//------------------------------//
// Mixed Feelings 
// Story: Sunny Knight: a Pony's Tale 
// by TheothersideofSunny968 
//------------------------------//

As Twilight stepped out of the train and looked onto the beautiful Crystal Empire, she still could still hardly believe that a few years ago all that had been here was just arctic tundra, with no sign of pony life anywhere. But magic, even a curse by a mad unicorn King, can make wonderful things pop up out of nowhere. It seemed like only yesterday that she and her friends had been sent here from Canterlot at Princess Celestia's orders. Twilight couldn't help but laugh a little, thinking about the past adventures her and her friends have been on. Maybe the girls could do something to preserve the memories of their past adventures at the slumber party. Like scrap booking! They can leave spots for some pictures, flowers, and other things that they can remember from their past adventures. 

Thinking of their past adventures made Twilight think of that book that Sunny read, 'the Elements of Harmony: a reference guid, and then some', which also made Twilight look back at her travailing companion. He had been acting more and more out of his usual character the closer they had gotten to the empire. Even though they had just traveled trough a thick snow storm, everypony had kept pretty warm on the train. And other then a few gusts of wind that shook the carts only slightly, their trip had been fairly smooth. Twilight looked back at the train and the very fidgety yellow unicorn who was standing at the cart's exit.

"Are you sure you're ok, Sunny?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow at the stallion.

Sunny popped his head out of the train and looked around. Upon his head sat a new hat, just a ball cap with some hoofball team logo on it that he purchased while he was on the train, but still. "Y-yeah! I'm fine! Good as rain! Right as gold! As Granny always says!"

"Ugh... I don't think thats quite how the phrase goes..." Twilight commented, watching the stallion nervously step out of the train and onto the station's docks.

After taking a few last, deep breaths in an attempt to regain his composure, Sunny closed his eyes and stepped onto the platform, half expecting to be recognized right away by somepony. After a few moments of having his eyes clenched, bracing and preparing for the worst, and having Twilight look at him like he might have lost it, Sunny cracked his eyes open. Rather then be tackled by a swarm of royal guards, Sunny was instead greeted by a sight too beautiful for words.

To anypony who had never visited the Crystal Empire before, it certainly was a breathtaking sight. But to Sunny, it was so much more then that. The sight had almost brought him to tears. The last time he had seen the empire, and the last time he had walked the streets, everything seemed dead, dark, and deprived of the light that helped the empire shine even in the darkest of night! Sunny took in a deep breath, breathing in the chilled air of the empire. Even though the entire Crystal empire was surrounded by a protective barrier that kept the arctic wilderness at its boarders, the weather team of Equeatria still helped to various seasons for the empire. 

Before Sunny knew it, he was practically bouncing into town, without a single care to weigh him down. It brought a smile to Twilight's face to see him so happy. During the whole ride up until just then, she had thought maybe she should have brought Spike instead. But she knew this would be a chance for Sunny to see more of Equeatria, and even better, for him to try and possibly find somepony who recognized him. Although she doubted anypony from the Crystal Empire would recognize him. But you never know. More then just the crystal ponies come and go through the Crystal Empire.

Sunny found himself emerged in a sea of trading stands just like in the Ponyville marketplace, with everything you could ever need and more. From  Flugalhorns to crystal berry pie. He hopped over to the stand where the backed goods made of crystal berries and took a great big wiff. The sweet scent made the unicorn's mouth water. Memories of him enjoying such sweets in his past flashed back into his mind. He remembered it vividly. He sat with his father in the mornings at a long dinner table, with a wide array of breakfast style pastries made with the empire's very finest berries were presented to them. One of the pastries in particular caught Sunny's eye. It was a type of croissant like roll, with Crystal Berry jam backed in the middle. The very memory of his favorite breakfast treat made the yellow stallion's mouth water. Unfortunately for him, his mouth watered all over the cart of backed goods.

"Excuse me, sir" the annoyed mare who ran the stand flatly caught Sunny's attention. "I hope you have enough to pay for that."

Sunny snapped out of it and shook his head clear. "Oh, ugh, yes! One moment I...." 

As Sunny reached for his hat to pull out the small bag of bits he normally kept in the fold of his signature Stetson, he was reminded that he forgot said hat back at the barn! Twilight had lent him the money for the ball cap after he began to calm down on the train. Just as Sunny began to panic and try and think of a way to pay the mare for her for her now ruined backed goods, Twilight came to the rescue.

"It's ok, Sunny" the purple unicorn said as she levitates a small bag of bits out of her saddle bag. "I got it."

