Sunny Knight: a Pony's Tale

by TheothersideofSunny968

Raising the Stakes

"The game is simple" Button Mash began to explain to Sunny. "It's a set of 3 rounds. Each team keeps going until one whole team has been taken down!"

Sunny had joined the colts at Button Mash's house as they began preparing for their challenge with Race and his siblings. Feather Weight was mixing the tub of paint and soap to fill the balloons, Rumble was filling their balloons, then passing it off to Snips and Snails to tie them up. They all seemed to work really well together, keeping at a decent pace.

"Their team uses green paint filled balloons, ours is orange" Snips said as he finished tying off a balloon filled with their teams paint.

"Yeah!" Snails said as he took the newly tied balloon and placed it carefully in Button's wheel barrel. "I like orange."

"We originally wanted to use red and blue" Rumble said as he scraped off green paint from a pair of safety goggles. "But they said that seemed silly. Plus green and orange are easier to get and cheaper to buy."

"Back to our stratagy" Button said in a firm and slightly annoyed tone. "Now from studying the game logics of 'Wonderbolt's flight, IV, V, and VII, as well as studying Race's team's movements in the past, I came up with this plan, here..."

Sunny studied the formation of the plan set out in front of him. It was fairly well set. Especially since, although the other team consisted of all pegusi and from what he was told, that could all fly very well, Rumble and Button had an advantage with numbers. The first plan was to have everypony stationed spread out in a sort of net. With Snips and Snails on both sides of Rumble, who would be in the lead. Feather Weight would fall behind Snips due to his hight, and Button would fallow behind Snails. The back ponies would keep an eye behind them, incase Race's group attacked from behind, while Rumble focused on what was in front of them, with Snips and Snails keeping an eye on the sides.

"You really have your assets covered" Sunny said as he picked up a figure representing Race. "Now let me ask you this, what about if they do something like this?..."

Sunny then placed Race's figure between the group of figures representing all the colts in their own team.

"He would never do something so dumb, we all could take him out if he just jumped in the middle of us" Button said, sounding annoyed that Sunny would even suggest something so absurd.

"But let me ask you this, what if he did" Sunny continued. "Even if it was just to throw you off a bit. What if he flew up, then shot strait down to land right in the middle of all of you. He probably knows you've been working on a solid strategy to win, and that would make you tense. If he caught you off guard by dropping like that, or maybe even swooping down or all around, jumping just out of you line of reach, you all would panic. You need to keep an open mind, a clear head, and if you have the choice to either hit them or dodge a hit, dodge.

"He who lives and fights and runs away, gets to fight another day" Sunny said as he looked up at Button, only to find all the colts in the room staring at him, wide eyed. "Ugh... What?"

"How do you know so much about combat?" Rumble asked, more curious and amazed then questioning.

"Ugh, well..." Sunny tried to think up a reasonable answer, and quickly. But he only thing he came up with sounded really weak and might cause the colts to lose faith in him. "I... Read a lot of books."

"Oh, come on!" Button said, throwing his front legs into the air. "YOU READ ABOUT FIGHTING IN BOOKS? And you are supposed to be our secret weapon?!"

"I'm just and advisor, er, coach" Sunny cleared his throat. "And yes. You can learn a lot from books."

"But not anything useful!" Button began rubbing his temples. "UGH! We can't use book stuff in a real life fight!"

"I don't know" Rumble said as he pawed at his chin. "I mean, Sunny sounds like he knows his stuff. And my brother said he took on Queen Chrysalis!"

"Pfft, yeah where? In Ponies and Dungeons?" Button Mash was clearly unconvinced that somepony who got his fighting skills from books could ever take on somepony as frightening as the changling Queen.

"He sounds like he knows his stuff" Snips said, tying off another balloon.

"Yeah, ugh... Should we read books too?" Snails asked as he stacked another balloon carefully off.

"You should always read to better yourself-" Sunny began to say, but was quickly interrupted.

"ALRIGHT! ENOUGH!" Button Mash slammed his hooves on the table, earning the eyes of everypony in the room. "If you guys what to just fallow 'his' lead and use 'his' strategies, then go for it! But count me out!"

