• Published 9th Mar 2012
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Tales of the Cuties - Starwind Dood



A series of side-stories that run parallel to Tales of Harmony

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Quest 2: Soarin'

Growing Up

Cutie Quest: Soarin'

New Game

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Equestria: Prophet's Scar

"You see anything down in there, Scoots?" Apple Bloom asked Scootaloo next to her, peering down into the bottomless chasm that separated Canterlot from the rest of Equestria. She kicked a nearby rock into it, hoping against sensibility that she would hear the soft thump of its landing. The world remained silent as the rock disappeared into the deep abyss.

"Nothing," Scootaloo sighed, plopping down to her stomach, "and if we don't figure out something, Nightmare Moon is gonna attack my home."

"Uh, girls," Sweetie Belle called out from behind, "I think we have bigger problems." In front of her stood a mockery of nature: a chimera. Its lizard like body was punctuated with horrible mandibles that protruded from its throat clicking menacingly in the soft light of the moon. Sweetie Belle shivered as she stared into its nearly vacant eyes. "Somepony, do something!"

"Apple Bloom, go up and taunt the monster to get it away from Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo ordered as she ran around it.

Apple Bloom flung herself at the monster, jumping over its head and delivering a swift kick to what she thought was its nose, but all the chimera did was click its mandibles faster. "Take that, ugly!" she taunted, stepping onto its head and vaulting herself over the monsters back. With a sly grin she stared it down as it turned to face her, giving Sweetie Belle the opportunity she needed to run away. "That's right, look at me you stupid, mangey, ugly what-cha-ma-call-it!" she taunted again.

"Sweetie Belle, cast a spell while I attack it from behind," Scootaloo ordered again, picking up a stick and breaking off its end to make a splintered point. She started beating her wings, making long strides each time she kicked herself off the ground, leaping forward and stabbing the monster in it's back, imbedding the stick inside it. "Now!"

"Eternal light!" Sweetie Belle cried out, shouting the incantation as loud as she could and waving her forehooves in the air. "Ever true and... uhh... undefined! Grant this one-ton singer before me the majesty of the judgement," she threw her forehooves forward, "Ray!"

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom retreated as far away from the chimera as they could, waiting with anticipation for the awesome feat of magic that such a powerful incantation would entail, but nothing happened. "Where's the magic?" Apple Bloom finally asked.

Sweetie Belle threw her forehooves in the air again, and then to her side, and then to her other side. She looked like she was dancing. "Ray! Ray! Ray, ray, ray, ray, ray, ray, ray!" Still nothing. "W-where's the ray!?" she panicked as the chimera began to recover from Scootaloo's attack.

"Sweetie Belle, what gives!?" Scootaloo screamed as the chimera turned on her. "A-Apple Bloom, taunt it again."

"Can't, too scared," Apple Bloom whimpered as the chimera gnashed its mandibles together. "Somepony, anypony, help!"

Almost as immediately as her cry left her lips, the head of the chimera came flying off, landing as a severed stump right next to Scootaloo. Her startled scream pierced the ever-night sky as a small cloaked figure came out of the shadows, reeling in its chained sickle weapon into the confines of its robes. To the three fillies' shock, it barely stood any taller than them.

"Er, thanks," Apple Bloom replied, still in shock from the suddenness of the turn of events.

The robed figure did not respond.

"Quiet type, I guess," Scootaloo commented as she slinked away from the severed head. "Still, thanks. I mean, if you didn't show we might have been goners since somepony doesn't know how to cast a spell."

"What?" Sweetie Belle cried back, her voice cracking as she turned to Scootaloo. "Nopony taught me magic. I figured if I said the same words Rarity always says then maybe it would work."

"And it didn't," Scootaloo chuckled, flicking Sweetie Belle's tiny horn. "So, what now? We still don't have a way to cross the thing." She pointed to the divide in the land, knowing that her home was beyond the seemingly impenetrable obstacle. "If only I could fly..."

The little robed figure withdrew his sickle from the confines of his robe again and threw it across the mile-long divide. It latched on cleanly to a rock on the other side, and said nothing as he waited for the three fillies to take a hint.

"Uhh, you sure about this?" Apple Bloom gulped as she stared at how long the chain look. "I mean, can it even hold us, I'm wondering is all."

The robed figure nodded furiously.

"C'mon, girls!" Scootaloo rallied them together. "This is our best bet to get to the cloud kingdom! If we don't, then Nightmare Moon will sink my home!" She grabbed onto the chain with all her hooves and threw caution to the wind as she lept forward with only the chain as her lifeline. She did not fall and the chain held still. "Hey, check it out! We can use it!"

"It's still scary," Sweetie Belle replied as Apple Bloom pushed her forward.

"It's for a good cause," Apple Bloom sighed. She turned back to the robed figure and bowed. "Thanks again Mr."

The robed figure nodded his head furiously.


Fillydelphia: City of Ambition

Soarin' sighed to himself as stared down at the streets of Fillydelphia from his overhead perch. Fillydelphia looked beautiful during the night with its plethora of lights in every shade of the rainbow, each perfectly placed to give any pegasus with a birds eye view a nice show. There was also another thing he liked about the city. "So many cute mares!" he gushed as he took another bite of crispy and steaming apple pie, now resting by his side. "Pie, and mares. Yep, this is the life," he told nobody in particular as he laid his eyes on a captivatingly blue unicorn. Her hair shimmered with a glorious silver as the light reflected off it. He finished his pie, filling himself with gooey and warm confidence, before swooping down, valiantly in his own mind, and landing right before his new pony princess. He coked an invisible eyebrow, smiled, and said, "I have to say, I fell quite hard the moment I laid eyes on you." He readied himself for a face full of hoof. Instead, he received a muzzle full of lightning. No sense of humor this one.

The blue unicorn in question scowled as she stepped over Soarin's slightly-charred body, smoke rising from his burnt fur. "Shocked, I'm sure," she spat at him. "Talk to me again, and a slight singe will be the least of your worries." She talked in a presumptuous and pompous tone that only served to amuse Soarin' further.

