//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: Magic Paint Brushes 4 // by Ugly-Duckling123 //------------------------------// All the time the ponies and her family were talking about whatever old people and ponies talk about, Emma was trying to find somewhere where she could play with Little Emma in piece finally finding refuge in the library. Quickly, after asking the librarian if it was ok, she built a book fortress using her magic she got from her mum and dad to move the books, building it so it was nice and simple - Emma always found snow and chaos magic harder to do than Sophie and Billy. Once it was done, she found a children's story and settled down with Little Emma to begin reading. o0o After her third book, Emma was getting a bit bored. "I wish you were real Little Me," Emma said picking up the doll and making it look to her "That way we can have loads more fun, and we can show Sophie and Billy that dolls are not boring or for girls." 'But I am real...' a voice said inside her head. "Huh?" Emma asked looking around to see if there was anyone there, spotting the librarian but she was too far away from the fort. Then looking to the doll again asked "Did... Did you just say something?" 'I did,' the same voice said 'I said 'I am real'. I'm just shy, that's why I haven't said anything yet. Or spoken around your family.' "Emma?" a new voice said her name as the door to the library opened up. 'You can't tell anyone I'm real Emma. They'll never understand. No one ever understands you. Only I do...' the doll said. "There you are Emma," Sarah said looking down onto her second cousin smiling slightly less when she saw the doll. "You know, you should know better to run off like that." she said coming down to sit on the ground. "I just wanted to be alone," Emma said avoiding her Auntie Sarah's eyes "And I know this place. I wasn't going to get lost." "I understand that dear," Sarah said trying not to upset her. "But what if we were somewhere you've never been before, around ponies who you don't know who could take you away from us because you were all on your own?" "But I wanted to be on my own..." Emma repeated "No one understands me when I'm with the others. The only one who understand me is me." "Now that is just a big fat lie," Sarah said firmly but gently "Who in the world told you that?" Emma just stayed quiet and gripped her doll tighter. "Emma just because you're shyer, more quiet, like to play quiet sit still games and to be alone..." Sarah began moving some of the books so she could sit next to Emma "Doesn't make you different or need to make you think you need to be alone," she said hugging the little girl a bit. "Most of the worlds greatest people were once just like you... Always on their own trying to find their place in the world," she continued, checking to see if Emma was listening. "And you know what happened? They used the things that made them different and used them to become rich, and famous, letting them live in fancy houses in big cities, while all those who teased them when they were kids were just as mean as they were then." "I still want to be on my own..." Emma said sounding like she hadn't heard anything, yawning a bit. "But could you stay, and be alone with me? Please..." "Of course Emma," Sarah said as she got a bit more comfy and let the little girl rest her head on her and fall asleep. When Sarah was sure Emma was asleep she looked towards the doll and spoke to it. "I don't know what you're planning Sombra. But I swear by the power of King Cosmos and Queen Galaxia... You. Will. Not. Harm. This. Family." o0o0o0o0o00o0o "... But I swear by the power of King Cosmos and Queen Galaxia... You. Will. Not. Harm. This. Family." Sarah's voice said through the camera. "Humph... We'll see about that Sarah Jones," Sombra said smiling that she was so worried she was giving him a threat, even after telling Emma everything was alright "Won't we?" Back in the throne room, everyone was thinking up ways of getting the doll away from Emma. "We could get it really dirty and say it needs cleaning," Pinkie Pie suggested. "No," Jack said shaking his head while he paced on the ceiling "We need to do it so it's as if it were an ordinary day type thing. Suddenly making the thing dirty out of no reason will probably raise her guard meaning it will be harder to take it." "Well when does she leave it on it's own?" Eric asked trying to teach Billy to use a bow and arrow - under Suzy's supervision of course. "When she goes to the bathroom," Billy and Sophie said together. "And even then she takes it with her to the the door," Suzy said sighing. "So the teachers let her take the thing to school?" Twilight asked cocking her head "Doesn't it distract the other kids?" "What's school?" Billy and Sophie asked together. "They don't go to school yet Twi," Jack said still pacing "They're only