"Thank you Twilight" Sunny said, his cheeks slightly red. "I-I'll pay you back."

"Sunny...." The mare running the stand repeated the name as she took Twilight's bits, seeming to gaze of into a distance, as if the name tickled a memory. A memory buried deep within her mind. 

Sunny gulped as he looked nervously at the mare, his heart beating fast and faster until it was the only thing he could hear. All the rest of the empire around him, even Twilight, seemed to vanish. The only thing that remained was the mare who was trying to remember where she had heard the name 'Sunny'. But as she shook her head and gave up trying to remember, she smiled and took the bits.

"Think it was the name of my brother's new mare friend" the mare said as she bagged up the pastries that had been coated in Sunny's drool. "Sunny Rays, I think. Well, here ya go, come again."

Sunny quickly grabbed the bag, and after he pulled his ball cap down a little to cover his face, he thanked the mare and began walking off as fast as he could, Twilight following right behind him.

"Hey! Wait up!" Twilight called out to her yellow unicorn friend.

After putting some good distance between him and the mare at the bakery stand, Sunny stopped and looked back, almost forgetting Twilight was even there with him. "Oh, sorry Twilight. Ugh, guess I'm just, you know, excited. He he." 

Twilight didn't catch on to the awkwardness in her friend's tone over the sound of her own gasping. As she attempted to catch her breath, she looked up at her friend with understanding eyes. "It's.... It's ok. Just... Need to catch... Breath..."

After several more moments of Twilight taking in deep breaths, and thinking maybe she should join Rainbow or Applejack in some more of their weekly work out sessions, the two continued their little tour trough the empire. Twilight hadn't planed on being late for her meeting with Cadence, but really wanted Sunny to have some fun and get a lot of the sights. He seemed to really be enjoying his first trip to the Crystal Empire.

Meanwhile, in Sunny's own head, with every step he took, it was another step down memory lane. As he looked over the empire his heart was once again torn. He saw the shops he used to visit, the parks he played at as a kid, and even the school house he attended when he was a colt. But along with the sunlight of days past, came the shadows that followed them. It was true what his father had told him. None of the crystal ponies did recognize him. At first, ponies would stop and bow to Twilight, who would greet them in return while Sunny continued to hide behind his ball cap. But as Twilight continued to greet the crystal ponies, the more Sunny realized none of them even gave him a second glance. Was it possible that they really had forgotten him? Had his father's curse turned out to be a blessing? Every pony that had greeted Twilight, Sunny had remembered from the past. He had been told once that a good ruler took everypony into account when thinking of their kingdom. Which also meant learning their names and a little about them. Which is why their faces had stunned him, pained him. The last time he had seen all the subjects of the crystal empire, they had lost their inner light, had been bounded in chains, and their eyes... Their eyes, if you looked into them, had lost all hope. It was the most depressing sight that Sunny had ever seen. Part of him wanted to curse his father... But a stronger part wanted to smile, seeing them all happy, free, and glowing with the love of the Crystal Empire's inner light once again.

Eventually, Twilight and Sunny both made their way up to the Castle at the center of the empire. Sunny couldn't help but look up at all it's glory. Twilight looked at him with his dropped jaw and eyes as big as Spike's when he saw a bowl of gems.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Twilight said as she stepped closer to him and looking up, trying to see the same sight that he saw.

"I wonder...." Sunny began saying weakly, eyes never venturing away from the castle. "I read that the state of the castle and the empire is a reflection of the pony's hearts, powered by their inner light... I wonder if it looks better now then it had 1000 years ago, before Sombra..."

"Indeed it does" a voice caught the attention of Sunny and Twilight. As they both tore their eyes away from the sight of the castle, they looked over at one of the sentries who stood at the castle's main entrance. "Forgive me. I just couldn't help but overhear your question, sir."

Sunny recognized the soldier, he was stationed at the same post when his father ruled the empire. The yellow stallion gulled, readjusted his hat, then took a step closer to the guard, avoiding eye contact if nessisary. "So, ugh, you think the ponies are much happier now?"

"Oh, it goes without saying, Sir" the guard continued. "With Princess Cadence and Prince Shinning Armor leading the Crystal Empire, their love an inspiration to us all, both the Empire and the ponies who call it home have never shined brighter!"

This should have made Sunny happy, one would think. After being tortured by his father and being sealed away for 1000 years, the crystal ponies and the empire deserved this happiness... So why didn't he feel happy... He felt... Odd. Not a good odd like taste testing for Pinkie Pie, or learning a new spell with Twilight, but a darker odd. Like he had just eaten a whole barrel of rotten apples, but his stomach wouldn't let him throw it up. 