"It would be well worth it if I could get your name," he said with a wink.

"Lulamoon," she unicorn replied as electricity began to build in her horn.

"That's not fair. You gave me a fake name." Soarin' felt further enthralled when the mare-in-question balked back a little. "But, I bet your real name sounds so much nicer." He winked, drawing his sword at the last second to absorb the shocking spell of the unicorn. "Well, Mon Tarte?"

"Just who do you think you're trifling with?" The mare threw herself backwards, throwing a razor sharp card that left a cut on Soarin's cheek. "Next time I'll cut off something more precious!"

He ignored her and picked up the card. "A calling card? How cute," he mused as he inspected it further. It held the picture of a burning tower, struck by lightning and now crumbling into rubble. "I was hoping for something with a kiss mark."

"Consider it a sign, or maybe even a reading. Now then, if you'll excuse me I was on my way to Caballus—"

"Cutie Mark Crusaders, law enforcers!" three bellowing voices cried out, soon followed by three spritely fillies latching themselves onto Lulamoon. "Go down, evil doer!" the orange filly screamed as she wrestled with one of the unicorn's forelegs.

"Are you out of your little pony minds," Lulamoon hissed as electricity began to build around her.

"Hold it!" Soarin' cried out, trying to pry off Lulamoon's assailants. "There's no need to spazz out, Ms. Moon. Can't we just talk this out!?" He tried to get close, but the thrashing around of the fillies coupled with dangerous discharges of magic from Lulamoon made it impossible to get closer. Faced with little choice, he put a hoof against his chestplate and began to concentrate. "Splash!" Streams of water poured from the sky and collided with the vortex of chaos.

Lulamoon stared at Soarin' with intense loathing. "You vile cur," she sneered. "Look at what you did to my beautiful mane!" At her hooves, the three fillies splashed around in the dirty puddles Soarin's spell made, splashing dirty water all over Lulamoon's cape.

"How about I make it up to you all with some really early breakfast."

"I want pancakes!" "I want waffles!" "I want fancy toast!" Came three ecstatic little voices that began to climb over Soarin'. Before he knew it, he was covered in fillies. Not exactly the life he expected.

"Coming, Miss Lulamoon?" Soarin' offered with a whimsical grin.

"I demand a smoothie," she hissed.

Moments later they were sitting at one of Fillydelphia's hundreds of cafes. On one bench with a menu between his hooves was Soarin', and on the opposing bench were the three mysterious fillies. Lulamoon sat at a small table close-by, her full attention on fixing her mane. "So," Soarin' started, "what are your names?"

"I'm Apple Bloom," said the yellow filly first, "from the town of Apple Acres and one of the owners of the Sweet Apple Acres farms!" she said proudly.

"Thats a lot of titles for such a sweet young mare," Soarin' replied, making her blush.

"Disgusting," Lulamoon groaned.

"Oh yeah, well I'm Scootaloo, part of the Cloud Kingdom, soon-to-be knight, and soon-to-be apprentice of Rainbow Dash, the arena queen! There, three titles," replied the orange pegasus filly. She puffed out her chest in pride.

"And I'm Sweetie Belle!" the white unicorn filly said last before returning to her cup of milk. "Oh, and I'm from Caballus."

"And together we are," Apple Bloom quickly added and her two friends took their places by her side. "The Cutie Mark Crusaders!" they all yelled in unison.

"Crusaders? Really?" Soarin' laughed. He wondered if the three knew what a crusader was. "So, what were you crusaders doing attacking my date over there." Lulamoon stuck out her tongue at him.

"We saw her shooting lightning everywhere, so we thought we would try getting our city defender cutie marks!" Scootaloo answered him while beaming with more pride. "Wait, did anypony get a cutie mark?"

"Nope," Apple Bloom sighed.

"Nope," Sweetie Belle groaned.

Soarin' felt reminiscent. Finding one's special talent and earning his or her cutie mark was such an important day for a young pony's life. "Never give up," he told them. "You may not find it today, or tomorrow, or even a month from now, but your cutie marks will eventually come to you in time."

"Easy for you to say. You already have your cutie mark!" Sweetie Belle replied in frustration. "Grown-ups just don't remember what it's like."

"Hey, I still remember clear as day about the time I earned my cutie mark," Soarin' huffed. "A lightning bolt with wings: coolest cutie mark ever!"

"Say, how did you get it?"


His parents looked at him with worry as he sat still in the same spot, mane crackling with electricity and eyes wide with ideas. "Did you see that!?" he exclaimed as loud as he could. Soarin's mane stood on ends. "Three loop-de-loops followed by a corkscrew dive and ended with a static split!"

"Yes Soary, that was good," his mother replied with worry. "Now come back inside before you hurt yourself!"

"I want to do it again!"


"And that's how I got my cutie mark!" Soarin' beamed with pride. "One of the best fliers in all of Heaven. Well?"

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle remained silent. "Well," Sweetie Belle said, "that doesn't really help us. Plus, the last story we heard about a cutie mark was a bit more..."

"Dramatic," Scootaloo finished for her. "Don't you have any more interesting stories to tell us while we wait for our meals?"

Soarin' propped a hoof under his chin. "Well, if you want an epic tale of drama." He eyes the table unconsciously. "Eleven years ago..."


Castle of the Fallen Sisters: Lost Courtyard

A young Soarin' was beside himself. Not even of the age of twenty, and yet he was lucky enough to be hoof-picked into Spitfire's team and assigned to defend ruins : The lost castle of Princess Celestia. What pony wouldn't want to see such an ancient and important piece of history? "To think, in these halls once stood the most powerful pony in the world! You really think she could move the sun?" he asked his superior.

"Don't be ridiculous," Captain Spitfire chided. "Nopony can move something as big as the sun. It just wouldn't make sense." She turned to face her squad of three pegasi: Soarin', Tornado, and Honeysuckle. "All right, fall into rank everypony."

