Sunny Knight: a Pony's Tale

by TheothersideofSunny968

Newer Nightmares

Following Sunny's hoof tracks and the loud sound of the buzzing and hissing changelings, Twilight, Cadence, Shinning Armor and the guards quickly caught up to where the yellow unicorn had lead the changelings. Sunny was in a clearing, with the swarm circling all around him, keeping him from running away, with no Queen Chrysalis in sight.

"Alright men, let's attack on my command" Shinning called out to the guards.

"Oh? I wouldn't do that if I were you, your majesty..." an eerie voice echoed in everypony's ears. But as they all looked around, the owner of the voice couldn't be located.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Shinning ordered out loud as his eyes darted all around.

"As you command, your majesty..." the voice replied. From the very ground below, a grey smoke began to gather, like an eerie mist on nightmare night. Everypony watched as the clouds of smoke gathered and took a new form. The owner of the voice was a rather tall stallion, slightly taller then Shinning Armor, with a top hat, cufflinks, and a bow tie. As the new stallion opened his dark green colored eyes, he cracked a smile revealing two rows of sharp teeth. "Greetings, one and all."

"Who...are you?" Twilight asked, squinting her eyes at the familiar stallion.

"I am but a humble servant" the stallion said as he bowed and used a dark green magical aura to remove his hat and place it over his chest. As the stallion rose and put his hat back atop his head, his reptilian like eyes looked directly at Twilight. "My name is Charming. Charming Knightmare. And I'm afraid I can't allow you to interfere."

"What? Why not?" Twilight asked. "Are you working with Queen Chrysalis?"

Charming chuckled at the thought. "Oh dear me, no! And you won't have to worry about that mean old Queen any more. See, we sent a friend of ours out to throw her a party, and let's just say, he really 'brought the house down.'"

All the guards looked slightly away from Charming to look to each other, wondering what he meant.

"So are you controlling the changelings?" Cadence asked the tall unicorn stallion in a top hat.

"Me? Im afraid not. But why don't you all just sit back and watch the show. I
Assure you, it will be very... informative" the unicorn stated with a toothy grin. "You see, the changelings are about to remind your, ehem, 'friend', of some nightmares he used to have. And trust me, I know everything about 'his' nightmares!"

Everypony watched as the Sunny bucked and punched every changeling that came his way. The yellow stallion's endurance and stamina seemed limitless until his hoof almost collided with a crystal pony. All the guards recognized the mare as the flower store owner from the Crystal Empire. Sunny immediately dropped his hoof, not wanting to strike the mare. All the other changelings settled down in a wide circle surrounding the yellow unicorn, their red eyes all fixated on him.

"It's all your fault..." the mare spoke with a great amount of hurt in her tone.

"It's because of you that we all suffered" another mare from the Crystal Empire stepped forward from the sea of changelings.

"You failed us..." a crystal stallion stepped forward after her, chains around his hooves.

"It's your fault we were enslaved!" another stallion stepped out of the swarm, rattaling chains that were shackled to every one of his hooves.

Taking several deep breaths and closing his eyes, Sunny calmed himself down enough to speak. "You aren't real. You're all just a nightmare. And I'm not afraid-"

"What in th' hay is all this 'bout?" A familiar voice interrupted Sunny's firm and bold statement. The yellow unicorn's eyes flung wide open as he looked over to see Applejack emerging from the crowd, appearing confused. His heart stopped when she reached him. "Are ya'll ok, sugarcube?"

"A-Applejack?! W-what are you doing-" Sunny stumbled over his words, but couldn't speak fast enough.

"Get away from him!" One of the Crystal ponies shouted at Applejack.

"He's a monster!" The flower shop owner yelled out.

"He's the son of the evil king Sombra!" The Crystal stallion in chains yelled out.

Sunny's heart began to beat faster and faster until it's beat echoed that of a drum line before the start of a great battle. He couldn't get his breathing under control as his eyes darted around, catching a glimpse of all the ponies from his past as they emerged from the sea of changelings. They all began yelling just like they did in his nightmares, but what was worse, they yelled out how he was his father's son, that he was the son of King Sombra!

The yelling stopped for a moment, just long enough for the yellow stallion's ears to catch the words "is all that true, Sugarcube?"

