?” Cloud Dream lightly smiled.
Rarity smiled with Cloud Dream’s reply as Rainbow Dash sat next to Cloud Dream putting a hoof on the bed.
Meanwhile, Fluttershy and Apple Jack made it to the train station just as the train was pulling in.
“There they are!” Apple Jack said as she spotted Pinkie Pie and Twilight. The two ran up to Twilight and Pinkie Pie. “Twilight!” Apple Jack yelled.
“Oh, hi girls. What are you doing here?” Twilight says with surprise.
“Look what we found.” Fluttershy quietly said as she showed Twilight the pendant.
Pinkie Pie smashed her nose into the pendant looking closely at it. “NYEEEAH!” She said as she started making faces in the reflective golden surface of the pendant.
“It looks so familiar but I can’t think of what it is.” Apple Jack said. Twilight’s unicorn horn glowed as she levitated the pendant in the air so she could study it.
“It sort of looks like the Princess’s cutie mark.” Twilight said. “Where did you find this?”
“It was in Cloud Dream’s cart.” Apple Jack said.
“This was in Cloud Dream’s cart?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah, the cart sort of broke and it fell out.” Apple Jack said. Twilight thought for a moment then started running back home. The three ponies looked at each other, and then followed her back to the library, wondering what on earth their friend was talking about.
Back at the library, Twilight skidded to a stop in the middle of the room and looked up. The same sun image was etched into the wall of her library and she remembered seeing it in Canterlot and the palace multiple times.
“Girls, do you know what this means? It’s a royal heirloom!” Twilight said her voice quivered with fear and shock as she spoke.
“But what would somepony like Cloud Dream be doing with a royal thing like this?” Apple Jack asked
“Maybe he stole it!” Pinkie Pie said looking around as if being watched.
“That may be, but we should still ask him about it. It’s only fair.” Twilight said.
The group made their way over to the hospital where Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Cloud Dream were all laughing and talking about the various adventures the six friends had since meeting each other.
“Hey Rarity, remember that time you thought a giant rock was a diamond?” Rainbow Dash asked, snickering.
“We agreed to never. EVER. mention that again!” Rarity said, growling slightly.
“A rock? Haha! how’d that happen?” Cloud Dream asked. Rainbow was about to answer when Twilight kicked the door open.
“Cloud Dream, we need to talk.” She said walking in and holding the necklace up with her magic.
“Yeah Mister! You’ve got a lot of explaining to do! Where’d you get this? Who’d you take it from? Where’s the buried treasure!?” Pinkie Pie demanded, shining a lamp on Cloud Dream’s face.
“Buried Treasure?” He asked trying to look around to pinpoint where the voices were coming from.
“Pinkie Pie, he’s not a pirate.” Twilight said.
“Oh… Never mind then” She said and trotted off humming.
“Cloud Dream, Apple Jack and Fluttershy found this necklace in your cart, the one with the sun pendent on it.” Twilight said, setting the necklace down on his lap. Cloud Dream felt it with his hoof and sighed.
“My... Father gave it to me.” Cloud Dream said with hesitation.
“Your father?” Twilight asked.
“Yes, my father. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are my older cousins.” Cloud Dream replied looking down. He couldn’t see them, but he knew all their wide eyes and gaping jaws were staring right back at him.
“You’re…the Princess’s cousin?” Twilight said, shaking a little. “Then that means you’re-”
“That means you’re royalty!” Rarity said loudly with a large smile. Then squealed, dancing in place.
“Please, Miss Rarity. Don’t let anypony know.” Cloud Dream begged, flinching from Rarity’s loud remark.
“But… If you’re royalty…then that means…” Rainbow Dash muttered then gasped and backed towards the door.
“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! That means…you…I…you’re injures… I…” She couldn’t finish her sentence and was about to run out of the room before Twilight used her magic to slam the door shut.
“Rainbow Dash, It’s alright.” Twilight said walking over to the rainbow pony and putting a hoof on her back.
“Alright!? How can it be alright!? I nearly killed royalty!” Rainbow Dash yelled, stomping a hoof down.
“Rainbow Dash, please!” Cloud Dream said, sliding out of the bed and easing his way onto all four hooves. Apple Jack extended a hoof as Fluttershy rushed over and held him up until he managed to get steady.
“Can you have cake all day and night?” Pinkie Pie asked. “But if you had cake all day and night, would apples be a desert?” She asked herself and she looked up in thought.
“It’s alright,” Cloud Dream said. “I am responsible for my actions. I chose to jump off that cliff. I also chose not tell you ladies about my heritage because it would have disgraced my family name even further if ponies as far out as Ponyville knew about me and my secrets. Besides…I didn’t think you would be willing to help if I was royalty.” Cloud Dream staggered a bit and he opened his wings slightly to balance himself out.
“Why wouldn’t we help you? We help the Princess all the time.” Twilight said smiling gently.
“Yeah and besides, we wouldn’t want to be banished to the Everfree Forest for not helping you” Pinkie Pie said grinning brightly.
“We’re your friends, and no matter who you are or where you’re from, we will always be your friends.” Fluttershy said softly and stepped back to let him stand on his own.
“Really? I’m your friend?” Cloud Dream asked, one ear tipping slightly to the left.
“Of course, darling. Now then, about being royalty and all. You know, I design clothes for the most elite ponies all the time, perhaps you can-” Rarity said, getting close to Cloud Dream until she was cut off.
“Rarity!” Twilight snapped. She pouted and moved away from him.
“Thanks ladies, you’re all so wonderful.” Cloud Dream said.
“This place is too loud.” Fluttershy said. “Come on, Cloud Dream. Let’s get you to my cottage where it’s nice and quiet.” She puts her wing tips on his so he wouldn’t lose track of where she went. “I tend to injured animals all the time. I know you’ll get better at my place.”
The group then started leading Cloud Dream out of the hospital. Twilight took his necklace with her and stayed next to Rainbow Dash to talk her down from her panicked state. They headed for Fluttershy’s cottage to help get him settled in and decide on what their next move should be…
End Ch. 4