Sunny Knight: a Pony's Tale

by TheothersideofSunny968

Taking a Stand

"That was just what the doctor ordered..." Sunny said with a grin, eyes shut, as he enjoyed the slight wind created from Apple Bloom pulling him in her wheel barrel. "My aches are gone, but my body feels so numb. Oh.... So relaxed... Does going to spa always feel that good?"

"No. Idea." Apple Bloom answered through her teeth as she put all of her strength towards pulling the relaxed yellow stallion.

Truely it was a sight to see a little filly carting around a full grown stallion in a wheel barrel, but to most ponies in town it was just a quick and funny sight, but the laugh vanished in a fleeting moment. So the two were lucky to only deal with the humiliation momentarily. But by the time the little red haired filly was able to pull Sunny over to Sugar Cube Corner for his protein shake, poor Apple Bloom was pooped out.

Sunny wasn't oblivious to this, nor the fact that she was using all her strength to pull him around and was putting all her heart into it to try and make up for his weakened state. An idea came to mind when they arrived in front of the bakery where Pinkie worked. "Hey Apple Bloom, ya'll been workin' so hard, why don' ah treat ya? Anythin' ya want, it's on me?"

The little filly's ears perked up as her eyes began to twinkle. "Really?! Ya mean it?!"

"Sure ah do. What sounds good?" Sunny said as he pulled his lavender bag out of the rim of his Stetson hat. While he was in super working mode on the GoGoGo berries, Sunny took the moment to fill the bag with a fair amount of bits. He had some money stashed away, apparently, amongst the various items in his room. Something he knew might come in handy later. After all, when would a few bits not come in handy?

"Ah want a Sunday! With three different flavor a of ice cream! And sprinkles! And bananas! And nuts! And chocolate syrup! And, ugh, and..." Apple Bloom was getting so excited that she began to run out of ideas for her perfect treat.

"And whipped cream and a cherry on top!" Pinkie stuck her head out a window of the bakery that closely resembled a gingerbread house.

"Yeah!" Apple Bloom jumped for joy at the thought of the humungous desert before stopping abruptly and blushing as she looked over at Sunny. "I-if that's ok, ah mean..."

"It's fine, Apple Bloom" Sunny said with a grin as he scrambled out of the wheel barrel.

"YEAH!" Apple Bloom and Pinkie cheered together as they ran inside to begin working on Apple Bloom's monstrous request, leaving Sunny behind.

Although he was feeling better, Sunny was still having a hard time walking at a decent speed or even finding the strength to get up out of said wheel barrel. He looked nervously around for help before sighing heavily. "Ah'll get inside, eventually..."

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

"Here you go, Sunny" Mr.Cake said as he placed a tall glass of green, slushy liquid in front of the weakened yellow unicorn. Before Sunny could ask, the lengthy baker placed a very long bendy straw in the drink and bent the straw's top over to the yellow unicorn.

"Thank you, Mr. Cake" Sunny smiled sheepishly, thankful that he could help him out.

"Not a problem, Sunny. Hope you feel better soon." Mr. Cake replied as he retreated back into the kitchen.

As Sunny began to slip down the bitter sweet protein shake, he glanced over at the table beside him and smiled at the sight of Apple Bloom with her rather large treat. Pinkie had made sure that Sunny got way more then his money's worth out of the ice cream Sunday. The stack of

Ice cream nearly took up the entire table, part of the reason why Apple Bloom wasn't sitting with the yellow unicorn. Three giant mountains of vanilla, strawberry and chocolate ice cream lathered with chocolate syrup and doused with several different sprinkles and nuts, finally topped with exactly what Pinkie suggested, whipped cream and a tiny cherry at the very top. Sunny doubted that Apple Bloom could finish it all by herself, and since Pinkie was too busy baking to help her eat it all, the yellow stallion thought most of it might go to waste. Lucky for both him and Apple Bloom, a few of the little filly's friends showed up just in time. Not only was Apple Bloom joined by Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell, but two of Apple Bloom's newest friends joined them as well. Sunny remembered reading about several conflicts that Apple Bloom and her friends had with the two fillies, but couldn't really remember their names. Sunny had heard how Apple Bloom and her friends received their cute marks by helping one of the fillies realize what her cutie mark really meant, and recognized the other as a filly he met several moons back around Hearths Warming, but couldn't remember their names.

"Excuse me, ugh, Mr.Sunny?..." Sunny turned and saw one of the fillies, a pink one wearing a silver tiara was standing beside him now.

"Oh, howdy there youngyin'" Sunny greeted her with a smile. "What can ah do ya for?"

"Well, I kinda just.... I wanted to let you know that, well..." The little pink filly had a hard time finding the right words, but Sunny just patiently waited for her. "... I apologized to Mr. Whooves and Miss Derpy for the talent show."