"Ma'am!" The knights saluted and fell into line. They had gotten the opportunity of a lifetime and were not going to mess it up by being discourteous when greeting their benefactor for the excavation.

Still in file, Captain Spitfire led them into the courtyard before the castle. Nearly every chiseled marble pillar had fallen over, and vines threatened to devour the magical castle that was now decorated on all sides with tents, apparatuses, crates and cots. Yet, despite nature's tenacity to devour the castle whole, it remained tall and proud with nary a scratch to be found.

From the center, a large and built white unicorn dressed impeccably approached them. "Greetings, I am Fancypants." He extended a hoof, colored blue just like his slicked-back mane and tiny mustache. "CEO of the Lezerano company."

"So you're the one financing us. It is an honor to meet somepony so generous." Spitfire bowed and her three subordinates followed suit.

Fancypants laughed and asked the knights to rise. "You flatter me, but if I was truly generous I would not expect any form of recompense for all this," he motioned to the tents, equipment and supplies, "but, alas, business is business, so I can only be so generous with splitting the artifacts." He chuckled to himself and turned back to the castle. "Still, this is a rare find. I could imagine why only a pegasus scout party would find it, but what's even more astounding is how it still stands tall and regal. It's magical."

"Super unicorn magical!" Soarin' blurted too earnestly. He ignored Spitfire's glowering as he giggled over his terrible joke, and even Fancypants joined him.

"So super we'll never understand it, I suppose," Fancypants added. He pointed in another direction and said, "You'll find your tents next to the impromptu cafe. Just follow the smell of fresh baked goods."

"Fancypants, I'd kiss you but I ain't that kind of guy!" Soarin' cried as he stuck his nose high into the air, sniffing around for the first scents of his favorite treats like a dog. Spitfire could barely hide her embarrassment and his co-knights were holding their sides, but he ignored all of them and took off like a bullet, living up to his acclaimed speed and agility, towards the source of the sweet, sweet aroma of cupcakes, apples, and a pie.

His destination came into sight, a scrumptious and sweet-filled buffet with almost anything he could ever want. Only one thing was missing. "Where's the pie!?" he howled in agony, drawing attention from on-lookers who shifted away.

"That'll be six bits," a tall yellow stallion in a green button shirt replied to a purple unicorn in a magenta cloak. From within her cloak six bits drifted onto the table. "Thank you."

The unicorn silently took her pie, turned around and found herself face to face with a greedy and crestfallen Soarin'. "Excuse me," she quickly said.

"That's the last pie, isn't it?" Saorin' asked gravely. "I'll give you twelve bits for it."

"You are pathetic," the unicorn shot back as she moved around him.

"Pathetic for pie," Soarin' answered her back as he drifted back in front of her. "Allow me to introduce myself. Captain Soarin', official pie aficionado, and you are?" he charismatically smiled at her, trying to appear gallant and chivalrous even if he knew he wasn't.

"None of your business," the unicorn replied as she took off again, vainly trying to get away from the persistent pegasus.

"I've got an idea!" Soarin' flew directly above her, upside down to keep eye contact. "Why don't we share that pie. You, me, a nice tree, the setting sun, and pie. Can you think of anything more wonderful?"

"Getting away from you would be one of them." The unicorn tried one last ditch plan to escape Soarin'. Her horn let out one huge spark, and she disappeared, winking away into nothingness.


The unicorn gasped for breath as the world came back into view for her and she struggled to keep the contents of her stomach in place. "Stupid pegasus," she groaned as she set the pie down. "Stupid spell..."

"I found you, Mon Tarte!" Soarin' descended from the sky with all the magnificence he could muster; back to the sun, mane caught in the wind, and a few down feathers fluttering in the breeze. "No pie can escape my nose, you know."

Completely bewildered, the unicorn collapsed to the ground. "Fine, have the stupid pie. I don't care anymore." She planted her face in the dirt, welcoming the darkness in favor of Soarin's tenacity, but hooves wrapped around her and hoisted her up into the air. "W-what are you doing?"

"Dirt can't possibly be as tasty as pie," he replied as he gently set her down by a tree. He scooped up the pie and sat down right next to her. "What did I tell you? You, me, the sun, and pie?" He gestured to the tree they sat against, the salty smell of the ocean as its waves crashed against the cliffs, and the setting sun that seemed perfectly sculpted by a pony's will. "Know anything better than that?" He grinned cheesily as he began cutting the pie with a pocket knife clutched in his mouth.

The unicorn sighed and gave up. "I'm Amethyst Star. I'm here on orders of Blueblood. Happy?"

"Wait, you're Blueblood's representative?"

"Sure, go with that." She tried to brush him off, to wave a hoof in his face and maybe he would let her go, but a slice of pie was placed in her hooves instead. "You're giving it back."

"I'm sharing. That's what you do with friends." He took a greedy bite out of his own slice.

"We're not friends. I don't have friends. I can't trust anypony." Her words were cold, icy on her breath. She wanted Soarin' to take a hint, shut up, and let her go. He didn't.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" Soarin' smiled as he wrapped a hoof around Amethyst Star's shoulders and brought her in closer. "So shut up have some pie! You don't need a reason to eat pie!"

I thought she was funny. She kept saying things like that, that she couldn't trust anypony. So what did I do? I grabbed her around her shoulders and shoved some pie in her mouth every time. Apple pie, peach pie, banana cream pie. This turned out to be quite expensive I guess I just really wanted to be her friend. This went on for quite awhile and every time she would greet me with some cold half-baked comment, but I knew she was warming up.

Soarin' stood at attention in the great halls of the castle. It was his shift and he had been assigned for early morning detail. "Could be worse," he sighed. "Honeysuckle got stuck with midnight shift."

"Oh, you're here," came Amethyst Star's voice as she appeared from the corridors. She looked tired, her hooves barly straying away from the floor as she slinked over to him. "Why are you here now?"

"Well, I was assigned to guard, so you don't have to worry about anything attacking you, Miss Amethyst Star."

"You can just call me Star," she sighed. "I prefer it when others don't call me by my full name."