four. Five is when they start school on Earth." "Yeah and besides if they were in school it's the Summer Holidays at the moment which means they're off it until September." Eric placed in motioning to Billy to 'Shoot'. Billy released the arrow and hit the bulls eye. "I DID IT!" Billy screamed knocking everyone out of their thoughts and look up. "Hey well done champ," Rainbow Dash said smiling and nodding to the boy. "Only because those are Papa's special arrows that hit the target every time no matter what," Sophie said putting a halt to the celebration. "What?" Billy asked looking up to his dad to see if it were true. "No they're not," Jack said a small smirk on his face, knowing where this will go. "Yes they are Papa," Sophie said turning to her brother a hand out "Give me a try and I'll,show you." Everyone watched as Sophie struggled to notch up the arrow and then pull the string back far enough that the bow will work, but not too far that it will catch the arrow. After about five minutes she lined up to the target and released the arrow, missing the target completely and go out the window. "OW!" came a cry from an unfortunate pony. "Told you they weren't my special ones snowflake," Jack said coming down and seeing if she was alright that she was wrong about something, feeling a tug on his coat. "So... I really did do that?" Billy asked pointing to the target. "Try again and see for yourself," Jack said handing back the bow and the container of arrows smiling. Quickly Billy notched up an arrow and lined up to the target. Slowly keeping both eyes open, he released the arrow and to hit it's mark, splitting the one that was still in there in half after it hit it's tail. "Maybe we should hire the boy for the Royal Guard, Sister," Luna said jokingly as Billy went running and screaming around the hall about how great he was at archery, while Sophie moped on the floor, everyone trying to cheer her up about it. "We'll see," Celestia said smirking "When he's older." Just then the doors flew open and there stood Discord with one of those prank 'arrow-through-the-head' headbands on making Billy stop cheering and Sophie to stop moping. "UNCLE DISCORD!" they cried and ran up to him jumping up to him. "Did you see that? Were you watching? Did you see what I did?" Billy asked all excited while Sophie was asking about birthday presents. "Yes I was watching Billy," Discord answered ruffling the lads hair "No I don't have and presents Sophie. And Emma..." he said looking around "Is nowhere to be found. And neither is Sarah. Mind telling me what's wrong?" "Mammy and Papa say it's somepony called Sombra," Billy said answering when the grownups didn't. "Sombra?" Discord asked looking up to check "How?" "We don't know," Jack said shrugging "What we do know is he gave Emma something dangerous and we need to get it away from her, but she almost never let's it leave her sight." "Well what is it?" Discord asked not wanting the kids to be in danger "Just tell me what it is, I'll poof up another one, and while she's got the other one out of her sight we swap it for that one." "It's a doll that looks just like her, with two big black four-hole button eyes," Applejack said stating what it looked like. "Okie-dokie," Discord said snapping his talons poofing up said doll. "Now all we have to do is..." "Hi Uncle Discord," Emma's voice reached everyone's ears as the turned to the door and saw Sarah and Emma there, the latter hugging the doll of conversation, while holding Sarah's hand. "Hey there squirtette," Discord said throwing away the new doll trying to hide it. "How you been lately?" "I'm ok..." Emma said quietly looking to everyone. "Um... Why's everyone looking at me?" "Oh no reason," Discord said waving it off "Say... That's a nice looking doll you have there. May I take a look at it?" "Um..." Emma said looking to the doll as if to ask for an opinion. 'Don't do it Emma,' the doll said inside her head 'He's properly planning on stealing me or something.' "N...No," Emma said hugging the doll a bit more and hiding behind Sarah a bit more too. "Emma," Sarah said stepping to one side and squatting down "Discord's not going to do anything to her he just wants to look right?" "Absolutely," Discord said nodding crossing his heart. "It's... It's still no," Emma said firmly. Seeing he wasn't going to get anywhere Discord backed off. "Ok, I understand," he said smiling "So what's the plan for your birthday you three?" he asked. While Discord and the children were going over this, Sarah went to the grown ups. "Found her then?" Jack said smiling. "Oh yeah I found her ages ago, but she wanted a nap before we came back here. Oh... By the way..." she said looking to Luna and Celestia a nervous grin on her face "You might need a new 'Children's Section' to the library..." "Why..." the sisters asked not sure they want the answer. "Well..."