Sunny Knight: a Pony's Tale

by TheothersideofSunny968

Root beer memories

Sitting at the barstool inside the 'Charry on top' Saloon, Wind Rider was doing his best to try and push out the tragic events of the past year that have left his life in ruins. Much like the great Pegasus city of Timbucktoo, he two was once a legend, meant to be feared and respected by all. But also like the great Pegasus utopia, his legend and legacy fell and crumbled, leaving nothing but ruins in its place.

"Another root beer, sir?" The mare behind the counter asked, rolling her eyes, her tone sure showed how annoyed she truly was with the old Pegasus stallion.

"Don't you know who I am?" Wind Rider growled lowly as he narrowed his eyes at the mare, outraged that she only saw him as 'some old colt'.

"Yeah, I do" she shot him a sly half smile, slightly lifting Wind's spirits only to slam them down and shattering them into a million pieces. "You're the guy who comes in here every night that he gets payed and blows his entire paycheck on root beer that he drowns his sorrows in. Now do you want another one, or have you had enough? We're closing in fifteen, and if you have a hard time finding the door, I'll have my brother over there help you out."

The mare pointed to a rather tough looking stallion over in the corner, crushing cans of root beer on his forehead. When he noticed his sister mentioned him, the stallion shot a toothy grin to Wind Rider and his sister as he crushed yet another can on his head after downing the drink.

Wind gulped and sighed as his outrage subsided and his head hung low once again. "Just... one more, please."

As the mare poured Wind his last drink of the night, somepony put a song in the jukebox that Wind Rider hadn't heard in years. Wind almost smiled at the memory. It was the night right after he first joined the Wonderbolts. He and all his friends had gatherers in the dinning hall for the Wonderbolt's annual ball, welcoming in all the new members of the Wonderbolt's team. The smile was solidified when he remembered the face of his darling wife, Gentle Breeze, when they first met. It wasn't to this song, but it was at that ball that they had met.

(The song in question https://youtu.be/mIBTg7q9oNc)

"At least 'somepony' knows what good music is" Wind said in a hushed sneer as he gazed at his glass of root beer.

"This one's on me" somepony said as he took a seat next to Wind Rider.

"Thanks bub" Wind said as he turned to face the generous pony.

The generous stallion in question was a grey Pegasus with an eerie white mane, who's eyes were hidden behind a thick pair of sunglasses. Odd to be wearing sunglasses at this time of night, Wind thought, but shrugged it off. He honestly didn't care. And when his second root beer came up, he cared even less.

"Tough times, pal?" The grey pegasus asked as he sipped from a tall glass of milk.

The bubbles that floated from the bottom of Wind's glass carried with them the images of his past that he can never seem to escape from. Memories that he once held as precious as gold, maybe even more, now pained him at his very core. "Bub, you have no idea..."

Years and years ago, when Wind Rider had just come back from a scouting mission for the Wonderbolts, he had received news that his wife was in the hospital. Immediately he rushed over to the Cloudsdale hospital to find that his wife was not only well, but just delivered the most precious gift to him. His first child. His son.

Wind Rider watched over his son for many years, taught him the basics to flying as well as some new tricks he learned while in the Wonderbolts. But despite his own path of being a member of the acrobatic team, Wind's son chose to become a royal guard instead and chose to serve Equestria from the ground up. It was a noble job, and Wind couldn't have been more proud.

The next bubble was of his son introducing a very special mare to Wind and his wife. The two had met in Canterlot weeks ago, and had fallen for each other. It seemed like only days after that, that his son and his new daughter in law were celebrating their first wedding anniversary. With all the holidays they spent together, birthdays throughout the year, and of course, his son's promotions, the years just seemed to fly by. Years of glory and celebration.

The bubble after that brought Wind Rider back to yet another faded memory, the birth of his first and only grandchild, Lightning Dust. Named after Wind's own mother, and with twice the spunk and guts. He remembered watching the little foal learn to fly, and at such a young age. She may have put grey hairs on her parent's heads, but to him, she brought only pride. Wind didn't know if Lightning would want to grow up and be a Wonderbolt, serve in the royal guard, or even work in the weather factory, but he knew without a doubt that she was born to fly.

