In the dungeons of the castle of the two Pony Sisters, Eric was pacing around trying to think of ways to get out so he could find Sarah and they could go home.
When nothing came he yelled in frustration and hit the bars looking out into the corridor though them. "Could have given me a bit more heads up on those paint brushes Granddad." he said sighing. "Who is this Nightmare Moon any way?" he asked with no one in mind.
Then surprised at seeing a set of keys arms length away from the door, Eric reached out for them grabbing them and looking for the one for the door of his cell.
"I hope these work," he said finding the right one.
With a bit of elbow grease and a click, the door opened it's hinges squeaking loudly.
"Ha, you can't keep a knight from his princess," He said smiling.
"But you also can't keep a princess away from her night, Whelp," a voice said Eric feeling himself being thrown back air being knocked out of him as he hit the wall. "Especially when she's Princess of it." Nightmare Moon said stepping out of the shadows again, slightly darker looking more solid, showing her fangs at Eric her magic closing and re-locking the door.
"What do you want Moony?" Eric said rubbing the back of his head getting up.
"To tell you I found your 'princess'. Oh and there's no need to answer my questions any more, I got it all from her... Eric."
"How, I know for a fact she wouldn't say anything to you." Eric said glaring at Nightmare Moon.
"Who said she told me?"
"You know it's not very princessy to listen in to others conversations." Eric said narrowing his eyes at her.
"Nor is very knightly to insult or talk back to a princess." Nightmare Moon said firing another shot at him to make him shut up, before disappearing back into the shadows.
"Great job Sarah," Eric said hoping she was alright. But worried on how long that would last, because by the sound of it Nightmare Moon was not the type girl to get angry.
In Ponyville, Rarity was answering to her 'Pinkie-gram' and was making her way over to the library a bit worry-sum of the eclipse that was still going on.
When she got there the first thing she saw was...
"Princess Celestia, Princess Luna," she said bowing a bit fussed that she wasn't here to meet them as they arrived. "I'm sorry I was not here when you arrived your highness's, I... I..."
"That's quite alright Rarity, and please, we are not strangers," Celestia said smiling at the Unicorn nodding but still having a hint of fear in her eyes.
"Now girls," Luna said, "What's this about a 'Human Girl' and her friend."
Rainbow started off.
"Around noon I saw a human girl at the base of the hill next to the Everfree forest, then the eclipse happened, and I came over to Twilight's to see what's going on. All I got out of her was her names 'Sarah', and she had somepony with her."
Pinkie was next.
"Then my Pinkie Scene was telling me there was somepony new in town and I found her in the market place. And she agreed to let me show her my friends."
Applejack...
"So they came to Sweet Apple Acres and we got to talking about who you are," she said to the princesses "And she told us this boy had a dream about the Mare in the Moon, and his Grandfather used to paint midnight landscapes of the stars moving towards it. There was also something about 'magic paint brushes'..." she said rubbing her hoof on her chin thinking.
"Um... Then I met her after my animals ran to the farm." Fluttershy said "And Angel told us that the animals saw Nightmare Moon with her friend going into the forest."
"Then I convinced her to come see Twilight before she went off to find him," Applejack continued.
"She did and then said that since she had seen Twi, she can go into the forest now and 'Rescue her Knight' and has been gone ever since." Pinkie said in her bouncy voice.
"What do you mean by magic paint brushes Applejack?" Celestia asked attracting every-pony's attention.
"She said that this boys grandfather hid in his paintings the message 'Magic Paint Brushes' but that's all she said." Applejack said.
"Do you know anything of this sister?" Luna said.
"I'm afraid not," Celestia said. "But if there the reason Sarah and her friend are here, they must be very powerful, and must not fall into Nightmare Moon's hooves."
"Shouldn't we go into the forest to see if she's alright and help her find this guy?" Spike asked still on Twilight's back.
As the girls (and Spike) were about to leave Luna said to them "Remember Nightmare Moon grows stronger the longer the land is in darkness. You need to find her and destroy her as fast as you can."
"We will," Twilight said finishing placing the Elements of Harmony on the right ponies, before they took off for the forest.
