//------------------------------// // Chap 18 // Story: Magic Paint Brushes 2: A New Canvas To Paint On // by Ugly-Duckling123 //------------------------------// In the library, the mane six were alone with the princesses, Shining Armour and Discord, re-replaying the events down in the caves. "So you two really are related to Sombra?" Rainbow asked pointing a hoof to the sun and moon princesses. "Yes Rainbow Dash," Luna said looking up to the ceiling when she lifted her head from her forelegs on the table. "Yes we're related to the King of Shadows, the Lord of Darkness, the Tyrant of the Crystal Empire. He's a Unicorn because we're cousins, Mother and Farther had no idea where he came from or how he's related to us. It's like Blueblood being a nephew to Celestia. We don't know how he's related to us. He just is. OK?" she finished slamming her head back down. "Jeez I was only checking I understood this right." Rainbow said backing off a bit. "If I may Princess Luna," Rarity began carefully "Why are you a tad more upset about us finding this out than Celestia?" Sighing Luna slid back and repositioned herself to stare at a woodworm hole in the table. "When I was in the early stages of becoming Nightmare Moon," she began "As you know I started to grow jealous of Celestia. Being brave I tried to say something to her, but you were always too busy now Mother and Father were gone." Luna said looking over to Celestia. "Sombra was the only one I could turn to, the only one who understood me, who believed in me, one of the only few who loved my nights more than your day. At some point I told him I was having trouble with my dreams, saying they're so peaceful that the ponies go to bed early and sleep for longer, meaning they miss my nights more. He told me the only way to keep them up at night, was to scare them so much, that they won't want to sleep. So after a few lessons and weeks of trial and errors, I was finally able to bring a pony nightmares, and their nightmares to life. But because of that they were too scared to sleep or to appreciate my nights making my hated for the ponies grow even more..." "So in other words in a slightly shorter and easier version of this story," Discord butted in a movie camera set up to record the pain Luna was letting off, "He helped you come one step closer to becoming Nightmare Moon." "Yes." Luna said sighing. "The happiest day in my life, was when Twilight and her friends destroyed him when the Empire came back." she said resting on her arms again "I thought with him gone, and only himself Celestia and I knowing who he really was, no one would have to find this out." "Ahem..." someone said by the door making everyone turn to see a really bad shaped Eric and Jack who was helping him stand on that ankle of his. Slowly the two came over and joined them Eric sitting down but Jack turning to Celestia and Luna. "Now Luna, there are many things you can choose in life, naming a few... Friends, what you eat, when you go to bed, what you do with you're life in school, and some other junk. But one of the things that can't be chosen, unless you adopt I suppose" he said shrugging "Is family. Have you already forgotten Sarah and I are also cousins? Every time our families used to get together, whether it was a reunion, a birthday, Christmas, or whatever, I always played pranks on everyone. One of them at the last reunion, nearly got someone a broken leg. I know for a fact Sarah has hated me ever since that day on the ice with Emma." Jack said pausing to get himself back together before he continued. "But that hasn't stopped me from coming here with her to help you all sort this out has it? Most of the time Families do things to help those who are also in their family who need help. So I doubt he did, but Sombra probably did all that for you because you're family and he wanted to decrease the number of ponies sleeping through your nights." Jack said finishing taking a seat next to Eric. "Anyone have something to add about families to make Princess Luna feel better?" Eric added looking around eyes mostly set to Applejack the Apples being one of the biggest families in Equestria seeds in every corner of the kingdom. "What?" she said looking confused "Whatever I say Jackie's already just about said it." she said. "Then tell us a story from your family about someone embarrassing somepony else," Jack said filling his nails a 'I don't care what you do' look on his face. "Alright, alright give me a minute." Applejack said thinking. "If you're having trouble picking one out I have one in my little black book here if you don't mind me reading it." Jack said zapping up the diary he had been reading from the day before. "I have a good idea what one that is," Applejack said sighing placing her face on the table much like Luna was a few minutes ago. "But seeing as I can't think of any others, be my guest." "Alright..." Jack said opening the book his reading glasses up to his eyes to emphasize what he was doing, clearing his throat. "On the last Apple Family Reunion, little Miss Want's-This-One-To-Be-Perfect-And-Remembered over there, worked so hard to get a perfect reunion, she ended up tiring out all those who took part in the seven-legged race, exhausting and never-wanting-to-see-another-fritter-againing those in the cooking area, getting them attacked by fruit bats, and then destroying the barn that had only just been re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re..." "I think they get the idea chief," Eric said picking up some stifled laughter behind them. "Rebuilt, totally destroying and ruining, the reunion." Jack finished flipping a page. "However, it all worked out when Applejack got the idea to build a New-new-new-new..." "Jack," Eric said pausing the boy with the book. "Think we can miss out on the now many times the barn's been destroyed and rebuilt and get on with the story?" "Ok ok, Mister Bossy," Jack said turning a few pages jokingly "New barn, getting everypony involved and enjoying themselves