"Another part of your I can't trust anypony deal?" he mocked her, even adopting her adult-pitch tone. "Well, Miss Star, I'll have you know that I'm the most trustworthy pegasis in all of Heaven."

"Oh, brother," she sighed.

"So, what's in there?" he asked. "I mean, this place must be crawling in ancient artifacts of power! Or priceless gems! Or, maybe some personal item of Celestia—"

"Princess Celestia," she corrected him. "Celestia was the Princess of Equestria, a title that when held by her might as well be equivalent to being a goddess. Her words were law, and nopony would ever go against it."

"Really?" It was hard for him to imagine a Princess ever being higher than a King in status and power. "So, did you find anything?"

"If you must know," she groaned. "Princess Celestia was known for wielding two weapons, two weapons which shapes have been adopted by both of our military forces. The Eternal Sword which serves as the basis for the pegasi double-blade swords, and the Divine Spear which serves as the basis for the spears unicorns use."

"Ancient legendary weapons! I can get behind that!" Soarin' squealed in delight. "You've got to show me! C'mon, show me, show me, show me, show me!"

"Are you a stallion, or a colt?" Amethyst Star groaned as she backed away from the eager pegasus. "They are more than mere weapons! They have ancient magic that could rend the world asunder and... you don't care, do you?"

"Can I see the shiny pointy sticks now?" he asked eagerly.

Amethyst Star coughed, multiple times, covering her mouth with her hoof to hide her growing smile. "You, you're unbelievable," she sighed before turning. "Well, c'mon. The sooner you see the shiny pointy sticks the sooner you can get back to guard-duty."

She led him down a vast complex of hallways. Soarin' had to wonder if Princess Celestia actually needed guards with how confusing the castle was to navigate, nevermind the supposedly godlike magic every rumor he ever heard said.

They eventually found their way to an elaborate room, naked in furnishings. It was just a tall gray room, but in the back, behind barriers upon barriers of magic, stood two weapons. One was purple double-bladed sword, and the other was a gold three pronged spear. "Cool," Soarin' replied. "Though, what's with all the barriers."

"Princess Celestia placed them there, but they're old. Our unicorns have almost cracked it. The plan is that the spear will got to Caballus, and the sword to your Cloud Kingdom."

"And you're sharing all this information with me."

"What's your point," Amethyst Star glared.

"You trust me with this information, so you trust me, so you trust somepony."

"This is common information!" she threw back at him. "You would know this if you weren't so busy stuffing yourself with pie."

"I know!"

She would hide her smile when she laughed and hide in a corner when she felt embarrassed. It was kinda cute, actually. Sure, she had a mean tongue, and a sour attitude, but even then in all that she began to lighten up. Soon, we were hanging out, or rather I would walk by her side and she wouldn't wink away. Then, one day, the opposite happened. She appeared at my side, and followed me.

Soarin' stared down Tornado, both of them had their double-bladed swords drawn between their teeth and were grinning mischievously as they planned out their next moves. Tornado struck first, barreling at Soarin' with an edge pointed at him. "Hurricane Thrust!"

Soarin' jumped away at the last moment as Tornado's blade embedded itself in the ground and summoning a gust of wind that tore at the earth. He was gathering magic in his armor, preparing for the next blow. "Nice one, but let me show you how you do a real sonic thrust!" His armor surged with electricity that he channeled into the blade of his sword. "Lightning Blade!" The lightning crackled back and surged into Soarin' and almost reducing him to a pile of ashes. He dropped down to the dirt, spasming in pain.

"Well, you almost got it," Hurricane laughed as he helped up Soarin'. "You still have a long ways to go if you think you can copy Princess Cirrus Stride's technique. She's just a plain genius with lightning."

Amethyst Star, who sat on the sidelines watching the entire thing, clopped her hooves against the ground slowly. "That's, what, your fifth loss?"

"Yeah, but didn't I look amazing right before the whole backfiring part?" Soarin' mused.

"Oh, you looked amazing all right," she mocked.

"I'd like to see you do any better, unicorn," Tornado huffed.

"Fine." Amethyst Star rose, grabbing Soarin's sword with her magic and clutching it in her mouth. She nearly fell over, underestimating the weight of the blade. "How do you even swing this thing?" she grumbled.

"It's alright, Star. You don't need to prove anything," Soarin' suggested, but he was ignored.

Amethyst Star's horn began to glow as she channeled magic into the blade, but rather than crackle with electricity the sword hummed as it was covered with the magic of darkness. "This is the channeling part, right?" she gloated, earning Tornado's crude sneer. She took a step forward and thrusted the blade forward, casting a needle of darkness that extended forward and nearly pierced right through Tornado, but instead stopped a mere inch away. "I take it, that's the effect you were going for?"

"W-well, I guess," a shocked Tornado muttered, "but that wasn't electricity!"

"No, but it was just as impressive!" came a new boyish voice. The knights turned and bowed before the presence of the armored Princess Cirrus Stride. Like her father, her coat was gray like steel. Most of her face was obscured by an embroidered helmet that also served as her tiara. "Even for a unicorn, that was impressive."

"I'm trained," Amethyst Star replied coldly. "I am Amethyst Star, Blueblood's personal representative here."

Princess Cirrus Stride smiled as she chuckled to herself. "Formal, arn'cha. Well, I'm Princess Cirrus Stride, first daughter of King Steel Wing, my dad." She extended a hoof to shake, but Amethyst Star stood still. The mood turned eerily uncomfortable fast. "Well, er, I've got duties to attend to. Dad's a lout without me and I heard Goldstar was looking for me." She unfurled her wings and took off into the sky.

Tornado broke out in near incomprehensible gibberish, collecting himself after a tirade of gurgling sounds. "Are you insane, unicorn! You just insulted the princess of the Cloud Kingdom! Did anypony teach you respect!?"

Amethyst Star turned to Tornado. Her eyes glared at him with enough malice to scare the hardened knight. "I don't like her," she hissed, her horn crackling with a surge of magic that made the earth under them shake. "So, shut up before I teach you what in fact did anypony taught me." Tornado might as well have been a kitten to her now.

