Sunny Knight: a Pony's Tale

by TheothersideofSunny968

Family Pride

All week Sunny had gone about his usual routine; waking up before the sun rose, cleaning himself up, doing chores, deliveries, maybe talking to a friend or two, then studying with Twilight until dinner time when he went back to the farm, ate, helped with the clean up, then went to bed to rest before he did it all again. All the while, Big Mac kept a close eye on him.

The red farm stallion woke up extra early to finish his chores, so when Sunny went off, he could fallow behind, but this only added to the Big Mac's anxiety. He watched as Sunny delivered the shipments, how Sunny paled around half the time when he could be working harder and faster to make the deliveries. He saw how Sunny talked to a lot of the mares in town, specifically one grey one who played a giant fiddle, and her blue maned, mute, friend. 'More of his 'mare friends' ah bet.'

Big Mac even watched Sunny and Twilight practice their magic threw one of the castle Windows. Of course, the way the castle was structured, he had to climb up one side of it, like a tree. He fell quite a bit doing so, but Big Mac eventually worked out a system to keep him locked in place long enough to watch Sunny and Twilight. He carefully observed how the yellow unicorn was acting, and oh he was good, Big Mac thought. 'Has even somepony smart as Twilight convinces he ain't good with magic. But not me! Ah' see right through the varmint!'

The week was long, and even longer for Big Mac who, even though he didn't see it, he was suffering from the effects of his doubled work load he put on himself, the loss of sleep it all required, and the amount of effort that went into spying on Sunny day after day. But still, his drive to protect his sister's heart and his whole family was worth it.

Well the night came, Sunny had just finished his chores and was carrying in a few barrels full of apples, using his magic to levitate them in the air, rather then use up his strength pulling the cart loaded with them. Apple Bloom and her friends watched from the side of the barn, and were amazed at how much weight Sunny could hold at one time.

"That's so cool!" Scootaloo commented, watching in awe, thinking how Rainbow Dash could probably lift that my of not more, if she where a unicorn.

"Yeah! Even Rarity has a hard time with half of that!" Sweetie bell chimed in, hypnotized by how little effort Sunny seemed to be exerting.

"Yep! Sunny's been practicin' with Twilight for th' past two weeks now!" Applebloom told her friends proudly, to which they awed at.

"Hey Sunny! Did Twilight teach you and other spells yet?! Like, can you turn into a dragon or something?!" Scootaloo asked as she made growling noises and claw swiping motions with her hooves.

"Oh! Or can you make a whole field of flowers bloom on command?!" Sweetie Bell asked as her eyes lit up with the thought of playing in a whole freshly bloomed field of flowers.

Sunny just paused and looked at the fillies with a raised eye brow. "Ugh.... Not really. She taught me how to teleport, make a mustache grow on anypony of any age, and how to turn an apple into an orange. We were going to cover a time traveling spell, but but Twilight said it would just cause more issues, whatever that was supposed to mean."

After pulling in the rest of the load in for the day, and watching the crusaders run off to their club house for a sleep over Sunny ran off to the farm house to see if Granny needed anything before he went off into town for Thunder Lane's party.

"You two fellers go on and have yer selves a good ol' time now!" The elderly green mare told Sunny and Big Mac. Apparently Applejack and the girls were throwing a party for Flitter as well, and she left not long before Sunny and Big Mac came inside. Sunny knew Flitter stood by Thunder Lane's side this whole time, and was happy Applejack and the others where going to help her unwind. He could only guess how stressful it must be taking care of some pony, even a pony you care about, all the time.

The sun was just beginning to set as Big Mac and Sunny arrived in town. After a long and awkward walk, Sunny turned to his pal with great concern and asked him "is everything ok Big Mac? You seem like.... Something's bothering you. If you don't want to stay and party all night, we don't have to, but I do have a gift to give Thunder..." He then patted the top of his hat, indicating he was hiding something.

