Sunny Knight: a Pony's Tale

by TheothersideofSunny968

An Honest Heart, unbreakable Bonds

It had been a perfect day. From waking up before the sun rose, getting all the harvesting done before breakfast, to selling out of all their apple products and making way more bits then they expected, then spending the rest of their day togeather, Applejack never wanted this day to end. Never in her life had she ever thought that sharing an entire day with anypony could make her this happy, feel this complete. Until now, that is. Sunny had suggested they both spend the last moments of their day sitting together on her favorite hill just outside the orchard, watching the sunset. Applejack was far too shy to admit it, but she had often dreamt of the exact same thing. It was like a dream come true. And if this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up.

As the sun was about to set in the distance, they both sat close next to eachother, gazing at the sky as it changed from blue to brilliant shades of red and orange with it’s far side becoming a vivid purple. It was a perfect moment that was about to get better. Applejack could feel Sunny's left hoof sneaking over her back, a light blush coming to her freckled cheeks as the farm pony’s mind began to race with her deepest desires, her heart pounding so loud she thought Sunny would surly hear it. But their possible moment was interrupted when both she and Sunny heard something rustle in the bushes.

"What was that?!" Applejack reluctantly jerked away from Sunny who she felt was about to embrace her. But the farm mare learned to trust her intuition. And she felt something was wrong.

"Stand behind me, I'll take care of it" Sunny teleported from where he was to taking a defensive stance in front of Applejack.

Before the orange farm pony could say anything else, something emerged from the bushes, something that sent a chill up Appejack's spine and began to turn the purple night sky black. Had Applejack seen this thin before? She didn’t think so. But if she hadn’t, why did it fill her with an array of powerful mixed feelings?

Before both the ponies stood something who's body was made of shifting shadows and smoke. A creature who's very existence bread fear and consumed it as well. Glowing eyes shined through the darkness and seemed to burn into the eyes of the two ponies gazing upon it. An umbrum.

As Sunny arrived in Applejack's dream, he cautiously proceeded to locate her. But something deep inside of him was making him sick to his stomach. The last time Sunny had seen Applejack (before she was turned into a statue that is) was after he had cast that horrible curse on her. Despite Bug Mac’s compelling reassurance, the yellow unicorn's mind was buzzing with questions and fears.

'What if she hates me?! What if she doesn't want to see me?! What if seeing me puts her back in that fear stricken state?!...' Sunny thought as he gradually made his way through the orchard.

It wasn't completely outrageous that Applejack would dream about Sweet Apple Acres, especially the orchard. It was a safe and wonderful place where a pony could find peace, but something seemed familiar about this place. Something that was on the tip of Sunny's tongue, but he couldn't quite place where he had seen it before. Almost as if 'he' himself had-

Just as his mind began to reel the possible idea, Sunny reached the edge of the orchard and gazed across at Applejack. She wasn't alone, and Sunny knew then why he had recognized the area. It was the same dream 'he' often had! Where he and Applejack were at the edge of the orchard, laying on a checkerboard blanket, watching the sunset! But he was sure this was her own dream, not his.

'WAIT! Does... does Applejack-' Sunny began to piece things together when a dark green magical aura engulfed him, covering him in the dark shroud of magic.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" Knightmare's voice slithered into Sunny's ear as the yellow unicorn was levitated into the air and turned around, made to face the dream master himself. Knightmare's reptilian like green eyes locked with Sunny's as he shot him a sharp toothed grin. "Looks like Somepony came back for seconds? Tell me, how did her fear taste? Delicious?Sweet as apple pie?”

Struggling to break free, Sunny jerked his body in every direction that he could while charging up magic in his own horn. "You'll... never get away with this... Knightmare!"

"Oh? Get away with what?" The dark unicorn played around Sunny's words. "With my master plan? Or with finally putting an end to this disgusting dream once and for all by showing your little crush just what you really are!?"

Before Sunny could figure out what the dark unicorn was planning, Charming Knightmare kicked up his level of magic to increase the pressure around Sunny, making his body tense up and cringe in pain. It was as if the weight of a thousand brans were crushing down on the yellow stallion from all sides! With such pressure, something began to give and Sunny's body began to crack. As shards of his yellow, fur covered body began to fall and shatter to the ground, dark smoke began to emerge from his body. But Sunny still fought back, realizing quickly what Knightmare was trying to do. Charming knew the son of Sombra would be strong and inevidibly put up a fight. So the witty dark unicorn prepared for it.

"You know the most tragic and disgusting part of this whole thing?" The top hat wearing unicorn asked Sunny, his toothy smile growing. "Applejack has no idea that the creature that haunted her Nightmares was 'you'!"

Knightmare's words hit their target. Sunny's green eyes shot open as the physical pain his body was experiencing went numb as his heart sank into his stomach.