"Well thank you sir" Twilight stepped in while Sunny was lost in his thoughts. "I believe Princess Cadence is expecting me?"

"She is indeed" the guard answered, bowing his head slightly. "She is in the thrown room. Would you like me to escort you and your guest there?"

"That won't be nesasarry " Twilight told the guard. "I know where it is. As you were." Both of the guards then opened the doors leading into the castle and Twilight and Sunny stepped through. 

The doors shut and locked behind Twilight and Sunny, but Sunny ignored it, following behind Twilight while his real attention was on the inner walls of the castle itself. More memories began to flood in as he looked upon paintings, portraits, busts that decorated the corridors and walls. He began to remember historical lessons his father had taught him. Sunny remembered walking down the halls with his father, listening to everything his father had told him about the ponies who's images had been preserved in the paintings and busts. There were members of royal lineage of course, some, who were allies to the Crystal Empire. But most of the ponies who's portraits lined the walls were brilliant magicians, honorable members of the Royal guard, explorers, and other such ponies who earned  their places in history. As both he and Twilight continued down another hallway, Sunny paused, and looked over at a tapestry that seemed... Out of place...

Unlike the other tapestries that hung on the walls, this one was much lower to the ground. Black with gold trimming and images down on it. The image woven into it was a battle, one that took place between ponies and the Griffins. The great Griffin war, Sunny remembered. But there was more to it then that. 

"Sorry Sunny" Twilight looked back at  her friend who was fixated on the tapestry. "We can take a tour of the castle another time. Cadence is probably waiting. "

"Oh, ugh, r-right! S-sorry..."Sunny snapped back to the present again and quickly caught up to Twilight. 

In no time they had arrived at the thrown room of the Crystal Empire, where Princess Cadance was found pacing back and forth. When both Twilight and Sunny enters the room, the pink alicorn's head shot strait up, a smile broke across her face as she zoomed over to Twilight. Immediately they both began to sing and dance along to the words of a song they both made up, mirroring each other's movements and they sang simotnaiously.

"Sunshine, Sunshine,
Lady bugs awake,
Clap your hooves,
And do a little shake!"

Afterwords, both of the sisters embraced each other in a love filled hug as Sunny watched from the sidelines. If his mind had been clear, he would have taken more of an interest in their little ritual. He had read about it in the copy of 'the elements of harmony' and had wanted to see it performed in person. But he still felt... Sick, would be the closest word to describe how he felt. It didn't take Cadence long to notice the yellow unicorn standing off in the corner, just blankly watching her and Twilight.

"Oh, hello" the princess of love smiles and called out. "Are you one of Twilight's friends?"

"I'm sorry" Twilight said as she walked with Cadence over to the yellow stallion, who seemed to have his hooves glued to the floor. "This is a new friend of mine, Sunny. He's from Ponyville. He's been living at Sweet Apple Acres with Applejack and her family."

Something flared in Sunny's heart when Twilight mentioned Applejack's name, like a small candle coming to life in a dark room just after midnight. Cadence saw the reaction in the young stallion. It wasn't a reaction anypony else could notice, like a muscle twitch. It was a reaction that could be seen within. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sunny" she said with a small smile on her face. "How are you linking the Crystal Empire? Have you been here before?"

"No!" Sunny snapped out of it and replied much louder then he intended, realizing Cadence was talking to him. "No! Why would I ever come to the empire? I've never been here. Nope. Not before today. No ma'am!"

Both of the alicorn sisters looked at the yellow unicorn with confused and concerned expressions, luckily for all three of them, Twilight was there to explain.

"What I think Sunny is trying to say" Twilight began speaking slowly. "Is that he doesn't think he's ever been here before. See he's lost his memory, and has only been living at Sweet Apple Acres for the last couple of months."

"Oh dear" Cadence said, putting a hoof to her mouth. "I'm so sorry to hear that. Maybe I can see if there's a spell I know to help you."

"I've tried using the memory spell I used in my friends when Discord casted the grey spell" Twilight added in. "But I think it's more of a Psychological block then a magical one."

"That's ok!" Sunny awkwardly shouted, beads of sweat trickling down the sides of his head. "I'm fine! Ugh... Why don't you two go ahead and do whatever it was you where got to do? Ok?!"

"Right..." Cadence said as she stepped back to the middle of the room. "Well, Twilight, you know the reason why I asked you to come... I'm sorry to ask this of you. I've tried to cast the spell myself, Aunt Celestia tried to teach me, but for some reason I just can't do it."