In the forest Zecora was leading Sarah to the old castle. The were about to enter a bit of the forest where the trees were even thicker than before blocking out what ever light there was when...
'ROAR'...
Sarah spun around as fast as she could searching for what ever made that sound.
There was something in the forest, something big, coming towards them. Out of the trees running came a Manticore, it's scorpion tail swinging all over the place wings spread wide.
Ducking it's tail Sarah quickly asked "How do we get past?" dodging a swipe from one of it's paws looking around for Zecora.
"You'll need to calm it down," Zecora's voice said a few feet away from the fight. "Show some kindness to make him smile and not frown."
"You're worse than my parents," Sarah said turning her attention to the Manticore noticing it was only swinging at her with it's right paw. But as she edged closer to try and see it better, she got swiped at again.
"I'm trying to help you you monster!" Sarah cried lying on the ground the Manticore over her.
"Remember Sarah, kindness. Do that and you can not miss." Zecora said feeling the main six's presence behind the rock over looking the scene.
"It's a bit hard to be kind when he's attacking me Zecora!" she yelled eyes turning back to the Manticore.
"Ok, I'm trying to help here alright?" she asked it looking into his eyes, not moving off of them.
Slowly the Manticore backed off and let her get up. "That's better," she said getting to her knees reaching her hand out "Now lets have a look at that paw of yours..."
The Manticore turned his left paw over to revel... "Nothing?" Sarah asked gently taking the paw to look at it more closely. Then she saw it, a tiny bit of wood under the skin of the palm, almost like a splinter in the middle of the paw. "That's it! That's what all this fuss was about?" Sarah asked looking up at the Manticore pain in his eyes as he nodded.
Sighing and rubbing her eyes Sarah turned and asked "Zecora, do you have any tweezers, or anything to pull this out with?"
"I'm afraid not, things like that are not needed in this land," Zecora said smiling "But maybe if you take the brush into your hand, that might help you, and your known tricks will go up to two."
"How's this brush going to help get a splinter out of a Manticore's paw?" Sarah asked getting the brush out anyway.
All the sudden the brush started feeling warm in Sarah hand, and everything was getting bigger... 'Wait things don't just suddenly get bigger.' Sarah thought looking at herself getting smaller and smaller, until she could stand the the Manticore's paw, and now the tiny bit of wood was like a big thorn.
Carefully Sarah went over to it and said in a voice only the Manticore could hear... "Ok now hold still, this might sting a little..." she wrapped her arms around the splinter and pulled it out, as fast as she could so it wouldn't hurt him that much. Once it was out a very loud roar came and Sarah began to fall from the paw and hit the ground. "Hey!" she said "I was still on there you know!" she said grabbing the paint brush and began to grow again until she was back to normal.
Once she was she was tackled by the Manticore again this time feeling his rough tongue on her face and go though her hair.
"Ok, ok you're welcome," Sarah said pinned down trying to get him off of her. After a while the Manticore roared it's goodbye's and flew off back into the forest.
"Good job Sarah, you've learnt a new trick," Zecora said coming up to her "Now with the ponies will you stick?" she said turning to the rock where the girls were hiding behind.
"You alright Sugarcube?" Applejack asked coming out smiling.
"A bit better now I'm not being attacked by a Manticore," Sarah said rubbing her arm. "Look I... I'm sorry for how... how I acted back at the library." she said looking at each of them.
"It's just, I've never been good at making friends, and meeting so many at once..." she cut herself off turning to the forest path they had to take.
"Hey isn't that how you felt when you first came here Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked hovering in the air.
"Yeah, it was. But after you all came with me in here to find the Elements, we became friends and I started becoming friends with everypony in town." Twilight said smiling.
"I don't mean to stop this talk, but maybe it can carry on as we walk?" Zecora suggested taking the lead of the group so they could reach the castle.
So a Zebra, a baby dragon, six mares, and a human girl all headed off deeper into the forest to find the castle and hopefully Eric.
*^*
They kept walking until they reached a river, all the time Spike was asking Sarah questions about this 'Knight Eric' she was determined to rescue.