"Hey, Star, are you alright?" Soarin' reached out to touch Amethyst Star, but the moment he got close a bolt of darkness lashed out at him. He retreated instinctively. "Star, c'mon, say something."

She said nothing, and afterwards she became distant. Like, more distant that when I first met her. Sometimes she would skip out on our lunches together. I would try looking for her, but I could never find her. I guess she got really good at hiding. Then, just a few days later, something terrible happened.

"For today's lessons," Spitfire started, "we're going to do three loops followed by a two-hundred meter dive. Do you mares hear me!"

"Are you crazy!" Tornado complained. Honeysuckle wore an expressions of disbelief, but Soarin' was giddy with excitement. "We could kill ourselves doing that kind of crazy stunts!"

"Captain Spitfire, ma'am, permission to speak?" Honeysuckle asked.

"You're talking now, so go ahead."

"Lately, your drills seem to be moving towards more stunt-flying oriented exercises. Is this actually the case or am I reading too deep?"

Spitfire chuckled as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "I guess you've got me. Yeah, I have been taking some cues from stunt-diving. I figure it might help build some reflexes and technique, skills vital to a knight in the service of the King. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes," Honeysuckle sighed. "Well, as long as the insurance covers it."

"This is still crazy," Tornado mumbled.

Following Spitfire's careful instructions, the trio of knights completed their exercises flawlessly, a fact that made Spitfire swell with pride. Great fliers make great pegasi, is what she liked to believe. "Great job everypony! Why don't you all get some rest? Plus, King Steel Wing has summoned me, so I'll catch you all later."

"Ma'am!" the three knights saluted and watched as Spitfire took off. Once out of sight, the three collapsed to the floor in a wave of exhaustion.

"Captain is crazy," Tornado wheezed. "Does she really think stunt-diving in armor is a good idea?"

"Quit complaining," Honeysuckle replied between rushed breaths. "It's just part of the job."

"Say, how about we go get some food? My treat!" Soarin' exclaimed. Free food was more than enough to cheer up his friends. So they got up, still heaving in their breaths, discarded their armor by their tent, and rushed to the buffet.

SKIT: Reasons

Soarin': Oh yeah! Over the gums and through the tongue. Look out stomach because here comes another one!

Honeysuckle: You're awfully fond of pie, Soarin'. Any particular reason why?

Soarin': Simple: my mom made pies when I was a foal.

Soarin': Actually, she still does, but I'm not home often enough to enjoy.

Honeysuckle: I should have guessed it would have been something like that.

Soarin': What about you? Have any foods that make you think of less hard times?

Honeysuckle: No, none at all.

Soarin': Huh? Why not?

Honeysuckle: I grew up poor, Soarin'. The Cloud Kingdom barely has enough food to feed everypony, so ponies like me went hungry pretty often.

Soarin': Oh, I had no idea.

Honeysuckle: Tornado was in the same boat. Always complaining about the price of food.

Honeysuckle: Truth be told, the reason we became knights was just for the pay, and it's still not enough to feed our families.

Soarin': I had no idea the food problem had gotten so bad. Has it alway been this bad?

Honeysuckle: Not always, but tension between the nations never gets easier.

Honeysuckle: You know, we once visited an earth-pony town on vacation. Every vendor jacked up the prices on us and said it was because we weren't citizens so we got the 'foreigner' discount. Since then, he's been pretty reproachful to earth-ponies.

Soarin': …

Honeysuckle: Oh, you should have shut me up before I went on like that! I didn't mean to bring down the mood.

Honeysuckle: Say, why did you become a knight? I bet it's a good one.

Soarin': Not really...

Soarin': I became a knight because it was the only thing I could do. I'm not really good at academic stuff, but I was a natural born flier, and that just so happens to be what the knights wanted. So, when I signed up, I was accepeted on the spot/

Soarin': Heh, I got it in my head that, at the very least, I might become a hero. Like, I would get to be part of some epic war campaigns that would decide the fate of not just the Cloud Kingdom, but all of Equestria.

Soarin': Chimera clean-up is hardly epic.

Honeysuckle: Wow, that's almost cute of you.

Soarin': Uh, well, if you—

Honeysuckle: C'mon, Soar, don't ruin it.

Soarin': Heh heh.

SKIT: End

The three knights quickly and happily scarfed down their meal, faster than they should have. The pies and cupcakes and muffins would just disappear into their ravenous mouths, and it was moments like this that made Soarin' appreciate having made friends as a knight, but his mind wandered to another pony who he thought could enjoy this meal with him. "Have either of you guys seen Amethyst Star?"

"You mean that grouchy unicorn? I think I saw her with those other unicorns from Caballus earlier." Tornado offered, spewing a few flakes of crust everywhere.

"Learn to chew," Honeysuckle groaned, "but yeah, we saw her with the other Caballuns. Ugh, what were their names? Fancypants? Goldpants? Oh, screw it. Unicorns have dumb names anyway."

Soarin' giggled madly as he joked, "The guy doesn't even wear pants!" and all three broke out in laughter. "Well, I'll go find Mr. Pants and see if he knows where Star is. I'll see you guys around."

"Soarin', did you really fall for that unicorn?" Tornado questioned. "I mean, go ahead and date anypony you want, but when this mission is done she's going back to Caballus and you're going back to Heaven."

"Oh c'mon. Try giving the power of love a chance." He earned himself a painful stare from Tornado and Honeysuckle. "Okay, okay, I kid. Seriously though, she just seems like the kind who needs a friend. You can relate to that, right?"

"Perhaps, but the knight in shining armor angle rarely works out when applied in reality. Just, try not to get hurt." Honeysuckle patted him on his back. "Be careful, there's something off about her."

How right she was.

