Sunny Knight: a Pony's Tale

by TheothersideofSunny968

Home is where the Crystal Heart is...

"I'm glad we could clear up this whole thing" Cadence said as she took a sip from her crystal goblet, sitting next to her husband, Shinning Armor.

"Me too" he agreed as he looked over at his sister who sat across from him at the table. "I should have figured Sunny would be a friend of yours. Only one of your friends would think of something like looking for a secret map behind some old tapestry."

Sunny still couldn't believe somepony who was supposed to be captain of the Royal guard actually fell for the yellow stallion's explanation. But it worked. The four ponies had sat down in the dinning hall of the Crystal Empire to enjoy a nice meal together. It had been a long time since Shinning Armor, Cadence, and Twilight had been able to sit down to a nice warm meal together and 'not' have the fate of Equeatria to deal with. Everypony seemed to be enjoying themselves as they sipped their crystal berry juice, waiting for their appetizers to arrive. Well, all except Sunny, who, at the moment, was lost in thought.

Little known to everypony, Sunny was in a state nopony ever wanted to be in. He wasn't sure quite how to feel at the moment. He felt lost. He now had some answers to his many questions, but the answers made him feel more empty then he had before. He had a name, Sunny Knight. Which he was actually happy about. He had grown really attached to the name 'Sunny', and might have even changed his name to that if he found out it was anything but. He had found out a out his family and home.... But that's where everything went sour.

Sunny remembered his father actually was the tyrant shadow king, King Sombra. But... But there were mixed feelings. Such fond memories Sunny had of his father made him question weather or not he had just dreamed up the evil king lookalike. But deep down, Sunny knew the truth. He knew his father had gone mad and turned the Empire into a nightmare and enslaved the inhabitants that he swore to protect. That aside, now Sunny was facing something just as heartbreaking.

As he looked out across the table that sat in the heart of the dinning room, he felt... Lost... Truly lost. Before, when he had no recollection of his past, he knew he must have had a home out there. He kept hoping, at least, that he had not lost it. And now... Now that he has come back to the place he once called home, he sees its been taken over. Others have moved in. They walk down the halls that he grew up in, they casually gaze at the portraits and busts of ponies that he spent so much time learning about, and now, at the table that he and his father used to eat their meals together at, they joke and make merry, like it was their own!

'No!' Sunny thought to himself, the conversation between the other three ponies had gone mute in his ears. 'This isn't right! This is not their home! They shouldn't be here! Who are they to just waltz right in here and take what is rightfully MINE?!'

"Sunny..." Twilight concerned voice shook the yellow stallion free from his thoughts. Sunny's expression relaxed as he looked over to his purple friend, now realizing that everypony's attention was on him. "Sunny, are you ok?"

"Is something wrong?" Cadence asked, which was the wrong move. He didn't know why, but when Sunny heard the princess of love's voice, something cracked in him.

For once in a long, long time, a vindictive and dark sarcastic side of Sunny flared up at the sound of Cadence's voice. He casually picked up his goblet with his hoof and swirled it around. "Oh, just lost in though... It's really a great wedding gift."

The three other ponies looked at each other, confused for a moment. This time, Shinning Armor spoke up. "That's not actually a wedding gift. The cups and plates came with-"

"Not the cup..." Sunny casually interrupted, never taking his eyes off of his goblet. "I mean the empire. Can't beat that. Sure was one heck of a gift."

This time, Cadence spoke, feeling a little insulted by what Sunny said. But for Twilight's take, se was going to keep her cool and try and deal with this situation with a level head. "The Crystal Empire wasn't a 'wedding gift', Sunny. It was a responsibility that was entrusted with us."

"Oh?" Sunny continued to swirl the liquid in his gauntlet, his tone never raising above his indoor voice. "So what you're telling me is that not two days after your honeymoon, were you given an entire castle made of crystal, with all the bells and whistles that came with it?"

"What are you trying to say?" Shinning Armor was listing his cool, Cadence put her hoof on his in an attempt to keep him under control. It slightly worked.

"All I'm saying is it's nice." Sunny stopped and swirling his cup and put it down, eyes now like daggers pointing at the current turkeys of the empire. "I mean, after all, no pony was technically 'living' in the castle. The last ruler had been thrown out, so what not give it to the newly weds? You both needed to get a place together, right? It's not like they don't have some big fancy house in Canterlot, or more then enough cushy room in the Canterlot castle even. Oh, wait..."

As Sunny paused to sarcastically make a questioning notion with his hoof, pretending that he was thinking, Shinning Armor was slowly losing his cool. Twilight was frantically looking between her friend and her brother and sister. Se had never seen Sunny act like this and was wondering what had gotten into him.