Twilight followed behind her while Sunny just walked to the edge of the room and watched curiously. "Are you kidding? We're sister's, remember? You ask for help and I'll come running!"

Sunny continued to watch as Twilight stood directly in front of the thrown now, Cadence right behind her. The purple alicorn princess took a deep breath and closed her eyes, concentrating on the feelings tied into the magic. The hate, the anger, the rage. It gave her a headache, but she was doing this for Cadence. Sunny's heart sank when he saw what she was doing. Horror filled the yellow unicorn as he watched purple flames emerge from the corners of Twilight's eyes, followed soon after by a purple and green bubbling magical aura that covered her horn. As the princess of friendship opened her eyes, Sunny became aware that he had pressed his back against the wall, grasping in silence for air. Twilight's eyes were the same as Sombra's on the day Sunny faced him 1000 years ago, in that same room! 

As Twilight's now red and green eyes focused on the floor before her, she blasted a beam of the bubbling dark magical aura at it. Sunny watched in horror as the floor opened up, and a winding stairway had appeared before the two princesses. 

"Sunny, Sunny are you ok?" He don't know for how long Cadence was trying to get his attention, but it must have been a while. Somehow Twilight was also by his side, her eyes and horn were back to normal and free from any of the dark magic.

"Y-yeah..." He replied weakly, whipping the sweat off of his forhead. "I, ugh, just need to get some air. Maybe use the bathroom..."

"Alright..." Cadence replied, still looking at him with worry. "Bathroom's down the hall, take two lefts and it will be on your right. If you get lost, feel free to ask a guard. We won't be long. Hopefully."

As Cadence walked over and looked down at the seemingly never ending staircase, Twilight whispered to Sunny "are you sure you'll be ok?"

After a moment of catching his breath and looking Twilight in the eye, her normal, kind and sweet eyes, he gave her a small smile. "I'll be fine... Go ahead and do what you came here to do. Im going for a, er, walk."

Sunny then watched as Twilight walked over to Cadence and together the two sisters began to descend down the spiraling staircase, into the darkest part of the empire. Once their images were out of sight, Sunny took a deep breath and left the room, knowing where it was he needed to go.

The yellow unicorn quickly retraced his steps back to the gold and black tapestry about the Griffin war. Sunny knew there was a reason why it hung so low. It's true purpose for hanging so low wasn't because of its large size. Behind it was a door that lead to Sunny's room. Now, remembering correctly, most royals had two different rooms. One that they slept in, that always had guards at attention, to watch over them whilst they slept. This room mainly consisted of a large bed, a portrait or two, a large mirror or three, then a large closet with their various outfits. The other was a room that was kept secret. Only known to the Royal and maybe a few ponies within a small, well trusted, circle of friends. This was that kind of room. One that held more secrets and all of Sunny's personal belongings. If anypony had found his 'bed' room, all they would have found would be a bed and some formal dress wear. Not even so much as a journal. But if they found this room, they would have been able to find out everything about Sunny. From his favorite snack down to his horseshoe size. 

As Sunny examined the area behind the tapestry, he kept an ear open for the sound of hoof steps. The last thing he needed was for some Royal guard to walk by and see him. It would be easy enough to try and cover up and say he was lost, maybe even to explain why he was looking around behind a tapestry. But what if some guard who did stop him and look at the scroll happened to recognize him? If they somehow remembered who he was and broke free from the memory loss curse?! Sunny didn't need to think about it. He just helps feeling around the brick wall for an out of place -click- brick!

Sunny's hoof had found a brick that was connected to a sprig lock that concealed his hidden room from the outside. As the heavy door made of crystal began to swing open inward, Sunny heard voices and hoof steps coming from just around the corner!

Quickly. Sunny jumped into the room and slowly closed the door behind him, not fully locking it, knowing the clicking sound of the lock might raise the guard's suspicion. Instead he kept the door only slightly cracked, which also allowed him to listen in on their conversation.

"I can't wait for the crystal fair!" A younger sounding one said.

"Indeed" an older, more experienced and less excitable guard commented. "This year we have all 4 princesses attending, and I hear Prince Shinning Armor is entering the jousting competition."

"Oh! That will be sweet!" The younger one cheered as they both turned the corner, both of their voices growing quieter the farther away they moved.

Once Sunny could no longer hear them, and his ears picked up no other  hoof steps or voices, he quietly shut the hidden door, closing and locking it with a click. 

To light up the pitch black room, Sunny illuminated it with his horn. He had wished that his magical aura was any other color other then green. The green glow seemed to give everything an eerie look. He swallowed his fear as best he could and began looking for maybe a candle or something else to provide illumination. He didn't remember what he has used to light room up before, but he could remember something.... Something glowing...