"Knights!" a distressed voice called out. The three of them turned and found Nimbus Knell galloping towards them. "Come! Quickly! There's been an attack at the castle! Somepony, one of the Caballun unicorns, turned and attacked the team! Spitfire, Blueblood, both of them were taken down and—"

Soarin' took off like a bolt of lightning, leaving a trail of dark clouds in his wake.

Castle of the Fallen Sisters: Forgotten Halls

Soarin' bucked open the doors of the ruined castle, the inside depressingly decorated with unicorn bodies strewn along the floor. "Dang it!" he cursed as he rushed to the closest pony, a unicorn with a long gash along her back. "Hey, are you okay? C'mon, speak to me!"

The unicorn coughed, spraying a few red drops onto the floor. "Are you a healer?" she cried weakly.

"S-sorry," Soarin' softly cried as the unicorn grew cold in his hooves.

"Soarin'?"

He turned, face-to-face with Amethyst Star, her eyes glowing menacingly as her horn giving off a bright lavender glow that absorbed the light right out of the world. Shadows grew larger, devouring Soarin' and everything else until nothing but darkness was left to peer into. Soarin' shifted uncomfortably. "Star? Star, did you see who did this?"

Another lavender shot out through the darkness, illumination from a menacing scythe, a blade at both ends facing opposite directions, swaying above Amethyst Star. It spun, turning its blade to face Soarin'. "I did this," Amethyst Star said calmly.

Soarin' scanned the ground. He found a discarded spear he could use. He slowly inched towards it as he stared down the sinister scythe. "C'mon, Star. You didn't do this? You're always so quiet, trying not to laugh at my dumb jokes. You can't hurt anypony, right?" The double scythe flew past him, barely nicking the edge of his mane. "That didn't hurt." The double-scythe passed him again as it returned back to Amethyst Star. It hurt him deeply inside.

"My mission is to secure Celestia's Eternal Sword." Her words were cold and emotionless, quick and deliberate, casting chills into his mind. "I follow my orders for Equestria."

"For Equestria!? What does this have to do with Equestria! C'mon, Star, tell me! You're always talking in stupid riddles and metaphors! How can you expect anypony to understand you if you keep being vague!"

"I simply don't."

"Cut the stupid act!" he yelled, nearly tearing apart his vocal chords with the power of his voice. He took the spear between his hooves,holding it out to defend himself. "Please, before things get worse, surrender."

"For what?" she hissed.

"For what!? You killed these unicorns who were from Caballus like yourself! Are you okay with this?"

"We aren't from the same house. There will be no love lost between me and them. Any repercussions are for those higher on the ladder to deal with." Her response was automatic.

"Same house? What? No! Killing these unicorns, I mean these ponies couldn't have been a part of whatever mission you were given!"

"Grow up, Soarin'. You're a knight in service of King Steel Wing and if he had given you an order to kill then you would kill."

"Shut up!" Soarin' screamed as loud as he could. "Just shut up! My King, and the world, are nothing like that! Amethyst Star, you can't do this. Please, surrender. Please, trust me?"

"Trust?" she squeaked.

"Yeah, trust me!" He dropped the spear, hope swelling in his chest with each step he took towards her confused visage. "You can trust me, Star."

"Do you trust me?" Her voice cracked with strain, and soon he was right in front of her, flashing her his usual cheesy grin.

"Yeah, I trust you-"

The blade of the double-scythe imbedded itself in Soarin's shoulder. It glowed with Amethyst Star's aura of magic. "Star?" was all Soarin' could say as he felt his warm life ooze down the wound. "Star?"

"Trust, love, friendship? It will all be the death of you, Soarin'." The weapon withdrew from Soarin, and he fell to the ground growing limp and cold. Amethyst Star turned around, and disappeared into the darkness of her own magic.

"Amethyst!" he screamed again through the pain of his wound, but he couldn't see anything through the darkness, and his own vision was fading out as pain took control of his body. "Amethyst! Get back here! Amethyst Star!"

She disappeared, but when I woke up Celestia's Eternal Sword was still where is was. Did somepony stop her? She disappeared into thin air, and nopony knew where she was. And then the next day came...

Castle of Clouds: Throne of Heaven

Soarin' was back at the castle in Heaven, in King Steel Wing's throne room. Around him were all his fellow knights and most of the higher commanders. This was for him, he knew, and behind him Tornado and Honeysuckle were patting him on the back. "Don't know what you did, but congrats, Soarin'," Tornado told him, beaming with mirth.

"Yeah, thanks," Soarin' responded half-heartedly. He wanted to be back in his room, scratching at his wound even if he was told a million and one times that it was a bad idea. The king stepped into the throne-room, and everyone but Soarin' turned. He kept his eyes downward.

"Captain Soarin'," King Steel Wing announced as he made his way to his throne. As he passed, the various knights on both sides bowed in respect. Spitfire stood at the front, right next to the King's throne that now seated its king. She was smiling at him, filled with pride. "For your feats of heroism displayed in recent events," King Steel Wing started, "you will be promoted in rank. Feel honored, for you shall be immortalized in the halls of the Cloud Kingdom's finest."

"Thank you, your majesty." Soarin' bowed. Around him the knights broke out into a loud clop of applause. Was this not the moment he wanted the most in his life? He asked himself that question so many more times between the moment when his red drape was taken off his armor, and a blue drape was put its place. Nothing changed. "This is a great honor," he said listlessly.

"Now then," The atmosphere in the room changed as King Steel Wing readjusted his posture, clasping his forehooves over his mouth. "There are greater matters to attend to. Anypony who is not of elite captain rank or higher can leave now." The lower knights filed out, leaving just a handful anxious to know what the King's next words would be. "We must discuss the matter of the food shortage." Next to him, the purple sword pulsed, giving off the slightest bit of eerie purple light.

"Yes, well I have been hard at work with our top economists," Nimbus Knell bragged as she stepped to the center of the room. "A small town in Canterlot territory has been a little down on their luck. We could enter into a deal with them by offering up some of our rainwater for some food. Granted, all we'll have to eat are apples, and it still might not be enough, but it will assuage the hunger dilemma plaguing our cities if we ration wisely. Sharing is caring after all." She giggled at her own quick quip and around her the knights were emanating with joy. Their families and loved ones just might get a decent meal, they hoped.