Looking into Applejack's big green eyes, Sunny felt absolutely defeated. His deepest, darkest secret revealed to the last pony he ever wanted to find it out. Taking a deep breath in a futile effort to calm himself, Sunny looked to Applejack, hoping with all his heart that she, out of anypony, would see that he's not just 'the son of an evil king' but that he's 'Sunny'. "It's true... I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Applejack.... I guess I was just scared that you'd reject me..."

After a long pause, Sunny looked up only for his heart to sink completely into his stomach. With fear and anger in her eyes, Applejack began to step back, glaring at Sunny. "You... you lied to me! Ya'll told me ah could trust ya! But ya lied ta me! This whole time!"

"N-no! Applejack! I didn't lie!" Sunny reached out with a hoof, tears beginning to fall from his eyes. "Please!... I... I need you!"

"Well that's too darn bad" Applejack spat at Sunny, every word colder then ice. "Ya'll ain't wanted at th' farm or anywhere near me or mah family! Just stay away from us! You- you monster!"

With that, Applejack ran trough the crowd of changelings, up the hill towards where Twilight and the others were, leaving Sunny collapsed on his knees, two heavy flowing rivers running from his eyes. That had done it. That had broken the wall Sunny had built around his heart, with all the debris falling on the former prince.

"Stay away from me!" The changelings around Sunny now took the form of Applejack as began yelling at him, quoting the outraged Applejack.

"Ya lied ta me!" Another Applejack changeling yelled out to Sunny.

"Yer ah monster!" Another called out as every changeling began to transform into Applejack now.

"Ya lied ta me!" Several Applejacks began yelling the same chanted quote all at once, giving it that much more power.

"Just stay away from us!" More began to yell as the Applejack's began closing in on him.

"Please.... I'm sorry.... I'm so sorry... I'm sorry I lied..." was All the broken Sunny could say as he curled up on the ground, tears running from his eyes, powered by a broken heart...

Back atop the hill, Twilight had had enough and teleported herself right in front of Charming Knightmare and was now starring him down. "Let him go! Or I'll-!"

"Ya'll do what, Sugarcube?" The Applejack who had broken Sunny's spirit had happily galloped up to the group, a vile and smug smile plastered all across her freckles face.

"Ah yes! Brilliant work, drone" Charming said, tipping his top hat to the orange mare. Slowly, the Applejack that stood there in front of everypony changed in a flash of green light, reverting to her original, insect like form.

"A changeling?!" Cadence spoke out.

"What did you do to the captain?!" One of the guards snapped and broke formation to charge at Charming, holding his spear right at the tall, grey unicorn.

"Me?" Charming sounded appalled. "Why, I did nothing to him that 'he' didn't already do to himself!

"I've watched over that colt, night after night, guarding his dreams from princess Luna to keep his life a secret. And all he does to entertain me is have dreams about that wretched mare!" Charming spat out the last sentence as if it all left a nasty taste in his mouth. "It's always picnics, dancing at the gala, and even worse and most distasteful, ugh! A wedding! Could you believe that?! A stallion like him? Marrying an element of harmony? Ha! That would be like Discord marrying Fluttershy!"

The grey unicorn began to chuckle, but was quickly silenced as a blue magical aura wrapped around his muzzle, sealing it shut. Everypony turned to the mare that the aura belonged to. The princess of love herself, Princess Cadence.

"And what exactly is wrong with that?" Cadence asked, her eyes showing her lack of amusement. "He may be the son of King Sombra, and the Black Knight, and the guy who broke my husbands leg. But if Twilight says he's a good guy and a friend of hers, that means he deserves to be happy. And if Applejack makes him happy, then 'she' is the one who makes that call. Not 'you'!"

Releasing Charming from her spell, Cadence and Shinning stepped closer to the tall, top hat wearing unicorn, everypony ready for a fight. Not wanting to drag things out any further, Charming Knightmare just smiled slightly before calling out with a large whistle that he made with his own dark green magical aura. As if being controlled by the whistle itself, all the changelings that were tormenting Sunny looked up, reverted to their original forms, and took to the skies in one big swarm.

"As you command, dearest princess" Charming said before his own body began to dissipate into smoke. "Until we meet again, your majesties..."

Just as quickly as he arrived, Charming Knightmare was gone, leaving behind one emotionally shattered former prince, with a broken heart...

Hours later, after the Crystal guards finished cleaning up the broken glass and damage. Shinning Armor and Twilight were able to use a glass repairing spell, that Twilight had been wanting to try out, to fix the castle windows. All this was going on while Sunny sat on the castle front steps, with a cup of hot chocolate in his hooves, just starting at the setting sun.

