Sunny Knight: a Pony's Tale

by TheothersideofSunny968

Hearths Breaking

The next morning, as Celestia rose the sun on that Hearths Warming day, right as soon as a glimmer of light hit the sleeping eyes of Pinkie Pie, her eye lids flew open and a smile broke out across her face. For the day she had been waiting for had finally arrived!

"It's Hearths Warming !" She jumped up and began running around screaming. Her sisters were the first ones to wake up to her enthusiasm, having shared the same bed as her. Next, she popped up inside her parents room and woke them from their gentle night's slumber, scaring them nearly out of their fur. She then popped upstairs to the room where the Apple family and Sunny were staying, and greeted them in the same fashion.

Apple Bloom hopped out of her bed and joined Pinkie in bouncing down the stairs. Granny, Big Mac, Sunny, and the rest of the Pies quickly followed. The Hearthswarming cheer quickly spreading to every corner of the house, breathing new life into the Pie family home. But once Pinkie opened the door and saw the farm's landscape, her heart shook. So did the hearts belonging to the rest of the ponies once they all filed out of the house, taken back by the newly transformed rock farm.

The farm had been redecorated with traditional Hearths Warming decorations, ribbons, wreaths, bows, and a tall flagpole. Standing proudly, and very tired looking, was Applejack who had a huge grin on her face. But before Applejack could say anything, Limestone Pie pushed her way between her parents, looked around and cried out in her burning outrage.

"What! Happened! To! My! Faaaarm?!?!" Her words rang far enough to be heard from the train station, leaving several ponies questioning what 'did' actually happen to some pony's farm on this joyous holiday.

"Happy Hearths Warming, Apple style" Applejack proudly declared. "We've been doing everything your way, ah thought we could mix it up a bit."

Everypony, both members of the Apple family and the Pie family looked... Uneasy to say the least. Applejack then entered the group and began to push Marble pie from behind towards a flagpole that was covered in lights and held an equestrian flag that stood at less then half mass.

"Marble, you get to raise the flag since you are the youngest" Applejack began, then dashed over to Pinkie's parents. "Ma and Pa Pie, we'll cook you up a meal you'll never forget! And look! We all get presents!"

Apple Bloom then pointed out a pile of presents that had been placed about 10 yards from the house in a delicate pile. The little yellow filly zoomed over to the pile of presents, picked up a small one, and shook it lightly. But before she could open it, Granny put a hoof on her shoulder and shook her head. Apple Bloom immediately caught onto what her grandmother was saying, and reluctantly put the present back in the pile.

"This is... Great, isn't it?" Pinkie nervously stated as she put in a shaky smile and looked to her best friend.

"Pinkamena Diane Pie!" Igneous's firm voice when speaking Pinkie's full name, presented his dissatisfaction with the situation. "Truly thou cannot favor this madness!"

Pinkie nervously looked between her family and Apples, on the verge of tears. "Well.... I.... I just want everypony to get along..."

"Well, it's not so bad" Sunny then stepped forward, taking a place beside both Pinkie and Applejack. "I mean, it is different. But isn't the point of today to spend time together? As family? Does it really matter what we decorate with, or what feels we eat?"

"Can it you sucking sweet candy corn!" Maud snapped, hissing at Sunny, who gulped and withdrew slightly.

Maud's monotone voice collected everypony's attention, tearing it away from a possible fight. "Excuse me, Applejack. But you planted your pole on a fault line..."

As if on cue, the ground at the base of the flagpole began to crash. Everypony watched in silent anticipation as the cracks branched out slightly across the ground, then stopped. Well, all except for one. One crack kept going, and going, until it ran directly under Holder's Boulder. Everypony held their breath as they watched the large oval shaped rock roll and fall directly into the rock canyon below. The Pies one by one looked over the edge at the large, egg shaped boarder that landed on its side at the deepest part of the canyon.

"NOOOOOOOO!!!!" Limestone cried out as soon as she was able to find her voice.

The flagpole that had remained standing up until that point some how snapped in half from the pressure and feel. At the same time, Applejack's ears folded down and heart sank as she, the rest of the Apple family, and Sunny felt horribly, horribly out of place and very much unwanted.