Sunny was a bit confused, "ugh... What happened at the talent show."

The filly hung er head lower then it already was, her ears pressed to the sides of her head in shame. "I... I was kind of a jerk to them. They ruin- i mean, there was an accident and I snapped at them both. And I'm sorry."

"Oh" Sunny was shocked and slightly confused. "And you apologized to them, did you?"

The pink filly with the tiara nodded her head slowly as her eyes traveled up to meet Sunny's casual gaze. "Silver Spoon and I both did, even though she only acted that way because I was..."

"Well, ah'm proud of you" Sunny's smile grew. "It takes a very mature pony to realize when they've done wrong. And a strong pony to try and make it right."

Diamond Tiara smiled up at the yellow unicorn, her ears returning to their upright position. "T-thank you. And than you for helping my friend, Silver Spoon. She told me how you repaired her glasses last Hearths Warming. Her mom works really hard, and it would have really upset her if Silver Spoon came home with her new glasses a broken in half. They weren't cheap. Her mom worked really hard to get them for her."

"Anypony would have done the same" Sunny admitted, feeling his cheeks turn slightly red.

"But not anypony did" Diamond continued. "There were lots of ponies around her, but nopony even looked at her. Nopony except you... Thank you for helping my friend."

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Sunny shuffled his Stetson on his head as he broke eye contact with the filly. "Well, anytime you or your friend need help, feel free to ask me, ok?"

"Thank you Mr.Sunny!" Diamond Tiara then gave Sunny a big surprise hug before running off and rejoining Silver Spoon and the Cutie Mark Crusaders in consuming the large ice cream Sunday.

Watching the small group of fillies laugh and talk, enjoying each other's company really helped Sunny to relax. 'That's the way ponies are supposed to be. Having fun and making friends.'

After the fillies finished eating, Sunny over heard them all suggest heading over to the club house to play. The yellow unicorn could see the torn look all over Apple Bloom's face as she looked in Sunny's direction.

"Go on and play with your friends" Sunny said, forcing himself to wave a hoof. "I'm actually feeling a lot better. The spa and shake were really what I needed. Ah' wouldn't be surprised if ah start casting spells by tomorrow!"

Earning a smile from the little yellow filly, Sunny watched her and her friends dash off out of Sugar Cube Corner and in the direction of the Cutie Mark Club house. Of course, in reality Sunny might have been fudging it just a little. The yellow stallion still felt weak, but thinks he could at least walk home on his own. Even if it would take him twice as long to do so, Sunny would rather Apple Bloom go out and have some fun like ponies should.

As Sunny gazed out the window, watching the town's ponies go about their daily business and delaying the inevitable walk home, the small rumbling of light hooves soon filled the dining area. Looking over at near the entrance Sunny soon found the causing the commotion. It was a small stampede of colts, all of them Sunny recognized from around town. The small group had gathered around two tables that they had pushed together and were setting up a map of some sort with small figures.

"Mr.Cake!" A brown earth pony colt wearing a cap with a spinning top on it yelled out from across the room. "Five root beer floats, please!"

"Button Mash, what have we told you about yelling across the store?" Mrs.Cake shot the little colt a shameful glare, standing not two feet away from him waiting on a couple at a near by table.

"Oh, ugh,s-sorry Mrs.C" Button appologized meekly, earning him several muffled chuckles from his friends.

Sunny watched the young colts, curious as to what they were planning. If nothing else, it was something else to watch other then the ponies beyond the window.

"Ok, gentle colts" a light grey pegusus colt said as he flipped his messy mane back, trying to appear serious about the situation. "My cousins Race, Ralan, Reese, and Reina are going to be at the top of their game today. I know we haven't done well in the past, but not anymore!"

"Ugh, what makes this time any different then the last time they came, Rumble?" Snips asked, more curious then concerned.

"This time, my brothers in arms, we have a master strategist!" Rumble said proudly, motioning to Button Mash. "And he has a full proof plan to beat them this time!"

"Ugh, but we tried his plans last time" Snails added, then smiled as a root beer float was placed in front of him, courtesy of Mrs.Cake.

"And the time before that" Feather Weight added as he stuck a straw into his own float.

"And the time before that!" Snips said as he grabbed his float and began to dig in.

"Guys, guys, guys" Button was attempting to calm their worries. "I have several full proof plans this time. I stayed up late, every night for the past week, studying the greatest offensive strategies to come up with game winning plans. And I can say, without a doubt, that this plan is 100%, guarantied, going to work!"

"To victory!" Rumble said as he raised his nearly empty, root beer glass in the air.