'Ah ain't gunna leave until I show all of Ponyville what kinda snake you are' Big Mac thought as he forced a smile, looked Sunny in the eye, and simply said "eh'nope".

Sunny was unconvinced but figured the red stoic stallion would talk when he wanted to, and didn't pester him. All week Big Mac looked like he got worse sleep then he did that night he had that weird poetry reading dream. But didn't want to say anything. He had never seen Big Mac mad, but didn't want to be one to push the red farm pony to lose his temper.

The party was held at a club ran by a mare named Berry Punch. Sunny had talked with Octavia about it previously because her best friend Vynal Scratch, or as the crowds call her, DJ Pon3, dj's the music there. The famous DJ Pon3 was really good from what he had heard from the ponies in town. And Sunny was eager to see what everypony in town talks about, but more importantly, he wanted to go and see his good friend, Thunder Lane.

As he and Big Mac entered the club, the yellow unicorn's eyes homed in on a corner of the club that was decorated with balloons and a large colorful banister with Thunder Lane's name on it. Sunny straitened his Stetson hat, making sure his horn was showing, and happily trotted over. Big Mac, who entered the club right behind Sunny, had looked around the entire club, then followed behind Sunny, making sure to give him room so the yellow unicorn wouldn't feel like Big Mac was shadowing him. 'Wanna catch him in the act. And he won' if a'm hoverin.'

But as the sun colored unicorn stallion joined the group of stallions, every pony cheered, both happy at the sight of the yellow stallion, and in awe at his horn. Sunny had gotten used to the attention his reviled appendage had brought him, and even was starting to enjoy and roll with the little jokes, like "so did Twilight use a spell on you?" or "did it just pop up over night?" To be honest, if either of those were true, Sunny wouldn't really be able to tell the difference. But he didn't much care. It was there, and he wanted to learn to use it.

As Sunny joked with friends he made from town, Big Mac stood in the corner, glaring at the suspiciously friendly stallion. But before he could over think anything else, a familiar mare approached Big Mac.

"Hey Big Mac" Cheerilee said as she happily trotted up, her pink mane bouncing slightly. "Fun party, isn't it?"

"Yep" the red stallion said, his full focus on Sunny, who was now playing a round of darts with Thunder Lane, the party devided between some rooting for Sunny, and the others rooting for Thunder.

"Sunny's a nice guy, isn't he?" The school teacher pressed, stepping slightly closer to the red farm pony.

"Seems so." Big Mac snapped, the thought of sweet Cheerilee being fooled by a snake like Sunny made his blood boil.

By this time, Cheerilee noticed the stallion's frustration and didn't wish to keep quiet. "What's bothering you Big Mac?"

The stallion couldn't hold his anger and speak to the school teacher at the same time. He looked into her gentle eyes and the anger began to wither. He released is held frustration and angst in a heavy breath. "Ah'm just...."

The school teacher looked over at the yellow unicorn chugging a pint of apple cider with the group. "Is it Sunny?"

"Eh'yep...." The big red stallion admitted, shooting a sharp look at Sunny.

"Do he do something wrong?" Cheerily asked, not really sure what the stallion could have done to enrage Big Mac so much. She had always seen Big Mac as the gentle, hard working, timid stallion of most mare's dreams. But seeing him like this was unreal to her.

"Ah think he's gunna" big Mac's rage began to boil up again. "We don't know much about him. He could be trouble."

"That's true" Cheerilee admitted, looking over at Sunny again. "But he hasn't yet?"

"For all we know, he could be running from the law, pretending to have lost his memory to make the trail grow cold. Then when we least expect It, he'll stab us in the back, robbing us blind or using us all up, then throw us out." The stallion's tone has as hard and cold as winter in the orchard.

"Wow, I never thought of it that way." The maroon school teacher admitted looking over at the group of stallions. "What brought this up?"

The stallion now wanted to return to his stoic ways, not wanting to tell Cheerilee what he over heard a week ago about Sunny being a play boy. But his thoughts were interrupted by Sunny's voice cutting through the club, even breaking through the music.