Although Limestone Pie did tell the Apples and Sunny to leave, they were all too willing. The Apples had their stuff packed and were on the next train back to Ponyville. Sunny had helped the Apple family pack and clean up, but couldn't find Applejack. As he finished packing the last but of luggage, he looked over and saw the pain on everypony's face, and whisked there was something he could do. All he wanted was for the Apples and the Pies to get along and enjoy this holiday together. If only he could just magically lift the Boulder up out of the canyon and put it back into place, things would be ok. But Holders' Boulder is way too heavy, and the cliff way too steep.

'If only Twilight were here, she could lift it with ease...' he thought with a sigh, clipping his saddle bag shut.

Applejack met the rest of the Apple family and Sunny at the station, eyes slightly red and puffy, possibly from crying on the way. Sunny and Big Mac packed their things safely away as they boarded the train. The train cart was almost empty, say for the Apple family and Sunny. No pony said a word, their spirits to low and broken from the experience. The one feeling the lowest was Applejack.

Sunny looked over at her and his heart crumbled. He had never seen the orange farm mare so down, so broken. He put a hoof on her shoulder in an attempt to ease her pain. If nothing else, it would let her know that he was still there for her. She smiled slightly as she turned to face him and put her hoof over his. But the warm feeling as short lived. She felt as though she had ruined everything.

"Ya wanna know why Holder's Boulder is so dang-diggedy important?" Granny said with a grin as she exhaled on the train window, she drew a crude picture of a pony and a large oval shaped rock in the condensation. "Well, now their great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Holder Cobblestone, he found that boulder in a dragon's nest, older than time itself! He built the family farm around it, even though it was just an ordinary rock. It always brought them good luck."

"Wow... So Holder's Boulder was really important" Sunny stated the obvious. "Maybe that's why all their traditions seemed to be rock based."

"Oh crickets! I got so caught up in the things they were doin', I never asked why they did 'em-" Applejack said, then was interrupted at the end when a large object smacked into her from above. She rubbed her head then looked over at the object. It was a wrapped gift. A gift from Pinkie pie. Applejack read the tag to herself, leaving the rest of the group slight confused and in the dark.

"Hey sis!" Apple Bloom spoke up, beaming with excitement. "You just found your first Pie Hearths Warming present, ever!"

The blond farm mare smiled and shook her head as she looked at her gift. "Only Pinkie pie would think ta hide a gift on a moving train..." She then paused as the gears in her head began to turn. "What a great tradition."

Applejack stood up and ran for the front of the train yelling "Stop the train!"

Back on the rock farm, every member of the Pie family pushed with all their might to get Holder's Boulder back to the top of the canyon. But try as they might, it wouldn't budge.

"Need a little help?" Applejack asked, catching every Pie member's attention as she, the rest of the Appel family and Sunny stood there, ready to help.

"Apples!!!" Pinkie cheered with joy.

"What do you want?" Limestone snapped, her sharp eyes pointed at the Apples and Sunny.

Applejack then removed her hat and places it over her heart as she spoke. "Ah wan to apologize. I wasn't tryin' to take your traditions away. I was tryin' to share ours. I was so focused on us bein' one big oh' happy family, I thought we needed the same traditions right away. What I should've done was learn about yours and teach you about ours. And over time, we'd make new traditions together. I'm sorry, y'all."

The anger and hostility in the air dissipated as every pony, Apple and Pie turned to Limestone, as if waiting for her approval. To everypony's surprise, the normally very cold and harsh mare cracked a smile. "Well don't just stand there, we got a bolder to move!"

As the Apples and Sunny joined in pushing the bolder up hill, Limestone turned to Sunny who was pushing the Boulder right beside her. "Don't think this is some mushy, family moment right now."

He smiled and the burned to her. "No, of course not. But when we get back to the top with the bolder, can we continue Hearths Warming?"

Limestone smirked as she told him. "Only if we get it up there before sundown. Put some muscle into it."