He hadn't said a word since Twilight and the others picked him up and carried him back to the castle. Looking at him now, watching him from afar, Cadence couldn't believe that this was still the legendary 'Black Knight' who broke her husbands leg, the stallion who barked orders to their guards and got them to obey him, much less even the son of the Empire's number one enemy. He just seemed so... so frail. Like a China doll that was already starting to crack. Cadence didn't know what to do, whether to leave him alone or to go over and try and comfort him.

"Ah've never seen him that broken hearted before..." Pappy seemed to magically appear next to Cadence, shocking the pink alicorn. "Sorry ta catch you off guard, princess Amore."

"Ugh... that's Mi Amore, Pappy" Cadence corrected him. "But I told you, you could just call me Cadence."

Turning and looking at the alicorn beside him, Pappy squinted his eyes trying to focus her image. "Ah, Cadence!... please, go ta Sunny. His hearts' broken, and Ah fear that he might end up followin' in his father's hoof steps."

"You think he'll be like his father?" Cadence felt shaken by Pappy's prediction.

"Exactly the same... Sunny'll walk a lonely path, just as his father did when his heart got broken. They both were so kind hearted, so carefree in their youth... everypony needs somepony there for 'em. Somepony they can turn to when they need help, somepony they care fer an' trust. That's why Sunny broke Shinning Armor's leg."

"Wait, WHAT?!" Cadence nearly screamed, but caught herself. "What do you mean, Pappy? Why would breaking Shinning's leg-?"

"He saw how sad ya were" Pappy continued, interrupting the princess. "Ah was there on that day of th' Crystal fair. I was lookin' fer th' funnel cake stand an' spotted Sunny wanderin around.

"He can disguise himself all he likes, but ah helped raise that pup. Ah know him ah mile away. Ah watched him from ahfar, waitin' till he was all alone. Ah watched him follow you and yer husband go behind the tents, so ah followed him. That's when he saw yer argument. He saw how broken hearted ya were, and knew he had ta beat Shinning at jousting..." Pappy said as he looked from Sunny to Shinning Armor. "Ah watched him closely as he went head ta head 'genst Shinning. As good as Sunny was, he's out ah practice and by no means a match fer yer hubby. So he did what he needed ta do ta make things right. Even if it meant becoming public enemy number one ta th' whole Empire. To the place he grew up. His first home..."

'His home....' Cadende thought as her mind jumped back to the argument Sunny had with them the first time he and Twilight came to visit. "I never thought about how he felt... we just took his home from him. Not just from his father... but him too."

"Ah wouldn't worry too much 'bout that" Pappy nudged Cadence a little to shake her from her thoughts. "He's got ah new home now. One with ponies he obviously cares a lot about. Well, at least one really pretty filly."

"Applejack..." Cadence spoke her name.

"Ah'd very much like ta meet this 'Applejack'" Pappy said with a grin. "Ah've seen th' young prince turn down dozens of beautiful, eligible princesses who traveled from all over Equestria ta court him. None ever won him over. This Applejack must really be somethin'."

No longer hesitating on what she had to do, Cadence walked over to Sunny, not really knowing what she would say, leaving Pappy just smiling as he stood there and thought about when he was young and in love.

The hot chocolate had long since grown cold and the whipped cream on top of It had turned to a mushy puddle of white goo. But none of that had mattered to Sunny. He didn't know what to think. Part of him wished he had turned to stone, part of him wanted to continue crying, but a bigger part just felt numb. A concept worse then a thousand year nightmare was revealed to him. A concept that is 'what if Applejack didn't accept me?'

"Hey..." Cadence spoke up, causing the yellow stallion to look up momentarily, then turn his attention back to the setting sun. In that split second, Cadence saw such sadness in his eyes, like a candle light that had been blown out. Taking a deep breath, Cadence sat beside Sunny, unsure of what to say, but started to speak. "I... I know why you did what you did now..."

"Did Twilight tell you?" Sunny asked almost immediately, his voice completely deprived of any and all emotion.

"No... but it doesn't matter" Cadence tried to reassure the yellow unicorn. "You... you've had it kind of rough, haven't you?"

Sunny didn't answer Cadence's rhetorical question. He just continued to watch the sun set.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is... I'm sorry..." Cadence spoke as softly as she could

"'You' did nothing wrong" Sunny answered this time, but kept his eyes locked to the horizon.