"Take. That. Back." The yellow unicorn huffed, anger clearly in his voice. He was glaring at three pegusi who Big Mac had recognized as members of the back up weather team for Ponyville. Hoops, Score, and Dumb-Bell were well known for causing trouble and making fun of other ponies, especially ones who where earth bound.

"What's the matter, candy corn?" Hoops asked, a slick grin on his muzzle. "Can't take a joke?"

"Yeah!" Dumb-bell echoed. "Can't take a joke?"

"You crossed the line with that one" Sunny pressed, the music stopped now, with more and more eyes falling on the yellow stallion, wondering what had gotten him so upset. Sunny was angry, but he kept his voice even as he shot his eyes like daggers at the trio "Take. It. Back. It wasn't funny."

"Oh? Or what?" Score asked, chuckling.

"Are you gunna bake us a pie? Or just kick trees?" Hoops added, which got some more laughs from his other two companions, but nopony else.

"Yeah! How about a pie!" Dumb-Bell commented, making himself laugh.

Now everypony in the club, DJ included, had turned their attention to the chuckling trio, feeling awkward from the atmosphere created by the group and Sunny.

"What's going on here?" Berry Punch now walked up, wondering what all the commotion was about.

"Just this guy doesn't know how to take a joke" Score said, done laughing, acting annoyed, realizing the amount of attention he and his pals were gathering.

"I didn't think that was funny. And no pony else is laughing." Sunny flared, anger clear in his voice. "It was really insulting. So I'll ask you once again. Take. It. Back."

"You think you're tough becouse you have a horn now, don't cha?" Score spat, narrowing his eyes at the yellow unicorn.

Hoops leaned in closer to the angered yellow unicorn, narrowed his eyes like Score did, and grinned at him. "Why don't you make me? Farm. Pony. Or would you rather go play in the dirt?"

"You have something against ponies who work hard?" Sunny asked, his tone remaining leveled.

"Pft, please" Score commented. "I didn't know playing in the dirt and baking with grandma counted as 'hard work', did you Dumb-Bell?"

The dark brown pegusus laughed with his group. "Can I bake cookies with you and grandma, too?" He joked, nudging his pall in the side.

"Why don't you and your Apple hick family go back to your little farm and play in the dirt some more" Score repeated his earlier statement. "It's what you're good at, right?"

Sunny up until then had kept his temper under control, but he was losing his control and fast. "Do you want to take this outside, and I'll show you just what a 'farm pony' can really do?!"

"You talk big, candy corn" Hoops commented, lead in forward again. "You think you can take us on all by your self? We'll throw you way with the rest of the dirt."

"We'll see" Sunny replied, looking like he was ready to duke it out with the three pegusi right there, but Thunder Lane stopped him, putting a reassuring hoof in his yellow friend.

Thunder still had casts around his wings and bandages around his forehead, and but his hooves were free. And his best one was now stopping his friend from starting, or finish, a fight with those three goons. The injured stallion looked to the trouble making trio and narrowed his eyes at them. "I think it's time for you three to leave."

Hoops rolled his eyes signaled for his pals to move out of their booth and leave. "Whatever" he said in an exhausted and annoyed tone. "This party was lame anyways. We're gunna hit the club in Cloudsdale, when you guys are done playing in the dirt and really want to party, we'll be there..."

With that the three trouble makers made their way out of the club, they received dirty looks from everypony in the club, even the other pegusi from cloudsdale. Once they where gone, Octavia can over and grabbed Sunny's attention and pulled him over to the counter where she ordered him and drink and began to calm him down.

Confused, Big Mac made his way over to the party group and tapped on Thunder's shoulder. He didn't need to speak, Thunder could guess what the red earth pony was going to ask.

"Those guys are jerks" Thunder said flatly. "And it just bugged them how everypony was having more fun when Sunny got here, so they hit him where it hurts."

But Big Mac was still confused, so Crescent stepped forward and clarified.