"What? But Button-" Rumble tried to stop his friend, but his hoof that fell onto Button's shoulder was shaken off.

"NO! You guys go ahead and listen to him and what his stupid books have to say! And while you guys are getting coated in green paint, I'll be beating Manticore Fighter III!" Button then stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Everypony in the room stood in silence for a good long moment, just awkwardly staring at the door Button walked out of. After a moment, Sunny decided he would be the one to break the silence.

"I'll be right back" Sunny said as he got up and walked over to the door.

"No" Rumble stopped the yellow unicorn. "I'll go and talk to Button. He's my best friend. I know him better."

Sunny looked down at the light grey pegasus and smiled. "Alright. He's all yours."

Button had planted himself firmly in front of his Television set and started playing some brawling game where he was a manticore fighting off several heavily armed ponies. His eyes were glued to the TV screen as his hooves quickly pressed buttons or moved the directional button. He wished he could be as focused on the game as he wanted to be, but when somepony entered the room, his ears homed in on every step they made. At first Button expected Sunny to have been the one to come and try and talk to him. Lecture him about this and that, not really carrying at all about 'why' he's angry in the first place, just like all adults. But to Button's surprise, the hoof steps were lighter and more frequent, indicating a younger pony.

"What do you want?" Button said as his Manticore avatar in the screen took a pony and threw him into a crowd of ponies, making them fall down, flicker, and vanish.

"I want you on my team" Rumble exclaimed as he took a seat next to his best friend. "I want you on 'our' team."

"What do you need me for?" Button asked aggressively as the Manyicore on the screen took flight, only to slam down onto a group of attacking ponies. "You have Sunny who knows soooooo much more about combat statagy then me! You know! From his 'books'."

"Sunny's just trying to help us" Rumble said. "He wants to help Apple Bloom and her friend's club house back. And you know, Sweetie Bell might think of you as a hero if you do this."

Rumble knew just how to get at Button. Just the thought of Sweetie Bell thinking he was a hero made the brown earth pony's entire face turn beat red. The manticore on the scream was then defeated by the stampeding herd of ponies and a huge 'GAME OVER' appeared on the screen.

"But... But I was supposed to be the strategist... The pony who came up with our winning plan" Button's voice had softened, his ears now hanging low as his eyes fell to the floor. "How could Sweetie Bell, or you guys for that matter, think I did anything to help us win?"

"Then you should be the one in there working with Sunny" Rumble put his hoof on Button's shoulder again. Only this time, it stayed there. "Even if he did learn all of that just from books, they don't sound stupid. Maybe we can learn something from him. Maybe with a little of his book smarts and your game smarts we can finally beat those guys."

"... I guess..." Button kicked at the carpet with his front hoof, still avoiding eye contact.

"I can't do this without you, Button" Rumble admitted. "I can't face Race without you covering my back. We always said we'd be there for each other, and that's always helped me get through tough things."

Button looked up at Rumble, a small smile beginning to grow. "You.... You mean that?"

"Of course I do" Rumble continued, an easy grin on his face. "Where would I be without my best bud?"

"In a lot less trouble" Button chucked as he pushed Rumble playfully. Rumble then pushed playfully back.

Moments later, Rumble and Button emerged from the room and rejoined the rest of their friends and Sunny. Everypony was slightly nervous to say anything until Button spoke up.

"So what's the plan if he drops down in between us, again? Should we all try and nail him at once?" Button asked as he approached the table with all the figurines on it, looking it over again.

Everypony then began to relax as Sunny moved closer to the table again to explain. "That could actually play to their advantage. If you all try and get him at the same time, then his other group members could strike from all around. All your focus will be in him. Even if you get him, you all would be taken out."

"Makes sense" Rumble said as he joined Sunny and Button at the table. "But Race wouldn't never do that."

"What makes you say that?" Sunny said with a raised brow.

"He loves to hog the glory, he might like to directly mess with us, but I don't know if he would risk getting hit" Rumble continued to explain. "In all the times we've gone up against them, we've never once have been able to hit Race."

"He always ducks last minute or hided in a tree" Feather Weight added in, looking over the placement of the figures on the table.