"TO VICTORY!" The rest of the colts said as they joined him, clinking their glasses together.

"Young man! I've told you and your friends before! Don't do that with the glasses! You could break them!" Mrs. Cake said, sounding more annoyed then before.

"Sorry Mrs. Cake..." The group said all at once, some of their gusto depleted.

Sunny watched the colts discuss battle strategies for a good while, taking note of their plans. He wasn't sure, but Sunny guessed what they were playing was some sort of game involving water balloons. The strategies themselves were really well thought out, almost to the level that some generals were 1000 years ago, with very few loop holes. But the yellow unicorn didn't want to say anything. Ponies would begin asking questions if a so-called farm pony were to some how contribute battle strategies. But it did bring Sunny back to his royal guard days, even if it was just something as trivial as...

"Those boys get so wrapped up in their water balloon fights" Mrs.Cake said as she placed a second protein shake in front of Sunny. "I don't really mind that they have their little meetings here so long as they don't make a mess or disturb the other customers. Anywho, drink up. You need your strength, sweetie."

"Thank you Mrs.Cake, here, let me pay you for that" Sunny said as he started shuffling around in his hat for his lavender bag.

"No worries, Sunny" Mrs.Cake said with a smile. "It's on the house. Just get better soon."

Sunny thanked her as he put his Stetson hat back on and tipped it to her. As he started drinking the second shake, the former Prince and royal guard couldn't help but continue listening to the young colts prepare their 'battle strategy'. Once he polished off his second drink thou, their conversation seemed to turn from the war game to that of school, video games, and toys. It was around that time that Sunny lost interest and found the strength to get up from the table.

Sunny was amazed to find that he could not only stand easier, but his muscles no longer hurt as bad as they did. It felt more like he had just worked a hard day in the orchard, rather then he just ran from one end of Equestria to the other and back. He still felt a lack of physical energy, but was able to walk home just fine. Walking was still rather slow for the yellow unicorn, but it was doable on his own. Those two things alone were an improvement. As Sunny walked back to the Apple farm, he kept hoping that he would be ok in the next day or two, wanting to finally go back to the hospital and break the spell he put on Score and the others so he can put this whole thing behind him and move on.

While walking up the dirt road, Sunny's eyes fell upon an uneasy sight. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie bell were in the giant wash tub scrubbing green paint off of themselves, tears in their eyes.

"What in tarnation happened to you three?" Sunny said as he galloped up to the tub as Applejack added more soap.

"Rumble's cousins challenged us to a water balloon contest, winner got the club house for the next week" Sweetie Bell said as she started scrubbing herself with a luffa.

"An' if we won, they said they'd give us their stash of candy" Apple Bloom added. "Ah saw it! It was enough candy to stock the club house get a year!"

"Only they were faster and stronger then us..." Scootaloo said as she smacked the water with her hoof in frustration.

"Well ya'll just gunna have ta deal with it fer ah week" Applejack commented. "Ya ain't playin' with them again. They play way too ruff."

"But Appeljack! We were in th' middle of important crusader work!" Apple Bloom whined.

"Yeah! Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were going to take a trip to Manehatten to visit Silver Spoon's cousins, and we were talking about going with them!" Scootaloo continued while washing some green paint out of her mane.

"Oh! Manehatten! Rarity said its the third greatest place in Equestria, next to the Crystal Empire and Canterlot!" Sweetie Bell began fantasizing about going there.

"Well ya'll can just plan yer trip somewhere else" Applejack said, tossing the now empty soap bottle aside. "Ah already got an earful from Diamond Tiara's mother 'bout her dragging green paint all over her new carpets."

A thought began bubbling in Sunny's head as he took in all the facts and began running possibilities trough his head. "Ya know, ah think ah have an idea..."

Before anypony could say anything, Sunny took off like, well, a slower bolt of lightning. Maybe running slightly faster then Apple Bloom, but not as fast as Scootaloo. His destination, Sugar Cube Corner! He returned just in time to catch the group of colts as they were leaving the ginger bread looking sweets shop.

The group of colts were shocked to see the older, now out of breath, stallion approach them. They watched as he struggled to get air in his lungs, confused by his hoof motions. The guessed he had something he wanted to say to them, but they couldn't tell if he was trying to wish them luck or ask that they call him an ambulance. After several moments, though, Sunny was able to catch his breath and stood up strait, looking the young colts in the eye.

"Boys, I have a proposition for you" Sunny started to say. "How would you like to beat Race and his group?"

Author's Note:

I really like hos some of this has played out. most of the time when someone has an oc who's a unicorn, they make them an all powerful user of magic. But thanks to things like the effects of the GoGoGo berry, I can show what Sunny can do without magic. I want to show 'who' he is not 'what spells he can do'