"It will assuage it, but it will not solve it," King Steel Wing declared, getting up from his throne, carrying Celestia's blade under a wing. "We will eventually face problems again, and we still wouldn't be able to feed everypony. No, there is only one immediate and permanent solution to the problems we face." He paused, taking in every anxious stare. "We will invade the neighboring cities of the earth-ponies. With just a few under our control, we will have access to their city farms and land and increase the output to feed everypony."

"W-what! Invasions!?" the various knights gasped.

"It is the only way unless you want to see your fellow pegasi dying on the streets with shrunken bellies; children holding their stomachs as their last lights finally dim." He was strong with his words, showing not even the slightest bit of hesitation, but the same could not be said of everyone around him.

"It would be an act of war!" Nimbus Knell cried out. "We could have the entirety of Equestria bucking back! We can't take that! Father, please, have some consideration. Even if we save our own, would it be worth it if it meant hurting other ponies?"

"It would," he stated calmly and assertively. "I would still prefer to keep the casualty count to a minimum, so we would need to make our strikes quick and deciding. No room for error or we could find ourselves on the wrong side of a sword."

"We're going to kill other ponies?" Soarin' whispered in disbelief. "We can't—"

"We can't do that!" Spitfire called out, anger welling up in her blade as her teeth threatened to crush each other. "We're supposed to be defenders! The shield of the Cloud Kingdom! Hail, half of us signed up thinking we would be fighting nothing but chimeras! Not other ponies! You can't expect us to make a clean attack when so many of us are untrained in that kind of warfare both physically and physiologically."

"Then I'll do it myself," King Steel Wing declared.

SKIT: Expectations

Soarin': Captain Spitfire, ma'am, permission to speak?

Spitfire: Soarin', we're of equal rank now. You don't need to ask me every time you want to talk.

Soarin': You're still my senior.

Spitfire: You can omit that. It makes me sound older than I am.

Soarin': But you're just a few years older than me.

Spitfire: Yeah, but you're the youngest knight to ever receive a promotion to this rank.

Soarin': That's part of what I wanted to talk to you about.

Soarin': I feel like I don't deserve this. All I did was get stabbed. I didn't stop her from getting the Eternal Sword.

Soarin': Spitifire, in your eyes, did I earn this promotion?

Spitfire: …

Spitfire: Listen up, you're now an elite captain. There are very few ponies higher than you in authority now, but this means that you have a lot of responsibilities.

Spitfire: As of now, you're a role-model to younger pegasi. Your orders will mean the difference between life and death of those under you when a chimera attacks our city, or worse. You are now in the spotlight Soarin', and it doesn't matter whether you're ready or not, and for that I'm sorry. You can either grin and bear it, or turn in your resignation letter now before things get too hot for you to handle.

Spitfire: Your choice.

Soarin': I understand...

SKIT: End

I couldn't believe what he said. Do it himself? His majesty was strong, but no stronger than a normal pegasus, but that sword changed everything. Within a few months we had pushed the borders of the Cloud Kingdom all the way to the edge of Canterlot. Pretty soon, nearly all the earth-pony city-states were under our control? And how? That sword. With that sword, King Steel Wing could do anything. With one beat of his wings he could shake cities. He was unstoppable, at least, that's what I thought. One year later...

"Soarin'! Get your flank in gear now!" Spitfire sped through the halls of the castle, Soarin' just a few meters behind. "We've got an assassin on the loose, move it!"

"I'm flying as fast as I can!" Soarin' pleaded.

"If that's all you can muster then turn in your armor now!" she yelled back furiously before speeding off ahead into the throne room. The doors stood open, welcoming anyone to see the sight of the great pegasus King clutching his bleeding chest in pain. "Your majesty!"

"Captain Spitfire," he seethed angrily. "I want every unicorn in this city identified! Let it be known it was those conceited beasts that dared to injure the King of Heaven!"

"I understand, your majesty," she bowed, and turned to find Soarin' at the entrance, huffing and wheezing. "All those pies finally catch up to you?"

"You really want to test me now, Spitfire?" Soarin' roared back. "I swear, if you keep pushing me I'll show you just how far I have mastered Cirrus's arte!"

"Nice to see you have some bark back," Spitfire sighed. "You heard the order, right? We've got to start cataloguing the unicorns,"

"Yeah, all five of them I'm sure."

"Talking back is supposed to be below a knight of your rank."

Before Soarin' could strike back with a poorly thought out retort, Spitfire flew off. He cursed himself, and the wound that continued to hold him back. He turned to the heaving king. Was it just a coincidence that he was injured in a similar fashion? Along the shoulder by an obviously bladed weapon, and by a unicorn. "Did you see anything, your majesty?"

"It wore a black robe," he growled angrily, "but I could see the horn protruding from its head before its ghastly spear lunged at me."

"I understand," Soarin' bowed. "I'll get a doctor right away."

"It's about time." He paused for a moment, falling to his kneejoints and no longer strong enough to stand. "Also, Princess Cirrus Stride went after the assailant. Be sure to have a servant ready for her return."

But she didn't return. Princess Cirrus Stride was never seen again.


Fillydelphia: City of Ambition

Soarin' took a sip from his water. It was a long story for him and it ended on a rather depressing note. He felt no more absolved than he had at the start. He noticed the three fillies fidgeting uncomfortably. "But, hey, the story has a happy ending!" he quickly added.

"Yes, tell us about this happy ending? By chance, are you referring your kings continues rule over the earth-pony city-states?" Lulamoon taunted. "I'm sure from your pegasi standpoint that is a happy ending."

"No, what I mean is that the story isn't over yet."

"What?" Sweetie Belle hopped up on the table. "But then what's the happy ending?"

"I'm still writing it, but when I finish it you three will be the first to know." He saw some light return to the three fillies eyes. It was more than worth a little white lie to give them some hope in happy endings. Such hope is the privilege of childhood, even if he knew they would eventually learn otherwise. "So, what did you three little fillies want to tell me?"