"Oh? You didn't know, did you? But you knew I could walk into anypony’s dreams, and nightmares, and see what they dream about.” Knightmare continued, enjoying the look on Sunny's pain stricken muzzle. "The entire time she was suffering with the curse you put on her, she had horrible nightmares of a green-eyed shadow monster! And what's better, she doesn't even know it was you yet! But hey! Why keep her guessing? Why not tell her the truth after long last?"

All the secrets Sunny tried to hide began to bubble back into his mind, everything he kept from Applejack and the others were now right in front of him. Coupled with the horrible fact of what he did to Applejack, Sunny's body collapsed. His pony form shattered, leaving just a smoky umbrum behind.

Looking down at the umbrum laying on the ground at his hooves, Charming thought to add just a little more spice before sending his dish out. "After all, you're the 'guardian of honesty'. Might as well tell her everything! It's not like she'll completely disown you and want nothing to do with you! I mean, you're not just the son of their enemy, but you're also a ‘literal’ monster! A creature that feeds and survives on fear! The stuff of nightmares that even 'I' can replicate!"

A mirror appeared in front of Sunny thanks to the dream manipulating powers of Knightmare. The green eyed umbrum was forced to take a good look at himself. His shifting shadow and smoke like body was everything he was told to fear in his youth. But there was one more thing he remembered. One more thing his father told him to do if he ever came face to face with an umbrum. Hold no fear in your heart.

Pushing the mirror aside, Sunny looked once more at Charming Knightmare, who looked puzzled by Sunny's actions, before pressing forward and moving though the bushes to face his biggest fear. Confessing everything to Applejack...

Before Applejack and Sunny stood something that Applejack swore she saw before. Something that looked like it was made of shadow and smoke. It had a stretched out and warped pony like body, with two green lights for eyes in it's head. Starring into those burning green eyes, Apple jack felt she knew something about it, she felt something.... familiar, but she couldn't quite put her hoof on it.

"Applejack" it spoke in an echoing voice that seemed hazy but also familiar to her. It appeared to stand up strait as it spoke, meeting her gaze. “I need to tell you something... I need to tell you a lot of something's. But..."

The creature was having a hard time talking, as if having a hard time getting the words out. Then something came to Applejack that felt as natural as taking a breath or blinking. Like she had said it time and time again. "Ya'll know ya can tell me anything, right?"

That was all the creature needed. Taking a deep breath to fight back the tears, the shadowy creature looked Applejack in the eyes as he spoke again "I'm sorry... I never meant to hurt you... it was an accident."

At first, Applejack didn't know what to make of the creature's apology, then she realized something. A look in his eyes seemed really, really familiar. They were sad, but also very, very happy. As if trying to make the best out of every day and forget all the bad that happened in the past. It was then that Applejack knew what, or rather, who the creature was. Only one pony had that look in his eye, the look that made her want to run up to him and give him a hug, and let him know that it will all be ok.

"It's ok, ah know ya didn't mean nothing by it, Sunny..." Applejack answered, fully remembering what had happen to her. And not just the initial blast of dark magic. Her mind began to fill with images of him carrying her in his hooves to Twilight's as fast as he could, and asking Twilight to take care of her, as well as the tears in his eyes as he did.

Looking back into Applejack's own green eyes, Sunny felt something deep inside, something warm and relaxing, something reassuring him that it was ok, and to go on. So he continued with his heartfelt confession, starting with possible one of the darkest secrets he kept. "I... I'm the son... the son of king Sombra..."

"Ya don't say..." Applejack replied, her eyes still locked with Sunny's as she took a slow step closer to him, the 'dream' Sunny turning transparent and vanishing behind her. “Well, that kinda explains ah bit.”

"And... and I'm the Black Knight..." Sunny continued to confess, his voice returning to normal despite his body's looks. The more he said, the more he found relief in telling the truth, having to no longer keep up walls and tell believable lies. “The same one that broke Shinning Armor's leg... there's a long story and a good reason behind that..."

"Ah believe ya" Applejack continued to walk slowly towards Sunny, her eyes never leaving his, her tone and voice just as relaxed as ever. “Ya ain't th' type ta act reckless like that."

"And my father... he's...an umbrum" Sunny managed to get out. "A creature that is made of smoke and shadows... that feeds on fear... which makes me half one."

"Ok" Applejack continued to smile and walks towards Sunny, never hesitating with anything he said. Sunny could see no fear in her eyes or since even a drop of it in her heart. She remained as warm, understanding and inviting as the front arch leading to Sweet Apple Acres on a sunny day.

"And... and I wrecked Twilight's library! And got Spike to lie to Twilight! And did other horrible things to keep my identity a secret!" Sunny was now beginning to panic and stumble over his words and his thought train began to derail, his heart racing as the truth began to pour out like a broken foist.