"Isn't it normally the knight's job to rescue the girl?" was the question he just asked.
"Who said...? Oh, he's not a real knight Spike," Sarah said smiling. "I just call him that as, you know... it's a bit like a nick-name. He's my knight, and I'm his princess."
"Why?"
"Well three days ago, when I went up to say hi to him and see what was wrong, the first thing he said was 'What do you want Princess.'"
"Humph doesn't sound much of a gentle-colt," Rarity said coming up to hear the story.
"That's what I thought, but when he and his family came round for dinner the next night, he said sorry and said the reason he was like that, was because his granddad had just passed, and he was moving to a new house, a new school, and all that." Sarah continued.
"So how did you find these brushes?" Twilight asked joining in the conversation.
"His grandfather left him all his arty stuff." Sarah began "One selection was a bunch of midnight landscapes, with the stars moving. On the back they had the dates ranging between the world wars, and letters setting up to 'magic paint brushes'. Then taking a closer look at the supplies, we found some of the brushes said... Made by L.d.V, in Rome, Italy." Sarah continued "And we think that L.d.V. was Leonardo da Vinci."
"Who?" every pony cried.
"And what do you mean by world wars?" Spike asked.
"Leonardo da Vinci was a very famous painter, inventor, scientist, and some other stuff, a long time ago in our world." Sarah said "And the world wars were when well, the world went to war it everyone against Germany, but I don't know that much about it. Only that they were from 1914 to 1918, then another from 1939 to 1945."
They had just reached the river and were about to cross it when loud thuds could be heard coming up behind them, as they turned to see what it was they all froze.
Coming out of the forest was an User Minor, looking around it's self as if it was lost.
"That's a big bear..." Sarah said not taking her eyes off of the User in question.
"That's actually a cub, an User Minor." Twilight said slowly stepping forward, "And it looks lost."
"Well we can't really do anything can we?" Rainbow asked. "As soon as we get near it it will try and attack us."
"But we can't just leave it here," Sarah protested walking towards it. "What if those 'Timber Wolves' come."
"Er... do your eye work? Look at it, if it wants to it can snap them like twigs." Rainbow said.
At that moment the User Minor roared to the sky, a slight whine in it's voice, and collapsed to the ground when nothing answered.
"For once I agree with Rainbow Dash, my dear." Rarity said staying as far away from the User as she could. "The best thing to do is to leave it be. It's parents will find it eventually."
But Sarah kept going over to the User, slowly so not to scare it.
"I wonder how long it's been lost?" Sarah said getting to her knees at reaching out her hand for the bear to smell, hoping the User's were the same as dogs.
"Normally when creatures don't wear a smile," Zecora said looking at the User Minor "It is quite a while."
As Sarah petted the User an idea came into her head Sarah turned and asked, "Do you still have that cupcake Pinkie?"
"Of course I do," Pinkie said sticking a hoof into her mane, "I always carry cupcakes around." she said beaming "What flavor would you like?"
'Mummy...'
"What?" Sarah asked turning to the User tears in it's eyes.
"Something wrong Sarah?" Pinkie asked holding out a plate of cupcakes still waiting for an answer.
"Did... Didn't any of you hear that?" Sarah asked looking around at the ponies.
'I want mummy...'
"What about then?" Sarah asked again.
"I think you've just learnt trick number three..." Zecora said tilting her head. "Any animal you did touch can talk to thee."
"Where did you last see her?" Sarah asked the User looking around "We'll help you find her."
'You promise?'
"I promise," Sarah said smiling.
The User Minor got to it's feet and started walking back into the forest.
"Well... Come on." Sarah said following the User down the path it was just on.
One by one the ponies followed all looking at each other thinking that this was a very bad idea.
*^*
After a while they all stopped at an open topped clearing and the User Miner roared again.
'MUMMY!'
After a moment of silence, the User started sucking it's thumb as it sat down.
After everyone was sure that the mother wasn't there...
"Well we tried," Rainbow said heading out again.