As he turned his head slightly, his horn lit up a face with sunken in eyes and a jaw that hung wide open! Sunny screamed and fell back in his haunches as his horn's glow vanished. Sunny lay there in the dark room, afraid that if he moved whatever it was would go after him. But after several long moments, Sunny was able to gather up the courage to get up. He cautiously looked over in the direction where he saw the frightening image and remembered what Pinkie taught Appeljack and the others in the Everfree Forest. "Giggle at the ghosties, right..."

With that, Sunny took in a deep breath and focused his magic in his horn to once again illuminate the room, but when he did this time, his horn's light hit something. It hit a crystal that was lines and connected with a dozen or so more crystals that lined the room. Once one was touched by his magical light, the whole room seemed to light up. The room had gone from pith black to a light glowing blue, much like the rest of the castle. Sunny looked around, amazed by all the things he once had the pleasure of seeing anytime he wanted... But... But that was it... That was what was bothering him...

As Sunny took another look at his room, taking everything into account, knowing everything was there but... He just wanted to.... He wanted to look at all the things he owned from his old life... There were two large book cases with several dozen books that Twilight would love to have added to her collection, trinkets he had collected from all around Equestria from various trips he had gone on, several life sized pony puppets were sloppily places in the closet, one of them Sunny instantly recognized as being the one that scared him moments ago, as well as a few suits of armor that were mounted against the walls. 

Sunny looked them over carefully... He remembered now when he got each one. The first one he ever got was a basic crystal guard suit of armor he had received after he completed basic training in his father's army. The second one was a gold one he had gotten for training with the Canterlot Royal guard. He never cared much for the gold. But the last one... A black suit of armor that he was given by... By...

Sunny paused. He couldn't remember who gave him his favorite suit of armor. It wasn't his father... Who... Sunny exhaled as is eyes wandered around the room again. He dragged his hooves over to a chair at a desk and sat down. What was this feeling he was experiencing? What hurt so much? 

Shaking himself from it, he began to look for a way to hide everything. He didn't have the heart to destroy it all or hide the room away forever. But he couldn't leave it all like this! Somepony was bound to find it. As the yellow stallion thought to himself, something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. As he looked over he saw something rather peculiar and out of place. It was a small, lavender, coin bag. Just sitting upon a crystal pillar as if to present it purposefully. Sunny didn't remember putting that there. 

As he approached the small bag, he noticed a tag dangling from one of it's pull strings. The words 'pull me' were the only thing written on the bag. Curious, Sunny wrapped a small amount of his magical aura around the string, and ever so slightly, pulled it. As the bag opened its mouth, it was like a tornado appeared in the room! All the books flew of the shelves, the armor broke apart and few into the strong gust piece by piece, even the pony sized puppets that had been laying lifeless in the closet had begun to come alive in with the force of the wind, flailing around. Sunny braced himself, wondering if he could hold on and not be sucked into the wind. But oddly enough, the forceful gust didn't even phase him! It only effected the items in the room. One thing at a time, every item began to shrink and swirl into the epicenter of the tornado, the open mouth of the lavender bag. In moments, the entire room was empty, say for the confused yellow unicorn and the small lavender bag, that had now closed shut on its own. 

Sunny had picked the bag up and felt it in his hooves. If felt as if nothing was in it at all, but he saw everything shrink and fly inside, he knew what he saw. Shaking it off, he took the lavender bag and placed it safely underneath his hat, sliding most of it into a creese near the bill. Right before he left the room, he took one last glance at the now empty room. The only thing left were the blue glowing crystals that seemed to be fading away now.

'It's not fair...' Sunny glumly thought as he opened the secret door. 'After all this time, I finally find a small little part of Equestria I can call my own. My own room. Not a borrowed room, but a room that was actually call 'my' room. And now... Now it's gone...'

As Sunny exited the room and became a bulge behind the black and gold tapestry, somepony happened to be walking by to see a bulge emerge out of nowhere. He paused and watched as an unfamiliar yellow unicorn stallion, wearing a ball cap, emerged from behind the large tapestry. Once Sunny fully  emerged and noticed that he wasn't alone, he awkwardly smiled and waved a hoof.

"Why if it isn't the one and only, Prince Shinning Armor...." Sunny said in a nervous tone.

The stallion who stood before him raised a brow as he whiled some of his two toned, blue mane out of his eyes and shot the surprise guest a cocky smile. "Mind telling me who you are and what you were doing behind there?"