Another bubble from his root beer showed Wind at his retirement party. He still held the record for the longest distance speed, a record he doubted any whipper-snapped could break, well, one specifically he hoped would break it. And she was in the audience, slightly pouting. She didn't want her grandfather to retire just yet. She wanted to work beside him, fly with him as a Wonderbolt. Lightning Dust had worked her poor wings numb to try and graduate early from the young fliers academy, but wasn't allowed in the Wonderbolt's academy until she was a little older. Wind, of course, swore to her and her parents, that he himself would train her to be the very best flyer she could be. He would make her dreams come true.

A bubble that slowly rose after that flashed multiple scenes of the now retired Wonderbolt training a young, but gradually aging, Lightning Dust in ways that ponies double her age were training themselves. Obstacle courses, practicing in the dizzotron, flying against wind currents, in thunder storms. All in all the little filly pushed and pushed, wanting to make her grandfather proud. Many fights broke out between Wind and his son over Lightning's safety. Lightning eventually resented her parents and focused more on her Wonderbolt's training with her grandfather then her school work or time with her own parents.

Sighing heavily, Wind Rider watched as the next memories continued the descend of events that tore his family apart. It should have been a time of celebration, a time to rejoice! Lightning Dust had made it into the Wonderbolt's achademy! And better yet! From the letter she had sent her grandfather, she was a lead pony of a duo! Lead pony! He knew she could do it! But as Wind Rider flashed the letter to his son and daughter in law, he saw less then a lack of enthusiasm in their eyes. When he asked why they weren't celebrating, the two exercised their concerns for their daughter, who seem to grow more and more distant from them. They had seen a negative change in their daughter's behavior over the last couple of years, and it seemed to only grow the more she wanted to become a Wonderbolt. How she was going to be the best, no matter what.

A bubble that floated up after that brought with it the tear filled eyes of Lightning Dust the day she was kicked out of the Wonderbolt's academy. Wind comforted her and promised he would set things right. The next day he had gone right to Spitfire's office to talk to her about his granddaughter. It didn't take long to see that reasoning with the hot headed Wonderbolt's leader was impossible. He didn't know who this 'Rainbow Dash' was who not only took his precious Granddaughter's spot, but he never forgot a name. Regardless, Wind Rider was determined to get Lightning Dust back into the academy. She had worked so hard, put forth more effort and heart, she deserved the uniform and goggles more then anypony else. He had gone strait to the princesses about the subject, knowing them for so long, he hoped 'they' would be sensible. But that mare, that 'Rainbow Dash', who got Lightning kicked out of the academy had also used her infancies to write a letter of lies about Lightning to the princesses. Claiming Lightning put her 'friends in danger'. Needless to say, Lightning wasn't getting back into the academy

The next bubble carried even darker days yet. Wind relived the fight he had with his son, this time, it was how Wind had some how shaped Lightning into a spoiled and self centered brat who couldn't work with even her own father. Wind's son had apparently convinced Lightning to enter into the royal guard academy, some physical work that would also let her regain a little recognition in the community. She had been looked down upon, made fun of, and even excommunicated from her friends for what happened at the Wonderbolt's academy. But working in the royal guard academy only showed Lightning's true colors. Wind Rider's son cursed him, saying that it was his fault she had grown up so driven and focused only on being 'the best' and never learning to be part of a team. Wind knew who was really to blame, that arrogant, egotistical, rainbow mane colored mare. Rainbow Dash.

The next few bubbles flashed the various images of his plan for revenge. Wind had met Rainbow Dash at a Wonderbolt's party before a big show. He had been sent an invite to fly with, despite his previous argument with their hot tempered leader. It was then that Wind knew he had to make his move. He had staged everything perfectly to put the blame on that hot shot of a flyer. And better yet, send Spitfire on a wild goose chase as a bonus! What a great plan! He would make Spitfire look like and incompetent fool, and revival Rainbow Dash to be the selfish and conniving witch she was! But working against him was some snooty unicorn who foiled his plans by playing some sort of fashion detective! The nerve of her! Not only had she ruined his plans of revenge, but she got that ignorance Spitfire to give him a dishonorable discharge! Him! Wind Rider! After all his years of service!