and etc. In fact I think she sent a letter to you Celestia after that day didn't ya Orange?" Jack said breaking the tone, rhythm and spell over everypony who all together let out their laughter making Applejack sink under the table to get away from it all. "So..." Eric said after a few minutes of pain from all the laughter "Anyone else have stories to tell or do you understand Princess?" he said looking to Luna who was now wearing a smile and looking a bit better. "I think I understand Eric," Luna said an almost unnoticeable smirk on her lips "But to be sure I think I may need another ponies opinion with their family stories." "I nominate Eric to tell the next story," Rainbow Dash said resting her chin on her hooves, elbows now perched on the table. After some not accomplished backing-out's Eric was given a few minutes to think. "Ok got one, but I'm not sure it fits the category we're setting up..." he said taking in a deep breath, "And I'm sure four little pairs of ears owners would like to out in the open when they hear this instead of being crammed in a cupboard..." he said getting up and walking over to an ajar cupboard door and opening it all the way to revel Chris and the Gemstone Triples who came tumbling out. "Now..." Eric said returning to his seat the foals around him their eyes on him so they didn't have to look at anyone else. "Unlike Equestria, back home we've had many Kings and Queens," Eric began explaining. "The time this story is set was when someone called Queen Victoria was on the throne, and although time and life for those with the money to be happy was great, those with a little less money were just that little less happy. Now my great-great-grandfather's most prized position was his harmonica. He played it everywhere he went and whenever he wanted to express his feelings. Anyway, it was coming up to Christmas, er... Hearths-Warming, and my grandfather was having trouble finding a gift for the one he loved. He knew what he wanted to get for her, he was just that small bit away from getting it, but with the Christmas bonus he would be getting that year along with almost everything else he had, he would be able to afford it. That Christmas, however he didn't get a Christmas bonus he was expecting. After playing his harmonica to liven up the spirits of the people until the delayed musicians showed up, someone pointed out that it was worth it's weight in gold. Agreeing grandfather rushed to the shop with the gift he wanted to get his loved one and asked if he could trade it for that gift." Pausing here to try and remember the rest Eric looked at the others all hanging on to his every word. "The next day, Christmas-Day, his loved one came over to see him and they could exchange their gifts to one another. Grandfather brought his love a beautiful golden chain for her watch which was a family heirloom going back generations. And she brought my grandfather a case for his harmonica. After an uneasy silence they both told the other that they gave up the thing they loved the most, to get a gift for the person they loved the most." he finished getting a debating on what to do silence. "So she sold her watch for that case, for his harmonica," Ruby said trying to work this out. "But he traded his harmonica, for that chain for her watch." Jade concluded getting a smile and a nod from Eric who had Amber on his lap bouncing her like a human baby to her enjoyment. "Yep," Eric said a gentle smile on his lips. "That was such a loving story Eric," Celestia said smiling at him surprised how good he was getting on with the foals. "We're sorry for listening in on your stories Preencess Celestia and Luna," the four children said together looking down to the ground shamefully. "We just wanted to know what's going on with Miss Sarah, and... and why she was like that last night," Chris said fidgeting his wings looking over the table to them. "If I had to guess my little pony," Celestia said a thoughtful look on her face "There's something wrong with her bracelet. It holds all her Harmony magic and helps her control it." "But she doesn't have a bracelet," Amber and Chris said knowing her and being the closet to her the longest. "Erm... Actually she does but..." Jack said going ridged not wanting to look anyone in the eye. Not sure how to end his sentence, Jack just held out his hands and in them appeared Sarah's bracelet the charms shining a little less brightly than yesterday morning. "Ok before you say anything," Jack said quickly looking around at the angry looks everyone was giving him "I didn't say anything because it would of tipped that Changeling off that we knew she wasn't the she she said she was at the time, and when she revealed herself I was knocked out remember?" Jack said looking straight at Twilight. "So if we get this back to Sarah, it would 'free' her from the darkness Sombra placed on her?" Eric asked putting Amber down and reaching over to take the bracelet off of Jack holding it tightly as if it would disappear if he let go. "I think that's the conclusion Eric," Shining Armor said getting up to tell everyone the plan, "But I'm sorry to say, 'You're in no condition to come along with us to try it'." he said leaving. "Of course I am!" Eric called out to him getting up wrapping an arm around his broken ribs wincing in pain of moving too fast, slowly returning to his seat. "Eric," Cadence said quietly meaning he had to pay attention to her. "A princess knows it's a Knights job to protect them, however, it's also her job to look after everypony in her kingdom including..." "Including the block headed knights, so I've heard before." Eric said his free hand holding onto Sarah's bracelet. "Fine, take it just make sure she gets it and bring her home safely..." he said sliding the bracelet across the table heading for the door. "Um... Where are you going Eric?" Fluttershy asked. "To try my hand at getting through to that bug," Eric said hand on the hilt of his sword, as he left the room and headed down to the dungeons.