"They started making fun of the Apple family being 'farm ponies', saying they were 'simpletons', 'yahoos' and what not" the tannish pegusus told Big Mac.

"And they just kept hitting that nerve, knowing that would make him lose his cool." Thunder added.

"Every pony in town knows how much you guys mean to him." Crescent put a hoof on big Mac's shoulder. "He's always talking about you guys. About how hard you guys work during the day, how you and him compete to see who can harvest the most apples, about what Granny taught him to make, about something new Applejack taught him about harvesting,planting, or preparing for winter."

"And he told me that his most prized possession is that Apple family hat" Thunder Lane added. "He only takes it off when he baths and when he goes to bed at night. He said it makes him feel like one of you. A real Apple."

"You guys are the only family he's got" Crescent solemnly commented. "We may joke around, but no pony, well, maybe no pony with any shred of respect, would dare say anything bad about you guys. Especially not to him."

Big Mac looked over at Sunny, who was taking a few deep breaths and talking to Octavia while he sipped on something else to drink. Suddenly Big Mac felt his heart sink as he began to feel that he was wrong about the yellow unicorn. He held his breath as he scratched his head and walked off from the group and back to Cheerilee. She had been off to the side watching everything happen. Her face remained emotionless as Big Mac approached her.

"So, still think he's trouble and waiting to strike when you least expect it?" She asked Big Mac in an even tone.

Big Mac then released his held breath, his head hanging low, ears dropped. He couldn't find the strength to look at Cheerilee. "Eh'nope".

"Maybe you should go and join the party" the school teacher suggested. "Then talk to Sunny when you feel ready."

The big red stallion raised his head and smiled at the teacher with easy eyes, then gave her a hug. She returned his hug and he whispered "thank you" into her ear.

At the same time, Sunny and Big Mac rejoined the party group, both bouncing back from the aftershock. Almost immediately the group cheered back up and the party resumed.

For the rest of the night, the stallion's drank Cider, hoof wrestles, played games, told stupid jokes, told stories, laughed, and just plain had a fun time. And for some odd reason, the light brown stallion with an hour glass as a cutie mark was wandering around with his metal box, it beeping every now and again. But the group just ignored him. It was late by the time the stallion's left the club that was closing. Sunny bid Thunder Lane and Crescent Moon goodbye and began to walk with Big Mac back to Sweet Apple Acres.

The walk home was a quiet one, despite both the stallion's leaving the party with better feelings. Something was bothering Sunny. But as one could guess, the yellow stallion broke the silence before the red one.

"I'm sorry about that Big Mac" Sunny said as he walked, not turning to look at the big red farm pony. "About getting that angry back there. I almost lost my temper and would have made the Apple family look bad."

"Ah heard what them fellers wer' sayin" Big Mac plainly said in a monotone voice. "It's best to ignore that stuff."

"I could if they were just messing with, or even directing their jokes 'at' just me" Sunny added, still unable I face Big Mac. "But when they say stuff like that about you and the others, it burns me up. You all work harder in one day then those three ever have in their entire lives. So what if you all don't have wings. You do more without them than any pony could with them! Wings and horns don't matter, it's what you do with or without them that do..."

Big Mac had kept at a pace to stay slightly behind Sunny up until this point, it was easier to keep an eye on him, that, and Big Mac still felt guilty about earlier. That, and he wanted to avoid eye contact, guilt for earlier still lingering. But now he had grown curious of what Sunny's facial expression might be. As he reached just ahead enough of Sunny to catch a glimpse of his face, Sunny pulled his hat over his horn and covered most of his face as he hung his head low. But for a quick moment, Big Mac saw the hurt in Sunny's eyes.

"You and your family took me in, Big Mac, gave me a home, fed me, cared for me... I could never repay you. But I'll be hog tied and thrown in the mud before I let three feather brained baboons, like those guys, talk bad about you and the family!" Sunny's rage mixed with his pain, and he released it with a heavy sigh.

