Sunny Knight: a Pony's Tale

by TheothersideofSunny968

Nap Time

It must have been three in the morning, at least. Sunny refused to go to bed until he finished deciphering at least one of his father's books. It had been a week since he got the books from Doctor Whooves and helped him and Derpy get his time machine up and running. But still, the yellow unicorn was barley able to get one of his father's books fully deciphered. Most of the books that he was able to decode didn't make a lick of since!

Sunny flopped his head down onto the open pages of the book in frustration. Exhaustion was setting in, causing the yellow stallion's eyelids become heavier and heavier with each passing moment. But one thought kept Sunny going. The thought of those stallions in the hospital. The ones he cast the spell on that put them in a trance with their worst fears. Sunny didn't care for them, and part of him still thinks they deserved a little bit of what they got. But Sunny remembered what it was like for him. Being locked away with his worst fears for 1000 years. He wouldn't wish that on anypony. That kept the stallion going despite his body begging for sleep.

Sunny had finally crashed around four in the morning, just an hour or so

Before the roosters would crow and Celestia's sun would rise. Right as Sunny was enjoying a nice, blissful dream about him and Applejack basking on a checkerboard blanket in the orchard, a knocking woke the stallion up.

"Sunny? You awake in there?" Applejack called out from behind he door.

Jolting awake and thinking quickly, the yellow unicorn grabbed his father's books and tossed them under his bed, leaving only the books Doctor gave him on the desk in front of him. He cleared his throat and called out "oh, ugh, come in!"

Applejack entered his room, a smile spread thickly across her face. "Mornin', Sugarcube! Sleep well?"

Sunny replied with a wide and long yawn. "Kinda. You?"

"Yep! Well rested and ready fer ah good long day of buckin'!" Applejack's enthusiasm made Sunny realize just how tired he actually was. But he shook it off as best he could and put a smile on his face.

"Great! I'll just-" as the yellow stallion stood up and grabbed his Stetson off the edge of the bed where it normally hung, Sunny passed out on the ground and began lightly snoring.

Applejack was slightly confused and unsure really of what to do in this sort of situation, an just stared at the sleeping stallion,

((http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SJMizrTFiFo))

"Ah just don't know what ta do, Twi" Applejack confessed as she picked up another French fry, waving it back and forth. "He spends all night reading, Celestia-knows-what,and falls asleep during the day. Either at breakfast, while he's bucking or collecting Apple baskets. Somehow ah've even caught him sleepin' on the roof of the barn! But ah bet Rainbow had somethin' ta do with that."

Applejack and Twilight decided to meet up for lunch at HeyBurger, thinking a bite to eat while they talked would be nice. Although not the classiest of restaurant, it did have fairly good tasting food.

Twilight took another bite of her sloppy heyburger, thinking all about what Applejack told her whilst she chewed. After swallowing, Twilight began to speak with a mouth that was still coved with hey burger sauce. "I'm glad to see Sunny is taking some initiative with his studies, and is trying to further his knowledge of magic. But maybe I should go over with him some time management skills and techniques. You know, help him schedule time to study and get sleep."

"Ya really wouldn't mind?" Applejack asked, sounding slightly desperate. "Ah love that th' guy has somethin' he's passionate 'bout, but ah'm worried 'bout him. Ponies need their sleep, ya know. It ain't healthy not to sleep."

Twilight took a sip of her diet Oats-cola, then wiped her mouth off with her foreleg. "It's no problem, Applejack. I'm glad to help out. And it's been so long since I've had a chance to go over some studying methods and time management techniques."

"Wasn't the last time ya did that with Rainbow? Ya know, when she was studyin' fer that Wonderbolts test?" Applejack asked as she took a large bite of her own heyburger, able to eat now with a mind relaxed. If there was anypony Applejack could count on to help get Sunny back in working order, it was Twilight.

"Yep, but I think I'll have an easier time with Sunny on this" Twilight commented as she bit down on one of her ketchup covered French fries. "From what you said, it sounds like Sunny doesn't have a problem with reading."

-back at Sweet Apple Acres-

Sunny and Big Mac had begun plowing the fields, only what Big Mac didn't realize yet, was thatSunny had fallen asleep on the blow. And was now adding his own weight to the plow, making the chore even more work for the big red farm pony. After a few moments, Big Mac looked back, about to ask if Sunny was even pushing, only to notice the yellow unicorn had once again fallen asleep. Becoming more and more annoyed with the sleep deprived unicorn, Big Mac decided it might be best to carry inside and leave him in the barn. There he could do the least amount of damage, and might even get some sleep. Big Mac liked Sunny, but the red stallion had a job to do, and planned to do it, with or without Sunny's help.