"Where ya'll 'fraid ah wouldn't like ya if ah knew all 'bout ya?" Applejack now stood in front of Sunny, no more then an inch or two, looking up at him with her green eyes into his green eyes. Nothing else mattered to her. Not the fact that we dream world began to turn grey, details of it fading slightly, not the fact that the sounds that normally filled the air had gone mute, and most amazingly, not the fact that Sunny’s body was composted of shifting shadows and smoke! All that she saw were the eyes of the stallion she had watched and admired from a far for months. Nothing else really mattered at the moment.

The umbrum Sunny could no longer holdback his feelings. Tears began to stream from his eyes, burning and turning into purple flames as he confessed his deepest and most treasured secrets. "YES!.... I... I was afraid you wouldn't like me! I thought you would be afraid of me! Or disown me! And I couldn't stand the thought of losing you because... because... BECAUSE I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU!"

Stopping the tears and any and all fears Sunny might have had, Applejack closed the space between them by planting her lips upon his, tears also falling from her eyes as she threw her arms around Sunny's neck. The smoke cleared and revealed Sunny's yellow pony body underneath. Rather then break away and examine his body, Sunny continued the kiss, holding onto Applejack by putting his hooves behind her, never wanting to let her go either. At that point, their body's were enveloped in a brightly glowing orange light that flared and grew, disbanding the dream world around Applejack and Sunny, acting as a beacon for the rest of the element lights that were guiding their respective guardians and the elements of Harmony.

Finally breaking the kiss, Applejack looked into Sunny's tear filled eyes, his body returning to normal once more, and smiled. "Ah don't know when ya'll stole mah heart, but ya have it now. Ah don't care who or what ya were before, but now, yer mah Sunny. And ah never want ya ta leave me. Ah don't care what trouble comes our way. We'll deal with it togeather, deal?"

"Deal" Sunny agreed before sharing another kiss with Applejack.

As they continued to kiss, cheers erupted from around them. Breaking the kiss once more, Sunny and Applejack looked around to see their friends were all around them, smiling, tearing up, stomping their hooves and cheering for the newly formed couple.

"It's 'bout time!" Big Mac saluted from a pirate ship made of candy and toys.

"Yes indeedaly!" Pinky Pie added from the same ship.

"Guess we can go on double dates if you guys want!" Thunderlane suggested.

"You may want to run that by Flitter first" Rainbow Dash nudged the grey Pegasus. “But I think she’ll be cool with it.”

Fluttersy and Derpy passed a box of tissues between them, Rarity and Octavia. All of them happy for Applejack and Sunny.

"I'm happy for the both of you" Twilight stepped forward, nodding to Sunny with a reassured look in her eye. "I'm glad you could be honest with her."

"Me too... and thank you for all you've done, Twilight" Sunny said with a big smile.

"I hate to break this happy reunion up" Doctor started to say, looking off in the distance as a dark storm began to brew. "But I think we have a dream dwelling feind to still take care of!"

Off in the distance, a faint image of a giant unicorn stallion began to form. It's body appeared to be made of all kinds of vicious monsters and creatures, the things nightmares are made of. A pair of glowing green reptile like eyes began to glow it's head and locked onto the area where Twilight, Applejack, Sunny, and the other ponies were.

"Gather however many 'friends' you would like! I still rule this realm! And I won't allow you to leave and ruin my plans for a perfect world!" Knightmare's voice came from the monstrous mass of collected horrors.

Stepping forward, Twilight and Sunny stood tall and proud, as leaders of their respective groups. Twilight was the first one to speak as their friends all turned and faced the monstrous being. “Why are you doing all of this? What do you hope to gain?!”

“Me? Gain?” A smaller form of the evil grey unicorn appeared at the forehead of the giant Knightmare, smiling as his top hat fell off his messy mop of a mane, his eyes glowing very much like an umbrum’s. But his sight was slightly filtered with a false since of duty as he cracked a toothy grin at the twelve ponies before him. “My plan is simple; create a perfect world!

“By turning their bodies into statues, and allowing them to live within their perfect dreams, I can give the ponies of Equestria a trouble free life! A life where they don’t have to worry about monsters, about natural disasters, about princesses who can’t save them! A world where they won’t be judged, mocked, degraded, or anything that would stop them from achieving their goals and being ‘who’ they always wanted to be!” Knightmare was so lost in his own vision, he failed to see the disgust on everypony’s muzzles. “A true utopia! What could be a more noble cause then mine?”

“How about a world where all of it is real?” Sunny yelled at the dark grey unicorn, snapping Knightmare out of his delusion.