"The citizens of the Crystal Empire needed us" Shinning Armor said almost through his teeth, focusing his hard gaze on the yellow unicorn who sat across from him. "It's our duty to ponies when we are needed. That is what we do."

"Didn't Twilight and her friends technically 'defend' the ponies? And you two just held up a barrier?" Sunny asked, raising a bow, a sly look seeping to the couple from across the table.

"It was a team effort" Twilight chimed in "We all did our part."

"Well where's Pinkie Pie's room? Rarity would love a small building in the empire to open up a second dress shop, why didn't she get that? And I know Fluttershy loved the tiny ewes, but she couldn't take just 'one' home with her?" Sunny continued, his voice raising. "Oh, I'm sorry. Now I remember! You two are royalty! That makes since! You use the fact that you are royal to get what you want. Even if it means taking somepony else's HOME! FOR! YOURSELVES!!!"

"Ugh.... " a thin and older looking crystal pony mare appeared beside Sunny, and placed a small, lid covered tray in front of him. Three other ponies wearing the same matching butler uniforms appeared beside Twilight, Cadence, and Shinning Armor, temporarily numbing the conversation. Two more mares appeared and refilled everypony's goblets while there was a momentary ceasefire. Once the goblets were filled, the servers removed the lids form the dishes. As Sunny's eyes were torn for a moment from the ponies across from him, only to fall hard onto the dish before him.

The appetizer was a small crape like pastry, with a small amount of cream inside, topped with crystal berry syrup... It was one of Sunny's favorites. He would have had it for breakfast back when he lived in the castle with his father... It... It was the same item he ate the last time he and his father... He and his father last ate together... Before... Before...

"This. Is. GARBAGE!!!!" With tears in the corners of his eyes, Sunny took the entire plate in his hoof and threw it across the room, smashing it into a wall, creating a sticky mess that dropped from the impact spot on the wall to the ground below and bits of broken plate everywhere.

"What is the matter with you?!" Twilight shouted, now unable to keep herself under control.

But without another word, Sunny jolted up from his seat, knocking the chair over, and made a mad dash towards the nearest exit. The two guards who stood at attention near the entrance, had seen everything unwind and moved to block Sunny's way. Before Cadence or Shinning Armor could instruct them to stop the yellow stallion or to stand down, Sunny's eyes did. The yellow unicorn shot the two crystal guards a glance that not only shook an ancient fear in their hearts, but dragged to the surface an almost forgotten respect that no pony had demanded from them in over 1000 years. Those emerald eyes burned like the fires of olden times. Without question, the guards reluctantly returned to their standing positions and allowed the anger filled unicorn to pass. Twilight, Cadence and Shinning Armor stood in shock and awe as they watched the yellow unicorn vanish down a dark hallway.

Just like after he had awoken from his dream this morning, Sunny had found himself blindly running without direction. His legs, strengthened by farm work that unicorn bodies were not used to, and his spirit was fueled by the burning effects of his aching heart, Sunny not only traveled more then half way across the castle, but made it in a record time that would have put most of the Equestrian games track team to shame. By the time Sunny stopped running, he had found himself at the doorway to a very familiar area. His legs now shaking from exhaustion, were barley able to carry him from the entry way and into the heart of the area. It was the Crystal Empire Royal gardens.

As Sunny took step after step on the strategically placed cobble stone pathway, another memory came to him as he walked towards the center of the garden where a a small pond like structure resided. The night was still inside the open air gardens, soft songs played by crickets and frogs filled the silence as a strong aroma from the flowers seemed to set a calming atmosphere. The fire that burned at Sunny's core had been calmed for the moment, allowing something to be recovered. The memory, was of another time when he felt his heart was troubled. As Sunny reached the rim of the pond, he flopped down on a large rock that was placed just on the outer rim of it and looked into the water. As he peered at his own reflection, having removed his ball cap, Sunny thought for a moment, that he was once again home. Back in the empire 1000 years ago. Back when his father was still king. A kind and noble King, loved by the ponies he ruled and many more. He could almost hear his father's voice from the last discussion they had there, 1000 years ago...

Sunny had just finished his training with the Royal guard. He was planning on trying out for the position of captain, to fallow in his father's hoof steps, but was hesitant. Not because he was afraid to fail. It would embarrass him and his father if he did try and fail, coming up short. But failure was the least of his worries. Sunny worried what the others would say if he actually got the position. They would say 'he's too young to be a captain', that 'he's too inexperienced' and worst of all 'he only got the position because of his father.' Their words echoed and rattled in his head until the young stallion's frustrations finally were expelled in the form of tears.

"What's the matter Sunny?" The yellow stallion could hear his father's voice call out to him from 1000 years ago. Strong but filled with worry.

"You wouldn't under stand" Sunny began to say as he continued to stair into his own reflection.