"Sunny" Big Mac began. "Ahm sorry."
The yellow stallion looked up and at the big red stallion who now looked down in shame. "Ah've been suspiciously of you fer a week or so. After ah heard you and Crescent talkin' in the orchard 'bout you and Applejack or Twilight and.... Ah guess mah mind just ran away with itself."

"Well... That explains the cold shoulder I've ben getting from you for the past week" Sunny awkwardly admitted noticing a change in he normally silent stallion. "But I'm glad."

Big Mac stumbled a bit,
Confused. "Er.... What?"

"You were concerned about your sister" Sunny began again. "I know she's a strong mare, and she thinks she can take on anypony or anything that comes her way, but we all need somepony to look out for our backs... And well... As much as I want that to be me who helps to look after her, Apple Bloom, Granny, and, well...you... I kinda know I'm not strong enough yet."

"Ya protected us from That evil queen" Big Mac reminded him, then it struck him. If Sunny really was some con artist or play boy, there would have been no way he would have stood his ground against that evil witch! This made the red stallion's heart sink. 'How could ah have been so blind.'

"I'll let you in on a secret Big Mac " Sunny snapped the red stallion back to reality. "I really do care about your sister... But right now, I can't do anything about it.."

They both arrived at the arch of the apple farm when Sunny paused, leaned up agains the white fence and looked solemnly out onto the apple orchard. "I have no idea who I am. Or rather, who I was. I just recently even found out what race of pony I am. I'm doing my best to learn what magic I can so that when more trouble rears its ugly head, I can fight it back.... But until I have all my questions answered, I don't want anypony to get too close to me." A shadow fell over Sunny as his eyes fell to the dirt.

"What if it turns out I was a really bad pony, and that's why my memories are repressed? Or what if I failed to help others, maybe even my own 'real' family and what happened to them horrible I couldn't forgive my self and locked those memories away... I just don't know...."

Big Mac began to felt even worse as his heart fell to the floor. All of what he had been angry with Sunny about, his fears and suspicions, we thoughts the Yellow stallion had suppressed and feared as well! But worse, he was afraid for the apple family, not himself. 'All this time... Ah had been a darn fool.'

The big red stallion threw on his casual and easy smile and walked over to Sunny and put a hoof on his shoulder. "Listen, if you ever wan' ta' be with Applejack, that's between you two. Ah've never seen her fancy a stallion before, so ya'll would be the first. But if ya do one day get togeather, and ya break her heart, ah will break yer legs. Same as I would any other stallion."

Sunny nodded and readjusted his Stetson, trying to hide a smile, but failed at it. "That's respectable and understandable."

"But more importantly, Sunny" Big Mac continued. "No matter what, weather you find yer blood family or not, th' Apples will always be real family to you. And you to us."

A happy tear, or rather, a drop of liquid pride fell from Sunny's cheek. "Thanks Big Mac... It... It means a lot to hear that from you."

"Yer a great guy, Sunny" Big Mac continued. "Ah'll always consider you an Apple and, well... A brother."

Sunny looked at Big Mac, his eyes glazing over with liquid pride that was ready to burst through. But he took a deep breath, released it slowly, then held up his yellow hoof. To which, the big red stallion met with his own hoof, bumping together.

"It's late" Big Mac said with a smile. "Why don' we hit th' hay? Lots of work tomorrow."

Sunny nodded and followed Big Mac up into the farm house, walked in the front door, and got ready for bed quietly, knowing the others were fast asleep.

But one souls was still stirring. As the shadows shifted that the arch of the apple farm cast with the moon light, they took a familiar form of a stallion. A tall, proud and powerful one, with a mane of burning black fire, who's green and red eyes pierced through the darkness and watched as the yellow stallion turned in for the night.

"Sooooon" the deep voice echoed in the night like a harsh winter breeze threw the apple tree leaves. Then the shadows reverted, taking their regularly cast form back of the arch. And like that, the night resumed its peace.