"No... but you know, you didn't either" Cadence's words were able to tear Sunny's attention away from the setting sun now. She had his full attention. "You aren't a bad guy, Sunny. Misguided, irrational, thick headed, but hey, that's most guys. That's why we girls need to stick around and keep you in check. That's why you need Applejack."

Hearing her name made the tears begin to gather in Sunny's eyes again. Cadence had to act fast.

"Listen, Sunny, I know Applejack pretty well. She would never talk to you or act like that" Cadence tried to reassure him. "And think about this, if she means that much to you, don't you think 'you' might mean something to her too? And maybe she actually would accept you no matter who you are or who your father is?"

Sunny took a moment to think about that. He had been so afraid to hear Applejack reject him, that he never considered if she actually would look past all that or not.

"Am I wrong in saying that you two have had some really good times together?" Cadence asked, a small smile growing on her face as she felt the power of love healing Sunny's broken heart. "I'm sure Applejack will feel the same about you as you do about her. But only if you tell her how you feel and be honest with her."

"... do you... do you really think so?" Sunny's shaky voice asked under his breath.

"I know so, remember..." Cadence's small smile grew with her confidence. "I'm the princess of 'love' remember? So if there's one thing I know, it's how to bring two ponies together."

More tears began to gather inside Sunny's eyes as he looked back at Cadence. "Why are you being so nice to me?... you know 'why' I broke Shinning Armor's leg, but I'm still your worst enemy's son."

"Actually, I kinda think of Chrysalis as my worst enemy. And it seems like you and I are on the same page with not lurking her" Cadence joked, urning a small smile from Sunny. But the smile quickly vanished.

Cadence put a wing over Sunny as she smiled at him. "Come on, cheer up. We're ok now. Friends."

"Friends?..." Sunny repeated the word. That word that he's used so much more in the past few months then he's had his entire life. "Do you... do you mean it?"

"Sure I do. If Twilight was willing to stick up for you against me and her brother, that means you're a really good friend to her. And being her friend means we're friends too." Cadence said as she playfully nudged Sunny as Pappy often did to her, urning a small smile from the yellow unicorn. "And hey, maybe after I talk it over with Shinning, would you like to come back to the Empire some time? As a guest?"

Hesitation struck Sunny at the thought. He would like nothing more then to go back... but not yet, not this soon. Maybe by the time Cadence took to smooth Shinning Armor over, maybe Shinning would have time to forgive him as well. Then, maybe it would be ok. Hopefully, by then, Sunny could bring the Apples, and show them where he grew up.

"I think I'd like that... thanks Cadence" Sunny relied with a weak smile. Then leaned in and gave the pink alicorn a great big hug.

"That ah boy" Pappy said as he appeared beside Sunny with a fresh cup of hot chocolate. "Now drink up, chocolate's good for ya. Yer gunna need all yer strength."

"Why? Is there some inevitable battle, like an oncoming storm, that is in our near future?" Sunny asked, his heart being to race with anxiety.

"Eh, maybe?" Pappy said as he scratched his chin. "But ah was talkin' bout ya carrying yer old Pappy back ta th' Apple farm. Taday's been awful hard on yer old Pappy, so ah was hopin' ya wouldn't mind givin' me ah lift. What with those new strong leg muscles ya have there. Probably got 'me from working that farm all day."

Both Sunny and Cadence shared a moment of confusion as they looked from the elderly earth pony, to each other, then back to Pappy.

"Ugh Pappy, ain't ya gunna go back With Cadence and Shinning Armor?" Sunny asked, regaining his country accent.

"Ah would, but ah made ah promise ta yer mother, Sunny, that ah'd look after ya" Pappy started to say as he scratched his chin. "Now that yer back, ah guess Ah better join ya on th' farm, ifin that's ok with yer new family and Cadence."

The pink alicorn was shocked to hear that Pappy was actually willing to go with Sunny, but saw the smile he and Sunny both seemed to share. "I'm ok with it. Besides, you've been needing to take a vacation anyway, Pappy."

"Ah'll try and not be gone too long" Pappy exclaimed. "Just long enough ta make sure this little pup can fend fer himself."

"Then ah guess it's ok" Sunny said with a big grin. He turned to Pappy, his smile doubling in size. "Ready ta meet th' family?"

"Any pretty mares who like older gentle colts?" Pappy said then chuckled to himself.