"What wouldn't I understand?" The voice seemed to grow closer yet softer. "Please, Sunny, talk to me. I want to be there for you."

Closing his eyes, the yellow unicorn took a deep breath, and turned to face the pony who had fallowed him into the gardens. To Sunny's surprise, rather then seeing the image of his own father, the Stallion's eyes caught sight of a friendly purple alicorn. Twilight stood about five feet away from Sunny, a strongly concerned and scared look plastered all over her. Her ears dropped, her eyes slightly glossy, and even her hoof steps seemed full of gentle concern.

"W-why did you fallow me?" Sunny was shaken by her presence a she began to wipe away the tears, hoping Twilight hadn't seen him crying.

"I was worried about you" Twilight began to say as she took another step closer to the yellow stallion. "I've never seen you act this way. Not to anypony."

"Ponies are allowed to get mad. Right?" Sunny half snapped, feeling warn out still from his sprint.

"Well, I guess that's true..." Twilight said as as took a seat next to Sunny and followed his gaze into the water. "But ponies don't just get mad for no reason... What's bothering you, Sunny?"

"You wouldn't understand!" Sunny snapped again and tore his eyes away from the pond and glanced over to a near by flower bed. He almost didn't recognize it. Most of the flowers were completely different from what he remembered. Like somepony came in and added several new types to the mix, giving the small flower bed a more exotic look.

"Then explain it to me..." Twilight pressed, putting a hoof on Sunny's shoulder. "Please, I want to be here for you..."

Sunny froze. He didn't know how, but Twilight had just copied what his father had said and done 1000 years ago. The flash back plus Twilight's words and action had broken the flood gates. Sunny didn't realize it until he felt drops his his leg. Something wet had dropped onto him. He raised a hoof and felt his cheek. It was also wet. Why had he started crying again? Did he ever stop? Why did it hurt this bad? Why did finding answers hurt more then when he didn't remember?

The yellow unicorn turned around and glanced at the garden. More then just the flower bed had been added to. There were so many more plants and natural decor that he did not recognize. So much had been added, but... But not in a bad way. This made the stallion sigh as he hung his head in defeat.

"I... Got some of my memories back..." He began to tell his friend and teacher.

"Really?" Twilight's ears perked up for a moment until she looked back at the yellow stallion who's head still hung low. "That's a good thing... Right?"

Sunny sighed as he thought of his words carefully. He didn't want to expose who he was to Twilight, but he wanted her to understand his pain. "I went back to where I used to live...Where I grew up with... With my father. The only place I could really call 'home'."

Twilight nodded as she carefully listed. Sunny now pulled his head up and turned in Twilight's direction so she could hear him easier. "But.... Some other ponies had moved in. My father... He was a really kind pony. Strong, kind and understanding. But something happened one day. And he... He wasn't a good pony after that... Our home was taken away from us. And other ponies moved into our home."

"What did your father do? Where was your home? Was in near Ponyville? Maybe princess Celestia can-" Twilight was interrupted when Sunny raised a hoof to silence her.

"Please, Twilight. Let me fully explain" Sunny continued, sorrow still very present in his tone. "After seeing ponies move into my home, I got angery. The home I had lived in, grew up in, everything I ever owned... Was now theirs. No strings attached... Even if my father had gone mad, despite everything he had done, one would think that I would atleast get to inherit my home.

"But that wasn't the case here..." Sunny sighed as he levitates a small pebble and threw it into the pond. "The ponies who lived near us must have assumed that I worked with my father and was just as mad as he was... So my home and everything I had was given away to some newly married couple..."

"That explains why you got so upset with my brother and Cadence..." Twilight said as she watched the ripples in the pond with Sunny. "But what about your friends? Or other family? Didn't they at least stick up for you?"

The notion made Sunny wince and turn away from the pond. "... I never had any 'real' friends, Twilight. Not like you. Not like how you have Applejack, Pinkie Pie and the rest...All my so called 'friends' just pretended to like me and made fun of me behind my back. They were only using me to get one thing or another. As for family, it's always just been me and my father..."

"Oh..." Twilight looked away from the pond as well, now looking to her friend. " if you want, i could talk to the couple, maybe work something out."

"That's the point, Twilight" Sunny continued. "Even if that would help... I don't think I could push myself to do it. The ponies who moved into my home... They aren't bad." Sunny looked over the garden and sighed. "They fixed up the place, made it better then it ever was. The ponies in town love them, treat them with the highest respect...it's not their fault that all that happened... That o lost everything... Its...It's just..."

"You feel lost..." A third voice chimed in as another alicorn princess stepped out of the shadows, quickly fallowed by her husband.

Sunny immediately turned his head away from the two new arrivals, hiding his face, but not in anger. He felt more ashamed for how he acted out in anger. He didn't want them to see him like that, or like this. Some winning, sniveling little homeless colt.