After leaving Sunny on a pile of straw in the corner of the barn, Big Mac returned to the field to complete the chore of plowing the field. It was at that time that Apple Bloom was making her way back from the Cutie Mark Crusader's club house, planning on going down to visit Zacorra, possibly to practice making some potions. As the little filly had passed by the barn, the sound of loud snoring caught her attention. Apple Bloom popped her head inside and saw what the snoring was coming from. Sleeping soundly on a pile of straw was the newest member of the Apple family house hold, Sunny. He was fast asleep, just like he was at breakfast this morning. Only he didn't have his face in a pile of syrup covered pancakes.

"Wonder why he's so sleepy all the time..." Apple Bloom muttered to herself.

"Hey Apple Bloom" Applejack said, sneaking up on her younger sister. "What cha' lookin' at-" It was then that Applejack looked over to the pile of hay in the barn and noticed that a certain yellow stallion was sleeping happily on it.

"Wow, I see what you mean..." Twilight said as she appeared next to Apple Blooms older sister. "He is out like a light."

"See! He stays up all night reading, then sleeps through the day!" Applejack repeated herself as she and her alicorn friend approached the snoring Sunny.

"Really?" Apple Bloom muttered to herself, thinking that Sunny must be working hard on something.

Twilight looked at him for a moment before poking Sunny with her hoof. He didn't react at all. And a moment later, he rolled over and mumbled something about pancakes. "Should we let him sleep for a while? He might not be awake enough right now to actually pay attention."

"Maybe yer right" Applejack said as she repositioned her Stetson hat. "Let's let him get a little shut eye. You wanna head inta town with me? Ah have ah few errands to run."

"Sounds like fun, I need a little break from the castle anyway." Twilight said as she and Applejack galloped out of the barn. "I should check on Score and his gang..."

Once they were gone, Apple Bloom looked from the road her sister and Twilight took, over to the sleeping stallion on the pile of hay. She thought she noticed Sunny's bedroom light on last night when she went to grab a glass of water. He must have been up all night. And from what Applejack's said, he's been staying up an awful lot.

The little yellow filly walked over to Sunny, looking down at him as he appeared to be having a very pleasant sleep. But under his eyes showed large black rings, proving the stallion wasn't sleeping enough. "Ah wish ah could do somethin' for him... But what..."

Then the idea came to Apple Bloom to consult one of the wisest ponies she knew. "Maybe Zecorra will know what to do!"

The little farm filly raced out of the barn and down the road outside the orchard that connected to the Everfree Forest. She had taken it many times to reach her friend's home in the wild and unruly forest. Most of the time she was accompanied by her older sister or some other older pony. But there have been times where the little filly made the trip on her own, without supervision, and of course, without her older sister knowing. Zecorra would lightly scold her for making the trip, but was still glad to have the filly over for company. To be on the safe side, Zecora would accompany Apple Bloom on the walk out of the Everfree.

Running as fast as her little pony legs could carry her, Apple Bloom tracked down the road that would lead her to Zecora's tree home. 'It's been a while since ah came by ta see her. Ah hope Zecorra ain't too busy...'

It didn't take the little yellow filly long to reach her destination. Upon arriving, Apple Bloom was surprised to find the lights in the house were off, the blinds were shut, and everything inside appeared to be coated in a layer of dust. Cautiously, the little farm pony began looking around for some sign of her rhyme speaking friend. After wonderig around a bit, Apple Bloom discovered Zecora in the bedroom sitting cross legged upside down on her head. Most ponies would be shocked and confused by the sight. But Apple Bloom knew Zecora better then anypony else, and knew that was just how she meditated. Zecora told Apple Bloom that if she ever discovered her in that state to just leave her be. Disturbing somepony while they are meditating is very dangerous, and should be avoided if at all possible. Not wanting to disturb bet consideration, the little yellow filly went right to work on her own.

Looking through the various books and scrolls that Zecora acquired from all over Equestria, Apple Bloom hoped to find something that would help Sunny stay awake. She found potions to help your mane grow longer, help your coat sparkle like diamonds, potions to change fruits to the opposite of their natural color (a potion Apple Bloom thought might come in handy for pranking Applejack later), but nothing about helping a pony stay awake.

"Maybe he just needs some coffee or somethin'..." Apple Bloom muttered to herself as she placed a book back in it's original spot.

Just then, a scroll fell off the shelf nearest to the book. Looking down at the now rolled open scroll, Apple Bloom began reading it's contents out loud to herself. "GoGoGo berry... Helps anypony get up and go go go with the best of them. Reduces need for sleep...and.... super charges a pony's body! That's it! That's what ah need!"

Taking the scroll that spoke of the berry, Appel Bloom ventured out into the Everfree Forest once more. She was so preoccupied with helping Sunny that the little yellow filly didn't look at the message that was carved out in the floor in front of Zecorra. The last message that the shaman was able to write out before putting her self in a meditative coma like state;

'Help Me'