"I came close one time, but he ducked behind Reese and he got hit instead." Snips chimed in, having tied off the last paint filled balloon.

"Boy was Reese angry!" Snails chuckled as he placed the last balloon on the pile.

The gears began to turn again in Sunny's head as he took in everything the boys said. "Gentle colts, I think with all of your experience, Button's plans and my book smarts on battle, we can win this."

Sunny then signaled for everypony to circle around the table as they all began working up a solid game winning plan. This year, Rumble and his friends were going to win against Race for sure!

Rumble, Button Mash, Snips, Snails, and Feather Weight all showed up at the clearing beside the tree filled area were they normally took on Race and his siblings. Sunny parked himself atop a hill a little ways away with a pair of binoculars, wanting to view the battle that would soon take place, but also wanting to be distant from it. It was their fight, not his. Although he would be playing a small part in it. The colts didn't have to wait long for their opponents to arrive.

Out of the sky, a light blue pegasus colt swooped down and hit the ground with a very flashy landing, kneeling on his back leg while his front right one hit the ground directly. If they had been in a super hero movie, he would have made a crater with his front hoof. Following behind performing acrobatic aerial tricks of their own were Race's brothers and sister, all of them with the same color of coat, mane, and tail. Whether they dyed their coats and hair that color or they were naturally that color, even Thunder Lane and Rumble weren't sure. Reese landed to Race's left.

The second in command of the group pushed his thick glasses up higher on his muzzle with one hoof as he glared at his opponents. Reese had a cutie mark of a paint brush that appeared to be painting a rainbow. To Race's right landed his brother Ralan, who flipped his masculine mane back over his head, causing his gold earrings to jungle. His cutie mark was a hammer smacking a grey cloud. Reina landed to Reese's side on the far left of the group. Other then being the only female of the group, she was also the most flexible, and dynamic in the air. This was possibly the reason why she had an hour glass cutie mark with two lightning bolts striking it. Race him self was proud of his own cutie mark a bright red, possibly glowing star.

"You and your little buddies ready to get beaten again, Cuz?" Race said as he hoof bumped Reese, both chuckling.

"Wanna make this interesting, 'Cuz'" Rumble said, taking a step forward, appearing confidante.

"Interesting how?" Race said, a little shocked that his puny cousin actually seemed bold.

"If we win, you have to give Sweetie Bell and her friends back their club house!" Button Mash said as he stepped up and stood beside Rumble.

"And what do we get if 'we' win?" Race's brother Reese asked as he pushed his glasses up with one hoof.

"Our coach said he would give you all tickets to see the Wonderbolts perform next month in Canterlot" Rumble said, a slight smirk on his face.

"'Wonderbolts' as in 'the WONDERBOLTS?!'" Reese asked, readjusting his glasses in disbelief.

"Who is this coach? Where is he?" Race asked, narrowing his eyes on Rumble.

"Here" Snips handed Race a pair of binoculars and directed him to the hill where Sunny stood.

As the blue Pegasus peered over at the hill he saw a yellow unicorn waving several tickets in his hoof. Reese snagged the binoculars from his brother and peered through them.

"Those are real, bro" Reese commented. "They have their golden seal and everything."

"He he, we get a prize for moping the floor with you and your little pals this year?" Race chuckled, inspiring his siblings to laugh with him. The blue colt then spat in his hoof and held it out to Rumble. "It's a deal, prepare to lose."

Rumble, in turn, spat in his own hoof then shook Race's spit covered hoof. "This time, we're going to win."

Author's Note:

I really like getting Sunny to interact not just with the main 6, but with ponies that were mainly talked bout in the fandom. Button Mash and Rumble seemed like fun ideas, along with Feather Weight, Snips and Snails. after the next couple of charters, and you guys get a chance to see how this all pans out, please let me know what you think. Did I portray them well? I appreciate constructive criticism.

also, the Ocs Race, Reese, Reina, and Ralan belong to a friend of min on FaceBook. Race, thanks for helping me out with this chapter, I was glad to have a friend's ocs in my fic once more, and I'm glad I didn't have to come up with a team of oc just for this. I think I portrayed them well, don't you?