Just then an idea popped into Sunny's head. His horn began to glow as his magical aura wrapped itself around his body, encasing him in a thin layer of glowing green light. The Boulder then felt lighter to him as he pushed harder and harder with the rest of the ponies. Some like Apple Bloom and Marble paused for a moment and stood in awe at the green glowing pony. Others watch while they pushed. Sunny was for the most part unaware of what he was doing. Unknowing to him, he was casting a spell that focused his magical energies on strengthening his muscle's as well as rejuvenating them. He didn't notice, and to be honest, e could care less at the moment. All he thought about was getting Holder's Boulder up and out of the canyon, putting it back where it belongs, and continuing Hearths Warming.

"Just remember, I'm in charge!" Limestone said as she began to push harder to try and keep up with Sunny's new found strength.

Not long after Sunny unknowingly cast his spell to give him enhanced earth pony strength did the group reach the top of the canyon and were able to reposition Holder's bolder back where it belonged. Pinkie and Maud had filled in the fault line and strengthened it with some rocks and concrete.

The rest of the day was spent in the comfy warm living room of the Pie farm house. As Applejack place her funny looking rock doll on the manual place with the rest of the rock dolls, Sunny sat back and watched how everypony interacted with one another. Limestone brought out cinnamon rolls for everypony, while Apple Bloom played with Maid and her pet rock, Boulder. Granny and Pinkie's parents say at a table at the far end of the room and went back and forth with each other, sharing and teaching each other their different ways of speaking. Big Mac and Marble Pie sat and smiled at everypony, keeping mainly I themselves over by the warm fireplace. Sunny couldn't help but try and read them by their slight body movements.

As he tried to focus on their body language, a warm, fresh, sweet smelling cinnamon roll on a plate was put in front of him. It appeared to have more frosting it then the rest of them did. Sunny looked up and was surprised to see the mare who delivered it was none other then Limestone Pie.

"I know how you like stuff to be sickeningly sweet, so I saved this one for you" she said as she took a seat next to him. They both looked at the bunch of ponies that consisted of both Apple and Pie family members, and amazingly getting along perfectly.

"Yes, yes I do. Thank you Limestone" Sunny said as he took a bite, trying not to hesitate. His stomach had gone back to normal, and was hesitant to let him eat anymore food that was cooked by Limestone. But he pushed his stomach's feelings aside and enjoyed the cinnamon roll.

Nothing really needed to be said, mushy or bitter. Both Sunny and Limestone just enjoyed the warm atmosphere produced by the good company the Pie family home held. About half way through his cinnamon roll Apple Bloom called for everypony's attention. Everypony then gathered around and listened as Maud sang some Hearths Warming chorals she wrote. All of them about rocks. But that was ok. It was the feeling they all got from it that mattered.

The day after Hearthswarming, the Pies escorted the Apples and Sunny to the train station to give them a proper send off. Sunny was happy to see that Applejack and Pinkie Pie's wishes came true. Their families had become closer, even if there were a few hiccups along the way. As he idly stood and watched them all say good bye, Maud approached Sunny with an envelope.

He looked down at it as she handed it off to him. "What's this?"

"The rock I found on your scalp is a rare, obsidian chrysalis formation fragment." She began in her monotone voice. "I actually had to go into my newest text books from school to find its origins. I made you a copy of all the information I could find of it. It's not found anywhere near Ponyville. Pinkie told me you lost your memory, and have no idea where you came from. Maybe this could help you get some answers."

Sunny's eyes opened wide, as he looked at the letter. He then carefully placed the envelop in the rim of his hat. He smiled as he tipped his hat to maud. "Thank you Maud, that means a lot you did all that for me."

"No problem" she flatly said. "Can I keep the sample?"

"Oh, yeah, of course" Sunny said, with an awkward half smile.

Sunny then joined the rest of the Apples and Pinkie aboard the train, and all together they waved to the Pie family as the train began its journey back to Ponyville. Sunny felt like, even though he wasn't a 'real' Apple family member, that he didn't need to be. The Apples and now the Pies, seemed like family to him. And that was the greatest Hearths Warming gift he could ever have received. Maybe even one day, when he finds his real family, maybe they can join the Apples and Pies for Hearths Warming too! One can always dream.