"Sorry, we didn't mean to ease drop" Cadence continued to say. "We just were getting worried."

"It doesn't matter" Sunny said as she stood up. "I thinks it's time I leave anyway."

"Sunny, wait" Cadence held out a hoof to stop him. "I want to help."

"There's nothing you can do, Princess Cadence" Sunny's words weren't hard, but using her title as 'princess' made his comment sound more harsh then it actually was. "Like I told Twilight... I don't have a home anymore, and it would be wrong for me to take it back...."

"I can't give you a home, but maybe there's something more that I can give you" Cadence shot Sunny a kind, honest, gentle smile.

Still weary to make eye contact with her, both out of slight guilt and the tingling remains of his earlier rage. Sunny knew it wasn't Cadence and Shining Armor's fault they had moved in there, but it didn't make matters any easier that he was still out a home. "You don't owe me anything, Princess. "

"I know" Cadence said as she lowered her head to meet his gaze, still softly smiling, her amethyst colored eyes finding his emerald ones. "Just fallow me, ok?"

Swallowing his pride, Sunny fallowed Cadence and Shinning Armor as they walked back into the castle and down the main hall. Behind him, Twilight followed suit, remaining silent and curious as to what Cadence might have in store for her yellow friend. Nothing bad, she hoped. She knew her sister-in-law fairly well, but had never seen either her nor her husband ever having to deal with this delicate of a situation. But Twilight didn't have to wait long.

The small group had reached the heart of the Crystal Empire castle, where in the center of the room, presented as it had been since Twilight and Spike had recovered it and passed it off to Cadence, was the Crystal Heart. Glowing with the inner light of the crystal ponies was the sacred relic that ward away evil, and protected the empire and all the ponies who called it home. But why would Cadence bring them all here?

The princess of love approached the Crystal Heart, showing the ancient treasure the greatest of respects as she gazed at it's beauty. When Cadence turned to face Sunny, her tone was more serious then he had ever heard her use. "The Crystal Heart is one of the greatest magical items in all of Equeatria. It protects the entire empire, and can vanquish the strongest of evils. But there is more that it can do."

She gestured for Sunny to come closer. The yellow unicorn gulped as he looked to Twilight. She gave him a weak smile motioned him to do as Cadence had instructed. With a deep breath, Sunny slowly began to approach the artifact.

"In olden times, ponies would travel from all across Equestria to the Empire seeking the Heart's guidance" Cadence continued. "It is said that the stone can sometimes show what lies in a pony's heart. And it got me thinking... Well, since your lost memory has more to do with troubles of the heart, maybe it can help." Cadence's expression softened as she spoke her next words. "When I first met you, I sensed something. Something warm and pure. A kindness. I don't know exactly what kind of troubles you will have to face in the future, but I have a feeling you won't have to face it alone."

Sunny took another deep breath as he approached the Crystal Heart, standing now closer to the stone then even Cadence. There was so much more he didn't know about himself. To be honest, Sunny was a little overwhelmed with the little he did end up remembering. But he didn't want to only know part of his past. He wanted to remember all of it. The good and the bad. And heck, what could be worse then learning the evil King Sombra was your father and if anypony else found out, you not only would be disowned and shunned by those you cared for...

Sunny looked not just at the Crystal Heart, giving it his full attention, he slowly began to see inside of it. Everypony watched as the Crystal Heart began to glow a light shade of yellow as the unicorn stallion that stood before it became lost in its images.

As Sunny watched images form within the Crystal Heart, all his worries began to disappear. At first, a dark cloud began to swirl around within the Heart, causing Sunny's own heart into his stomach. Maybe the heart was trying to tell him he was just like his father... But wait! Something else began to appear! Deep within the shadows a bright glowing light slowly emerged. The shadows began to dissipate as a familiar sight broke up the darkness. Sunny's heart rose up to where it belonged as his worries began to disappear. A smile and some tears came to the stallions eyes as he watched the Crystal Heart show him a dirt road with endless acres of apple trees on either side, leading up to a big red barn and a farm house. A small smile and tears of joy broke out across the yellow stallion's face as the image of Apple Bloom, Granny Smith, Big Mac and Applejack came into view. It was odd. It looked as if they could see him too, they all were smiling and looking right at him. It was then that Applejack began to mouth a message to the stallion. She seemed to have a divine glow about her as her image was highlighted by a sun colored glow. Sunny couldn't read lips nor hear her words, by he didn't need to. He knew what she was saying.

'Come home, Sunny. We're all waiting for ya...'

Comments

[Magical plane]

I think he should have told them
We were waiting along time for everyone to figure out but then you make it where no one finds out it's frustrating