Sunny Knight: a Pony's Tale

by TheothersideofSunny968

a new member to the Apple family

Chapter 11 a new member to the family?

"So let me get this straight" Applejack looked Sunny in the eye as she sat on the family couch, surrounded by her brother and sister, while Sunny sat in the easy chair, sipping cider. "You were just sleeping under a tree when 'Goldie', not 'Golden', Delicious, an elderly earth pony came up to ya and told ya to go find me, Applejack, in Ponyville, so ah can help you with gettin' yer memory back."

After swallowing a small sip of the apple based liquid, Sunny smiled, nodded and replied. "Yep! Oh, and she was kind enough to give me this nice had, and a canteen of water."

"That sounds like cousin Goldie to me" Granny commented, carying a plate of cookies into the room and setting it doen on the coffee table. "But why didn't you tell us you needed help when ya first got here?"

"Well it sounded like you needed my help with the harvest more then I needed to get my memory back. Besides Applejack wasn't here, so I would have had to wait for her anyways. At least this way I could do something useful." Sunny explained, twirling the liquid around in his cup as he shifted it in his hooves.

"But it was thanks to him that we got the harvest in as fast as we did!" Apple Bloom shot in to defend the yellow stallion. "And-and he was helping Granny with the baking!"

"That is true" Granny answered. "He has been awful helpful"

Applejack smiled, tipped her hat and looked over at Sunny. "Well Sunny. Until Twilight gets back and we get things sorted out, you can feel free to stay in the guest room. Provided you do help with the chores. After all, you don't work, you don't eat."

Sunny smiled at the decision as Apple Bloom bounced around with glee and Granny let out a 'yea ha!' "Thank you miss Applejack. I... I really appreciate it."

"Don't mention it. You really did save our flanks though. Ah just hope Twilight can help ya out when she gets back from Canterlot" Applejack added shootin the stallion a half smile.

"What did she go there for again, sis?" Apple Bloom stopped bouncing long enough to ask.

"Oh right! Ah left in such a hurry ah forgot to tell y'all." Applejack shifted her hat again. "Well, I need y'all to keep an eye out for somepony or something. Ya remember when ma' friends an I went to the Crystal Enpire for the first time? And had to protect it from some ancient evil?"

"Oh! You mean with that shadowy feller?" Granny asked.

"Shadowy feller?" Sunny asked slightly confused.

"An evil king, turned to shadow by the' princesses over 1000 years ago. " Applejack began to tell the tail. She began with how he enslaved every pony, forced them to do his bidding, used dark magic on them and hide the Crystal heart. And when the princesses tried to seal him away, after turning him into shadow, how he placed a curse on the empire and it went missing for 1000 years. Then when it turned back up, Applejack and her friends went to it and help the crystal ponies as well as Shining Armor and princess Cadence. Ending the story with how Sombra was destroyed by the power of the Crystal heart, blasted into a million pieces, and all the ponies of the Crystal Empire were free.

"But now it seems that that meteor that we saw th' other night might have somethin' ta do with him. We found dark crystals all around the crashed meteor." Applejack concluded, her expresion hard and grim.

"So this Sombra feller might be back!!" Granny asked, on the edge of her rocking chair.

"Ah don't know" Applejack answered honestly. "But we need to be on our guard. It could be..." She looked over at Sunny. "You ok Sunny?"

"Yeah, wh-" he stopped when he felt something wet hit his front leg. He looked at it and it looked like water. When he put his hoof to his face, he felt it was wet, and it just dawned on him that he was crying.

"Sunny?" Apple Bloom asked. "What's the matter?"

"I-I don't know" he answered honestly. "... I must have been upset about the crystal ponies being hurt and mistreated so badly... That was so sad...."

"Oh nothin' ta worry 'bout, partner" Applejack added, smiling at the stallion. "They're doin' great! We just went there not long ago to visit with Shinning Armor and Cadence. Every pony was doing fine." Her smile faded. "But that's why we have to stop whatever came out of that meteor. For their sake. The crystal ponies. For Cadance and Shinning Armor. And for every pony everywhere."

"Ah know ya can do it sis!" Apple Bloom jumped up and tackle hugged her sister.

"It's a team effort sis, but thank ya." Applejack said as she fell over wrestling with her sister, her hat fallen off her head and to the ground.

Sunny half laughed and half yawned. Granny looked at the clock. "It's gettin' late every pony. Best be gettin' ta bed. We have tons of work in the' morning."

Applejack and Apple Bloom got up, brushed themselves off, hugged, and all the Apples went to their respective rooms. Applejack showed Sunny to the guest room which was fully furnished and ready for use whener company dropped by. She grabbed some pillows and blankets from the hall closet and began to make the bed. She looked over at Sunny who was caught staring at the moon.

"Who raised the moon?" He asked, not making eye contact.

"Princess Luna" Applejack answered, finishing up the bed. "She's really nice. And great at games and loves pullin' practical jokes."

"And the sun?" Sunny asked, his facial expression unchanged.

"Princess Celestia" Applejack now took a seat next to the stallion who kept his eyes on the moon. "Ya really don't have ah memory, do ya?"

Sunny forced a half smile as he now looked into the emerald eyes of the orange farm mare. "Nope. Nothing..."

"Ya don't have to do that" Applejack told Sunny, now looking just as sad herself.

Sunny looked back at her, confused. "What do you mean, miss Applejack?"

"Ah mean, don't force a smile" she told the stallion. "Ya hurt more when ya force ah smile, then when you just frown."

Sunny made a real smile as he looked at the mare. "I don't know how... But I think you are the second pony to ever tell me that."

"Ya mean you got some of yer memory back?" Applejack got excited for a moment.

"No" Sunny answered honestly. "But... I just have a feeling. Like you and only one other pony ever told me that... Thank you..."

Applejack smiled back at him as she stood up and went to the bedroom door. "Any time, Sugar cube" As she stood at the doorway, she looked back at the yellow stallion. "If there's anything ya need, ahm just next door, ok?"

Sunny met the gaze of the blond farm pony with his mirroring emerald colored eyes, gave her an honest smile, and replied. "I will, thank you".

And with that, Applejack slowly shut the door. She stood there, on the other side of the door, looking out into nothing as she felt her heart pounding like she had just run a race with Rainbow Dash again, or when she tried to buck an entire orchard by herself in less then a day. She couldnt help but smile to herself as she placed a hoof over her chest, closed her eyes, and became lost in this new feeling.

Sunny as well felt odd. But rather then excited, he felt at peace. He looked out into the night and over the apple orchard. It felt like.... Like a home. Maybe even... His home.

"No matter what" he declared, promising himself. "I won't let anypony or anything hurt this farm or this family..."