Glaring down at the son of King Sombra, Charming Knightmare’s voice boomed, echoing through the dream realm. “And what, pre tell, is so ‘great’ about a world where dreams don’t come true!? Dreams don’t come true for anypony unless they have wealth and power!”

“Your dreams can and will come true!” Sunny took a step closer, eyes glaring with bravado as he showed no fear of Charming or his nightmares. “You just have to work for them! Dreams don’t come true without you putting in the effort! Just like growing apples! You have to place the seeds of your dreams in fertile ground, show it care when it needs it, give it room to grow, and never give up on it, and soon, that little sapling will be a mighty tree, bearing fruit. And do you know what the best part of it all? Why it’s best to stick to your dreams, and work hard at them, Knightmare?”

“Humor me” the monsterous unicorn plainly asked, his eyes trying to weigh down on Sunny, but their magnitude was that of a pillow to the righteous unicorn.

“The best part of working hard and making your dreams come true, is being able to share it with your friends” Sunny smiled as he looked all around at all the ponies who smiled right back at him and shinned with the lights of their elements, their inner lights, showing they believed in all he was saying. Turning his attention back to Knightmare, Sunny asked him “If you go trough with this, and put all of Equestria under some sort of stone sleeping spell, and give them what you think they all want, where does that leave you, Knightmare? What happened to you? All alone, on the outside looking in? So not everypony wins in your ‘plan’. You just think they do, and you sit alone pulling the strings.”

The thought shook Charming Knightmare for a moment, but the moment was fleeting, and soon Knightmare regained his composure. “I don’t care what you think! If you don’t want to be part of my new world, then I’ll cast you all into the darkest nightmares I can muster!”

Retreating back into the monstrous unicorn’s head, Charming pushed out as much of Sunny’s speech as he could, but some small light deep inside began to flicker back to life. A small sense of logic was found in what the yellow half pony said. But the darkness in Alister’s heart wouldn’t allow him to surface. This was Knightmare’s time, ‘he’ would remain in control!

Right as everypony felt overwhelmed by fear of the creature before them, one pony stood against the fear, having more then enough of it for one day. Speaking with a firm and calm tone, Sunny looked to everypony there and told them. "We have nothing to fear from him. As long as we stand as one, and ever lose hope in one another, we will prevail."

Getting strength from Sunny, Twilight stepped forward and spoke to everypony as well with a newly found strength. "Sunny's right! We can do this! We just have to believe in each other! Believe in the power of our friendship!"

"Yeah! We can do this!" Thunderlane and Rainbow said togeather as they took to the skies, ready to strike at a moment's notice, quickly followed by Derpy and Fluttershy, who, although they weren't as bold as their friends who were the stronger fliers, they felt just as strong.

"Let's show this roughian what happens
When you mess with friendship!" Rarity stated as she lunged forward and took a elegant, defensive stance.

"I completely agree!" Octavia added as she took a mirrored stance to Rarity's, ready for a brawl.

"Ready the candy cannons, first-mate-possible-cousin-guardian-of-Laughter, Big Mac!” Pinkie Pie called out as she pointed her candy cane sword at Knightmare.

"Ready to fire on yer command, captain-possible-cousin-element-of-Laughter, Pinkie Pie!" Big Mac grinned, aiming the cannons at the monstrous fiend.

"Let's show him what happens when you mess with true friendship!" Doctor declared, for once ready to throw a punch, rather then calculate some numbers.

"And what happens when ya mess with somepony's special Somepony!" Applejack took a step forward and straitened her Stetson hat.

Knightmare lashed out with one of his hooves. The enormous hoof turned into a high pressure liquid like blast made up of horrible figures and shapes that all seemed to streach out, trying to claw at their target as if every form had a mind of it's own! But the creatures never met their mark!

Protecting the elements of harmony, as well as the newly formed guardians of harmony, was a giant sheild like barrier made of rainbow color! Not stopping his attack, the monsterous Knightmare now doubled the pressure with two hooves instead of one! With the pressure doubled, Knightmare was sure that the shield would crack! After all, he was master of the realm of dreams! Who could stand up to him?!

Charming Knightmare soon received his answer.

The rainbow light of the shield began to grow brighter and brighter, casting away the monsters Knightmare had summoned!

Twilight, Sunny and the others had had enough of Charming and his tricks. Without another word, the twelve ponies, Guardians and Elements of Harmony, released their inner lights of harmony, blasting them at Charming Knightmare and his giant monstrous form! The creatures that made up his giant monstrous form began to break away and fade into nothing.

"NO! No this can't be!" Charming called out as the giant astral body he created shattered, revealing his true form, the smaller, lighter grey stallion he kept locked away. Alister!

As Sunny caught the image of the familiar royal guard, the dream for them all had come to an end. Everypony was waking up...