The bubbles stopped by now in Wind's root beer, but the memories kept going. He hadn't seen his granddaughter since he came back to deliver the bad news that the princesses wouldn't help. Even worse, his own son had disowned him when he heard of what happened at the Wonderbolt's party. How he tried to throw not one, but two Wonderbolt's under the bus for his little revenge scheme. Now, without much money, and no respect from
the community, Wind Rider, the once well respected and loved member of the Pegasus community, was reduced to a simple buscolt, made to clean up dishes at a run down resteraunt. The same resteriaunt that was down the street from a a place that sold cheep root beer that Wind could drown his sorrows in after he got payed.

Now he sat there, looking at his own miserable reflection, thinking of how far he had fallen. "Where did I go wrong... did I not serve Equestria well in my youth? Was I not a good father? Grandfather?... it's just all a mess."

"No worries old timer" the grey stallion said as Wind Rider broke free from his haunting memories. "We all make mistakes. But you know what else I'm gunna do for you, other then get you another root beer?"

The grey stallion then hopped over the counter top and began looking over the various bottles of sofa and juice.

"I don't think the server or her brother would like you back there helping yourself to her drinks" Wind said with a slight sense of concern for his new pal.

"Oh, don't worry about them" the grey Pegasus said as he picked up the most expensive bottle of root beer he could find. "My best friend took care of them."

Confused and growing with concern, Wind Rider then looked around the place, wondering who else was there with them. As his eyes drifted over to the corner where the server's brother was crushing cans on his head, the light blue Pegasus's heart rate began to pick up with the seance of immediate danger. Not only had the server and her brother been tied up and gagged, but Wind even recognized who this 'best friend' was. A very muscular earth pony, with a brown coat, a short cut brown and orange mane and tail that had grown out slightly wild in his time being locked up. But it was the stallion's eyes that really shook Wind Rider to the bone. Those burning red eyes that once they started at you, you were too afraid to move.

"B-b-brigadier general Carmel!" After uttering the ex-general's name, the large earth pony began walking slowly over to Wind, chains still shackled to his front hooves dragging behind him.

The rattling sound of the chains mirrored the quivering of Wind Rider's knees. The retired Pegasus found it harder and harder to breath as the gigantic earth pony approached him. Now staring him in the face, burning red eyes now starting down at the old Pegasus stallion. With a growl, Salted Carmel almost sent Wind Rider into a panic attack.

"I can see that you two have met before" the sunglasses wearing Pegasus said with a light smirk. "Good. Now you know we aren't just playing around."

The grey stallion then began pouring three glasses of the very expensive root beer. All the while, Wind was completely frightened of the mammoth of a stallion before him. Salted never took his eyes off of Wind the whole time, making the old pony's blood pressure skyrocket.

"Here, put these on" the grey Pegasus said as he tossed Salted his sunglasses. "You're scaring the old guy. How is he supposed to work with us if he's too scared to move?"

After seeing the sunglasses, a horrible thought came to Wind Rider's mind. Hoping against all odds that he was wrong, the former Wonderbolt looked up at the grey stallion, only to be proven wrong. "Y-y-your-"

"Your new best friend" Cynical said as he slid one glass of root beer over to Salted, kept one for himself then offered the third to Wind Rider. "That is, unless you want your precious little Lightning Dust to continue screaming for help inside a cold, unforgiving, and frankly not very fun, prison."

Wind Rider shot up out of his seat, mad with fury as he reached across the bar and grabbed Cynical by the shoulders. "Are you threatening me?!"

Salted was just about to grab the old stallion and tear him from his cohort, but Cynical gave him the signal that everything was ok. Cynical's black and yellow eyes then drifted back to Wind Rider. "Better yet. I'm making you an offer you can't refuse. One that will not only set your precious granddaughter free, but one that will put you and her in charge of a Pegasus team that could do circles around the Wonderbolt's."

Wanting to hear more, Wind let Cynical go, took a seat, picked up his glass of expensive root beer, and looked into the Black and glowing yellow eyes of Cynical. As he swirled his drink and regained his composure, Wind Rider hesitantly asked "so what is it you want?"

Cynical's Camille grew as he held his glass up to Wind's, proposing a toast. "Have you ever heard of the 'Shadowbolts'?"