"We're not giving up you multicolored sissy." Sarah said as she went over to the User to see if it was alright.
"Wha... What did you just call me?" Rainbow said spinning around and scraping her hoof against the ground.
"A sissy," Sarah said "You know, a wimp, a coward, a chicken.... Take your pick. But I'm not leaving him until we find his mother."
'What if Mummy no find me?' the User asked looking at Sarah by his side.
"She will," Sarah said looking into the User's eyes "When a mum loses her child she'll do anything to find them again. And when there in danger, they'll drop everything to help them."
'Me no like the loud pony,' the User said looking at Rainbow showing it's teeth.
"Why's it looking at me like that?" Rainbow said in her loud slightly lower than the Royal Canterlot Voice speech.
"He says he doesn't like you because you're too loud." Sarah said glaring at her. "And I think I agree with him. Don't you come with a mute button?"
Everypony except Zecora gasped as she said that line.
"Ok listen here Weirdo," Rainbow said hovering so she was looking down on Sarah "The only reason I'm here is because I'm one of the Elements of Harmony, who took down Nightmare Moon when she returned a few years ago." she said pointing to her necklace.
"And what one were you?" Sarah asked having no idea what these Elements are.
"Loyalty." Rainbow said "Applejack's Honesty, Fluttershy's Kindness, Pinkie's Laughter, Rarity is Generosity, and Twilight's Magic."
"Oh and leaving this poor little cub all alone in the woods, was being loyal to it?" Sarah said crossing her arms raising an eyebrow at the Pegasus in question.
Before Rainbow could answer a loud roar came from somewhere ahead of them.
'Mummy!' the User Minor cried and started running off towards the noise.
"Where's he going?" Pinkie asked a box of pop corn mysteriously held in her hoof.
Sarah didn't say anything and just followed the User Minor.
Some running later Sarah stopped in front of a giant pink naked mole-rat looking thing, cradling the User Minor in it's arms.
Sensing someone was there the User Major looked down and held the Minor away like a mother would to her baby from new dangers.
'No mummy she helped me' The Minor said squirming in her arms trying to get down.
"Nice... Nice to meet you..." Sarah said trying not to be afraid as the Major lent forward and sniffed her hair. Then growled something.
'I don't know mummy,' the Minor said 'But the pink pony said Sarah to her.
"Er..." Sarah said looking from the baby and it's mother.
'Mummy's asking how you can hear me, and who you are,' the Minor said.
Before Sarah could answer the ponies came up behind her all asking if she was alright then catching sight of the User Major. Zecora and Twilight were the only ones not to be surprised at it.
Then Sarah got back to the questions. "My name is Sarah," she said her eye on the Major "And all I can say is magic is how I can talk to your baby..."
The Major was now looking over all the ponies and the little dragon who was shaking in fear behind Twilight.
After a while she got up and walked away, heading into the forest.
'Thank you Sarah!' the Minor said following it's mother waving goodbye to everyone.
"You're welcome," Sarah waved after the User's happily.
"I am sure I did just see," Zecora said "A hint of generosity and a sprinkle of loyalty."
"Huh?" Sarah said walking over to the ponies confused.
"Zecora's right Sarah," Twilight said thinking. "Helping the User Minor you showed loyalty by staying with it, and generosity by helping it in the first place."
"Yeah well," Sarah said rubbing her arm "Can... Can we just get to that castle." and she headed back down the path being watched by Nightmare Moon's smoke cloud who watched the whole thing, all the while learning about how this 'princess' ticked.
They all walked in silence as they crossed the river and continued towards the castle.
When they reached the rope bridge...
"That looks more rickety than I remember," Applejack said eying the bridge carefully.
"I suggest going one by one." Zecora said "It's slower, but it will get the job done."
"I nominate Sarah to go first," Rainbow said shoving Sarah to the front. "You know since it's her friend and all." she added when she got looks from all her friends.
"Coward," Sarah mumbled under her breath, taking her first step on the bridge.
When she was half way across, she turned and said. "It's fine. Come on." and carried on not really caring if they were following or not, or noticing a strange fog rolling in.