"Oh, yeah!" Scootaloo jumped on the table, shoving aside Sweetie Belle. "Nightmare Moon said she was going to attack the Cloud Kingdom! She said she would sink our city! If she attacks Heaven, then my mom and dad and everypony is in danger and—"

"Calm down," Soarin' whispered soothingly as he placed a hoof on Scootaloo's back. "You’re talking about Nightmare Moon, you mean the old pony tale? Are you sure you just didn't have a bad nightmare?"

"Oh, Nightmare Moon is real." Lulamoon replied with a vicious grin that stretched from ear to ear. "This night sky? This isn't natural. We should have seen the sun an hour ago. Instead the stars are still up there, and the moon isn't moving. Nightmare Moon is back, and she brought her eternal night with her." Her eyes danced with electricity and her grin stretched farther back as she saw the first glimmer of despair cross into Soarin's mind.

"But, even if that is true how could she possibly cause an entire city to sink?"

"Do I need to repeat myself? Look up. She can make the sky hold still, you really think that making your feeble city, built on a mountain of clouds, will hold still against such terrible magic! Oh, you slay me! You really slay me!" She laughed, madly even, and continued to laugh as Soarin' pounded his hoofs on the table.

"Those are lives you're laughing about!" he roared, reducing Lulamoon to quiet giggles. "Innocent lives that are in danger! How can you laugh about such a thing!"

"Simple, I care about nopony but myself," Lulamoon replied cooly. "Sympathy is for those not strong enough to stand on their own."

"You're some kind of something." Soarin' unfurled his wings, ready to take off towards Heaven. He remembered the fillies. It was too dangerous to bring them and they would only serve to slow them down, but they weren't safe on their own. "Okay, Miss Moon, if you're so strong, take these fillies with you to Caballus. You said you were on your way there, right?"

"Why should I?"

"Because your conscience won't let you leave fillies alone in this city at night?"

"You'd be surprised," she seethed.

"Okay, how about because I challenged you."

"Do you really think my ego is that warped?"

They went silent, and none of the three fillies dared to step between them. Soarin' grinned to himself when he saw a frustrated bolt escape Lulamoon's horn. "One of them is from Caballus? You could just dump them on her parents, and then, when this is all done, I'll find you and make it up in some way? Deal?"

"Make it up how?"

"Use your imagination! Every second I stay here puts Heaven in more danger!"

"Anything?" Lulamoon's violet eyes flared up as a murderous spark. "That sword, and how you used it to deflect my lightning. You will teach me how it works."

"Fine, it's a date," he said with a wink. He saw her shiver in disgust, but that didn't matter to him. He turned back to the three fillies and bowed to them like he would before a queen. "I thank you three for delivering this message to me. Rest assured, I will fly as fast as my wings will let me and more." He was happy to hear the three of them giggle in response. He turned, and took off into the sky.

Cutie Quest Cleared

Equestria: Cold Heart's Pass

Lulamoon trudged across the frosted lands of Caballus. She pulled a rickety and cheap wagon, within it containing some of her personal items and three fillies. "Why did I agree to this," she groaned as a terribly cold breeze passed over her.

"Thank you for taking me back home, Miss Lulamoon," Sweetie Belle thanked her sweetly.

"Shut up! Don't talk!" Lulamoon snapped. Sweetie Belle retreated into the wagon, hugging her fellow crusaders close for warmth.

"Sorry."

"Didn't I say don't talk!" Lulamoon snapped again. She continued to pull the weighted down wagon, keeping her horn alight for the slightest bit of warmth she could give to herself, but it was barely enough. She knew if she didn't pick up the pace she was in danger of freezing over. "Curses," she cried softly.

"What do you think this is?"

She heard the fillies scrambling around in the back of wagon and rustling through her things.

"It looks like a giant round rock."

"Don't touch anything!" Her voice cut through the snowy howls, catching the crusaders and paralyzing them. "If you touch that stone I will char your little pony hides! Do you hear me! Don't touch a thing!"

"Yes ma'am!" the three replied.

"Didn't I say don't ta-alk!" The ground began to shake, violently, as if the world was going to split in two. The three fillies screamed in the background, but she kept still. The shaking eventually stopped, passing away as if nothing happened.

"That was stronger than the last one," Apple Bloom commented. She covered her mouth, ready for another beration from Lulamoon, but she remained silent. "Huh?"

A monstrous chimera, resembling a beast halfway between gorilla and a dinosaur with horns, appeared from the white void roaring and shaking the earth with each step it took.

"Finally, something interesting," Lulamoon rejoiced in delight. Her horn began to build up electricity and she shot it into the sky. "Thunder Blade!" From the sky, three blades of thunder shot out and skewered the behemoth, sending crackling electricity through the monsters body. It fell over, smoking and ablaze. "Finally, warmth," she whispered as she held her hooves next to the charring skin.

"Uh, Miss Lulamoon," Sweetie Belle squeaked as she crawled over the side of the wagon, "how did you get your cutie mark?"

"Ask me again and you'll join this chimera on the spit."

Comments ( 4 )

Awesome chapter, this story is a great way to flesh out the setting and background ponies; Your version of equestria is getting so deep that I could easily see it as an official tales game. And I find it interesting that miss "Lulamoon" has a big round rock in her wagon. an element, perhaps?

Still, I can't help but feel a bit impatient for the next installment of the main story. Your take on the mane cast has actually inspired me to come up with some mystic artes for them, and some others besides. Now that school's out, I may even try animating a few.

I like these side chapters especially how some minor character got some development. And like Tytoman i've start thinking how would be the Mane 6+Spike's Mystic Artes just for fun.

Oh, that Lulamoon. Not bad for an alias. I can definitely see her as a recurring character :rainbowlaugh:

756379

It seems that whoever was providing all my Legendia music got booted from Youtube. As for Lyra's name, I think it's pronounced Leer-ruh. Thanks again.

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